FBI Director Kash Patel has threatened to sue over bombshell claims reported in a magazine profile that the Trump administration official is deeply paranoid about being fired and often drinks to excess, alarming officials at the law enforcement agency and beyond.

The alleged conduct, which Patel has called “false reporting,” has left officials alarmed about what would happen if the FBI was needed in a national crisis such as a terror attack.

“That’s what keeps me up at night,” one unnamed official told The Atlantic, which published the claims Friday evening.

The piece details a host of concerning incidents and allegations.

On April 10, according to the magazine, the director flew into a paranoid “freak-out” when faced with a technical issue with a computer system. The report claims Patel thought it was a sign he was being fired and he began calling aides and allies in a panic.

Word of the alleged meltdown reportedly spread quickly through Washington D.C. and the White House got calls about who was really leading the FBI, according to The Atlantic.

The most explosive allegations in the article are regarding Patel’s alleged excessive drinking.

The official is known to drink to the point of obvious intoxication at clubs in Washington and his home city of Las Vegas, according to the piece, violating FBI conduct standards and potentially leaving the nation’s top law enforcement official vulnerable to coercion or exploitation.

Early in his time leading the bureau, meetings had to be rescheduled to later in the day to accommodate his nighttime drinking, the report claims.

On multiple occasions, according to the outlet, Patel’s security detail had trouble waking him because he was seemingly intoxicated, and at one point a request went in for emergency “breaching equipment” normally used in SWAT raids and hostage situations.

Patel has vowed to sue over the claims in the article, which he and the FBI say are all false.

FBI officials and other Trump administration members have reportedly questioned whether alcohol factored into missteps by the director, including his claim shortly after the shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk that a “subject” was in custody, only for the individual to be released and a different suspect, Tyler Robinson, to ultimately be arrested.

The director’s drinking reportedly angered the president himself, who is sober and whose brother died from alcoholism-related health issues. President Trump called Patel after the director was seen chugging beer with members of the victorious U.S. Olympic hockey team to express his displeasure, according to the profile.

The Independent has contacted the White House for comment.

Patel, as well as the FBI itself, have characterized The Atlantic’s reporting as entirely false, and the FBI director has vowed to sue the magazine and reporter Sarah Fitzpatrick, the author of the article. Patel suggested in a social media post that the article met the high legal bar to qualify as defamation.

”See you and your entire entourage of false reporting in court,” Patel wrote on X on Friday. “But do keep at it with the fake news, actual malice standard is now what some would call a legal lay up.”

In his post, Patel attached an email from FBI communications official Benjamin Williamson to Fitzpatrick, which called the article “completely false at a nearly 100 percent clip” and alleged the FBI was only given about two hours to respond to the exposé’s numerous claims.

Erica Knight, an adviser to Patel, wrote on X that far from being an absentee leader, Patel has worked more days than his predecessors. Knight alleged that the magazine’s reporting was based on claims that “every real D.C. reporter chased, couldn’t verify, and passed on.”

Jesse Binnall, Patel’s attorney, called the article “categorically false and defamatory” in a post on X, and shared a letter he said he sent to The Atlantic before the story published.

The letter called the magazine’s reporting false and suggested it relied “solely on vague, unattributed sourcing” and did not allow enough time for the FBI to provide relevant information that would disprove its claims.

The letter suggested that the claim about breaching equipment being requested in case it was needed to reach Patel appeared to be based on “no corroborating public record” or “drawn from a single hostile and unreliable source.”

Binnall suggested the magazine’s reporting was similar to 2025 MSNBC claims that alleged Patel was spending too much time drinking, allegations that have prompted ongoing litigation.

Fitzpatrick, the Atlantic reporter, insists her story is entirely factual.

“I stand by every word of this reporting,” she told MS NOW on Friday.

Fitzpatrick added that the FBI is not a place where people are eager to leak to the press, so the volume of sourcing in her piece — which relied on more than two dozen interviews, including with current and former FBI officials — suggested real internal alarm about Patel’s stewardship of the bureau.

The allegations were all the more striking, she continued, because Patel has made it a mission to purge agents deemed disloyal or part of the anti-Trump “deep state,” and has made liberal use of polygraph tests on agents to identify suspected leakers.

“These are not the types of people who are willing to speak out outside of the FBI, especially right now,” Fitzpatrick added on MS NOW. “Because Kash Patel is going after people with polygraphs in a way that has never happened at the bureau. So for it to be this level of alarm, this is people genuinely concerned that America is in danger as a result of this conduct. I feel a real responsibility to take care of that reporting incredibly carefully.”

The Independent has contacted The Atlantic for comment.

The manager, for his part, has protected his players from the promotion pressure.

He said: “I try to be simple and direct about it. I don’t like to talk too much. My situation 15 years ago in a big game is maybe different to theirs but maybe it’s one of the positives of having a long career and then becoming a manager. You have lived it.

“I can give some personal reflections or words which can impact the players. I have been here before. Every game is a banana skin if you don’t approach it in the right way – if you either relax or allow the pressure to overcome you.

“So I try to keep it simple and if I feel it’s time for a little bit of a poke, I can give them a poke.

“I get on well with them, I think I do. I can give them that poke and sometimes you try to find the right situation.”

Those pokes have been rarely needed this season. They have lost successive league games just once, suffering defeats by Norwich and QPR in January as a 10-point lead evaporated.

Middlesbrough were level on 58 points at the end of January. Since then, Coventry have lost once in 13, winning eight of them.

Boro even went top in February but Coventry them beat them 3-1 to regain control.

In the past 99 seasons, Coventry have won five successive games only five times – three of them have come under Lampard this season after another streak last term.

“You’re welcome,” he joked. “I’m happy, of course I am, it’s should reflect on the players and the staff.

“Me, Chris [Jones] and Joe [Edwards] drove up here a year-and-a-bit ago and it was all new to us as well.

“We have enjoyed it but the boys and everyone have worked so hard. The players are the ones who deliver.”

Of the changes Lampard has driven, none have been bigger than shifting the pessimistic Sky Blue thinking.

After numerous blows on and off the field in the past decade – despite now three promotions in eight years – Coventry fans could be forgiven for their gloomy outlook. Reclaiming a top-flight place has restored belief.

“I watched them come down the leagues. Maybe the fans are entitled to have the syndrome,” said Lampard.

“I grew up a West Ham fan and it was similar, in a different way, as they reflected on 1966, I went to Everton for a year and it was similar.

“It’s human nature. Maybe it’s British culture – what’s round the corner, expect the worst – but I get it.

“It’s part of the fun – it doesn’t sound fun but you’ve got to suffer to enjoy the good stuff.”

Five acts competed for the chance to open for the country music superstar on the Late Late Show

Two Northern Irish country singers appeared on The Late Late Show Opening Act this evening as they competed for the chance to open at a show for Shania Twain.

Five acts from across Ireland took part in the competition hosted by Patrick Kielty on RTE on Friday where they hoped to earn the chance of opening for Shania Twain when she plays in Limerick in July.

The performers taking part were; Paddy Treacy from Co Fermanagh, Jesse Sludds from Co Wexford, Caitlin Mackin from Co Armagh, Midnight in Vegas , a girlband with members from Dublin, Waterford and Essex and Ryan Phoenix from Co Cork.

Patrick Kielty was joined on the night by a panel of special guests which included Una Healy, the multi‑platinum singer who began her career with pop group The Saturdays and has since become one of Ireland’s most recognisable country voices; Sandy Kelly, a true icon of Irish country music and The Late Late Show Country Hall of Fame 2026 inductee; Ben Earle, one half of The Shires, the UK’s most successful country duo; and Tom Dunne, the unmistakable voice of Something Happens and well-known Irish radio broadcaster.

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Paddy Treacy from Lisnaskea in Co Fermanagh wowed the judges with his version of Stop The World by Declan Nerney. He has played the banjo since he was just nine years old and blew the judges away with his ability.

Ben said: “He got up there and set the energy in the room. I’d love to get to know his story a bit more.” “I was blown away by him,” said Tom. “This has been a very high standard.”

Caitlin Mackin from Armagh hoped to “break sterotypes” coming from an Irish and Filipino background and was the fourth act on the night. She played her version of Waagon Wheel with Sandy saying: “It was wonderful, I’ve never heard a female vocalist do this song.”

“I felt like there was a story there that I didn’t necessarily get from that performance,” said Ben. “But she really owned the stage and owned the moment.”

For all the latest news, visit the Belfast Live homepage here and sign up to our What’s On newsletter.

The demonstration, organised by campaign group Bolton for Palestine, saw activists holding placards in Victoria Square and speaking to passers-by.

The group remained at the scene until around 11am.

Kevin McKeon, speaking during the protest, said: “We’ve been protesting here in Bolton town centre for eight months now.

“We’re trying to raise people’s awareness of the plight of the Palestinians in Gaza.”

He said there were concerns the situation in Gaza could be overshadowed by other global events.

He added: “At the moment, we’re particularly concerned that the situation in Gaza may be forgotten because of the concern throughout the world about the situation in Iran.

“Even though there is supposed to be a ceasefire in Gaza, we know that Israel is not keeping to that ceasefire.

The group are calling for Bolton residents to boycott Israeli goods (Image: NQ)

He added: “Israeli forces continue to prevent aid getting in, and the plight of the people is just desperate. And the world stands by. That’s the tragedy and the scandal.”

Mr McKeon also criticised the UK Government’s position on the conflict.

“We are particularly incensed that the British government has been complicit,” he said.

“We condemn their inaction and call upon them to sanction Israel, follow the example of Spain, follow the example of South Korea, follow the example of Pakistan.”

He urged people in Bolton to take action locally.

He said: “People in Bolton, obviously, we’d love more and more to come to our protests on Friday.

“But we also want people to do two things. One, write to their MPs, write to their councillors, insist that they take action.”

Bolton has seen regular pro-Palestine demonstrations since the start of the Gaza conflict in October 2023, with campaign groups holding protests, vigils and awareness events in the town centre.

Similar demonstrations have taken place across Greater Manchester and the UK, reflecting ongoing public concern about the conflict and its humanitarian impact.

Organisers say the Bolton protests will continue in the coming weeks.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer probably wishes he had never heard the name Peter Mandelson.

Starmer is again facing questions over his future. And again, it’s do with his misguided decision to appoint a self-professed “best pal” of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein to the plummiest of plum jobs in U.K. diplomacy — that of ambassador to the United States.

Two months ago when he was last imperiled over the appointment in late 2024, it was his judgment that was in question. Enough for some in his Labour Party, including its leader in Scotland, to urge him to stand down.

Now, he’s facing accusations that he misled Parliament over how Mandelson cleared the official hurdles to get the job in the first place.

If he’s found to have done so, he will be on very thin ice, not least because Starmer put integrity at the heart of his pitch to the British electorate at the July 2024 election to replace the scandal-plagued Conservatives.

“Starmer set himself up as the guy who always followed the rules, in stark contrast to, say, Boris Johnson, and he came to power effectively promising to ‘drain the swamp’,” said Tim Bale, politics professor at Queen Mary University of London.

“Because of that, the latest revelations in the unholy mess created by his ill-judged appointment of Peter Mandelson mean that many voters now see him not only as a liar but as a hypocrite — and hypocrisy is one of the worst sins that any British politician can possibly commit,” he added.

The vetting bombshell

On Thursday, The Guardian newspaper revealed that Mandelson was initially denied security clearance for the post he was eventually fired from nine months later. This is a problem for Starmer as he told Parliament that “full due process” was observed.

The government stressed that Starmer and other ministers only found out earlier this week that the Foreign Office made a different overall assessment. The fallout has already led to the resignation of the Foreign Office’s top civil servant, Olly Robbins.

Starmer is trying to fend off questions about what he did or didn’t know about the vetting process, which would have involved an assessment of Mandelson’s suitability for the role in light of questions over his finances, his relationships, including that with Epstein, and his personality.

Starmer is also facing accusations over whether he had effectively given direction to officials to sidestep concerns over the 72-year-old Mandelson.

Starmer said he is “absolutely furious” that he had been kept in the dark, calling it “staggering” and “unforgivable.” He will make a statement to Parliament on Monday.

Not Mandelson again

For all Starmer’s dire personal ratings and the anticipated heavy electoral defeats for Labour in a raft of elections in May, the frenzy around his leadership had died down. His decision to not get the U.K. directly involved in the war in Iran chimed with the public mood.

Mandelson was a high-risk appointment, given he had twice resigned from Labour governments for financial or ethical missteps around the turn of the century, and his acquaintance with Epstein, who died in prison in 2019.

The calculation seemingly made by Starmer was clear: the risk was worth it as Mandelson’s lobbying skills and previous trade expertise would help persuade the Trump administration to spare the U.K. from some of the most onerous tariffs.

That appeared to work but by September 2025, the narrative changed after the release of emails that showed that Mandelson had supported Epstein even when he was facing jail for sex offenses. Though uncomfortable, Starmer hoped his decision to fire Mandelson would settle the matter.

However, the release of millions of pages of Epstein-related documents by the U.S. Justice Department in January put an end to that. Starmer’s political judgment was questioned after emails in the so-called Epstein Files suggested that when Mandelson was a member of the Labour government, in 2009-2010, he had passed on sensitive — and potentially market-moving — government information to the disgraced financier.

Starmer has repeatedly apologized to the British public and to the victims of Epstein’s sex trafficking for believing what he has termed “Mandelson’s lies.”

British police subsequently launched a criminal probe, searched Mandelson’s two houses in London and western England. Mandelson was arrested on Feb. 23 on suspicion of misconduct in public office. He was released on bail the following morning after more than nine hours of questioning. He has denied any wrongdoing and does not face allegations of sexual misconduct.

Mandelson nightmare will go on

Starmer would have hoped that his cool head in the crisis around Iran would keep a lid on any leadership speculation, even in the event of his party’s anticipated drubbing in the May elections, Britain’s equivalent of the U.S. midterms.

That’s wishful thinking.

“This scandal is not ending,” said Kemi Badenoch, leader of the main opposition Conservative Party. “He has run out of people to sack, he has run out of places to hide, he has run out of authority. The buck stops with him. His position is untenable and he must go.”

The real focus is on what Labour lawmakers think.

On Monday, Starmer will gauge the mood, when he makes his statement. So far, few in his party have said he should go. Should anymore Labour lawmakers put their heads above the parapet following a weekend of campaigning in their local electoral patches, he may be in real trouble.

Confidence in a leader can evaporate in an instant. Just ask Boris Johnson, who was elected with a thumping majority in 2019 and resigned both as prime minister and as a lawmaker three years later, after a string of scandals.

Experts say your cat’s body language can reveal just how content it really is – here are the four key signs that may indicate your feline is happy and relaxed in their home

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Cats are notoriously aloof pets, frequently showing little interest in their owners unless food or attention is required. However, owners have now been informed there’s a straightforward way to determine whether their cherished feline friend is content – and it all comes down to a handful of telltale behaviours.

While cats are widely recognised for their independent nature, experts suggest their body language can show exactly how happy and at ease they truly are in your company.

On TikTok, user Dr Mark, known as @drmarkwest, revealed the four indicators your cat is happy, settled and thoroughly satisfied with life. So, if your cat displays these four behaviours, it’s a fairly reliable indication they’re flourishing.

Sleeping with their belly up

If your cat is stretched out on its back with its belly completely visible, it might appear adorable – but it actually signifies something far more meaningful. In the wild, this position would render them entirely defenceless against predators, so they’d never adopt it unless they felt absolutely safe.

At home, it’s an indication your cat has complete faith in you and feels protected in its surroundings.

Getting the zoomies

Those spontaneous explosions of energy where your cat tears around the house at breakneck speed might appear chaotic – but they’re actually positive. The “zoomies” are frequently an indication your cat has no accumulated stress and feels comfortable enough to release pent-up energy.

A calm, contented cat will expend energy in brief, playful episodes like this, rather than displaying signs of nervousness or unease.

Watching you from across the room

It may seem as though you’re being silently scrutinised, but if your cat enjoys watching you from across the room, it’s actually a sign of bonding. Cats that feel a strong connection with their owners will frequently keep tabs on them, even without any direct interaction taking place.

It demonstrates that they feel at ease in your company and regard you as part of their safe haven.

The slow blink

Commonly referred to as a “cat kiss”, the slow blink is amongst the most unmistakable displays of feline affection.

When your cat gazes at you and gently closes its eyes in a long, drawn-out blink, it’s communicating trust, love and contentment.

Some owners choose to return the gesture – and more often than not, their cat will blink straight back.

Taken together, these subtle behaviours tell a much larger story.

Your cat may not always wear its heart on its sleeve, but if it’s displaying these traits, the chances are it’s content, relaxed – and quietly enjoying the good life right beneath your very nose.

Bernardo Silva is one yellow card away from a two-game ban as Manchester City and Arsenal battle for the Premier League

Manchester City meet Arsenal on Sunday in what is being billed as a Premier League title decider.

The Blues begin the weekend six points behind the table-topping Gunners with a game in hand and know that a victory at the Etihad followed by another on Wednesday at Burnley will move them top of the table.

It’s turning into a thrilling title race after Arsenal looked to have moved clear in recent weeks and months and City will hope that they can reel Mikel Arteta’s side back in over the final few games of the campaign.

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But City have a lingering suspension concern over Bernardo Silva, who announced this week he was leaving the Blues when his contract expires in the summer.

The City captain is one yellow card away from a two-game domestic ban and a booking against Arsenal on Sunday would see him miss the game at Burnley and the trip to Everton early next month.

The Portugal international has been booked nine times this term and players who collect 10 yellow cards in their side’s first 32 Premier League matches are hit with a two-game ban.

That means that if Silva escapes a booking against Arsenal the threshold rises to 15 cautions. He will be able to feature in the FA Cup semi-final against Southampton at Wembley later this month regardless as Premier League yellow cards are not carried over to domestic cups.

City don’t have anyone else close to a ban, with Nico Gonzalez and Gianluigi Donnarumma the next highest on yellow cards with six.

Here are all the road closures impacting the town over the weekend (April 18-19):

Blackwell

A road closure on Blackwell is scheduled from April 7 to April 19.

This closure is due to utility repair and maintenance works by Northern Gas Networks.

The restrictions are set to remain in place at each junction of Carmel Road South.

Blackwell Lane

Blackwell Lane will also be closed from April 7 to April 19 for similar utility works.

The restrictions are expected to remain in place in conjunction with works on Carmel Road South.

Royal Oak Yard

Royal Oak Yard will be closed from April 13 to May 17 for other works.

The restrictions are set to remain in place along the carriageway.

Harrowgate Village

Harrowgate Village will experience closures from March 31, 2025, to July 31 for highway improvement works.

The restrictions are expected to affect the footway, carriageway, and verge.

Beaumont Hill

Beaumont Hill will also be closed from March 31, 2025, to July 31 for highway improvement works.

The restrictions are set to impact the footway, carriageway, and verge.

Many of them find themselves at the sharpest end of the housing crisis: unable to afford even the cheapest rent and lacking the stability needed to pursue a career or complete their education.

A lack of housing supply has been a policy challenge for several years. Successive governments have struggled to get homes built, and housing charities argue that some 90,000 social homes are needed every year in order to address the chronic shortage of affordable housing.

Michelle Donovan, Head of Independent Living at Centrepoint, says the cycle of instability caused by a lack of housing can be disruptive for young people in particular, “It’s such a crucial time for them. It can harm career progression and educational attainment.”

In response, the youth homelessness charity launched its Independent Living Programme. The initiative’s crucial innovation is to cap rent at one-third of a resident’s earnings, and to provide support services focused on ensuring they are ready to maintain employment and housing when they move on.

Michelle says the most important thing is that young people have space to hold down a job “Our homes give them that stability and from there it ends their reliance on benefits and hopefully means they can escape homelessness for good. The idea is we’re giving young people the stability they need to focus on their futures.”

The flat that changed one young woman’s life

A woman who spent the pandemic lockdowns alone in her room in homelessness accommodation is now fulfilling her dream to be a midwife.

Katelin, who became homeless at 17 after years of family arguments, said the isolation gave her time to plan the steps she needed to achieve her goals. “During COVID I thought, where do I see myself if I stay where I am?”

She spent two years in supported housing but – like 1 in 5 young people in similar situations – struggled to move on and start living independently.

Her support worker told her about a scheme run by Centrepoint for working young people who couldn’t afford rent elsewhere, “I got incredibly lucky – the scheme was offered to me and one other person. I wouldn’t be able to say I’m a midwife now if it wasn’t for me living at the independent Living Programme.

We Can’t Do This Alone

Last year, over 118,000 young people faced homelessness. That’s one young person every four minutes. At a time of life when most of their peers are trying new things and taking their first steps into adulthood, these young people found themselves alone and afraid, and unsure where to turn.

It doesn’t have to be like this, with the right support at the right time, these young people can escape homelessness or avoid it altogether.

At Centrepoint, provide more than a bed for the night. We provide a safe place to rebuild, support into education and work, and the confidence to believe in a better future.

Youth homelessness is not inevitable. With the right help at the right time, it can be prevented and it can be ended.

Our mission is to end youth homelessness – and you can help us.

Whether it’s running a marathon or holding a sleep out, you, your friends, family and co-workers can join our movement to end youth homelessness and give vulnerable young people a brighter future.

To find out more, donate or get involved, please visit our website:http://www.centrepoint.org.uk/newspaper

PE Teacher Gains Independence Through Centrepoint

A PE teacher has revealed how living in a Centrepoint Independent Living Programme home has made a “significant difference” to his life, giving him the stability and independence he previously struggled to find.

(Image: Centrepoint)

Londoner Naihum always loved sport and teaching. And, after finishing university, he secured a full-time role as a PE teacher. However, despite his dedication, he faced a common problem for many young people: a lack of affordable housing. Rents in his area were high, and the stress of trying to cover his living costs began to weigh heavily on him.

“I couldn’t find a place I could afford,” he said. “It was really difficult to manage everything on my own.”

Things changed when he heard about Centrepoint’s Independent Living Programme. After applying, he was offered a place in one of their homes where rent is capped at a third of his salary.

“Living here has made a significant difference. I’m able to afford it without having to stress overnight and having to think about where I’m going to get the money from with the job that I’m currently at,” he explained, “I know that other people are in situations where they are finding it hard and their mental health is affected.”

The Independent Living Programme homes are more than just housing; residents are also able to access additional support in acquiring the life skills young people need to sustain tenancies in the future. Naihum has worked with mentors to improve his budgeting and financial management, helping him to understand what he can do to cover essentials like food, transport, and bills.

The stability and support has helped Naihum in other ways too. Over time, he has built a strong sense of community with other young people living in similar situations to him. “It’s great because you’ve got others to reach out to and it just makes it easier,” he said.

Now the charity hopes even more young people like Naihum can be supported thanks to the latest Omaze Million Pound House Draw in the Lake District, which will help fund more of the charity’s Independent Living Programme homes and give young people the chance to move from homelessness into independence.

The partnership could not have come at a more important time. Centrepoint’s chief executive, Seyi Obakin OBE, is hopeful that many dozens more young people will get to benefit from the stability that the charity’s Independent Living Programme affords young residents: “The guaranteed £1 million raised by Omaze will help us expand our services and build more genuinely affordable homes for those ready to move forward. Together, we can help transform young lives and end youth homelessness for good.”

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — The family of late San Diego Padres owner Peter Seidler is nearing a sale of the team, a person with knowledge of the negotiations told The Associated Press on Friday.

The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the Padres aren’t commenting publicly on the process.

The Wall Street Journal first reported the imminent deal with private equity billionaire Jose E. Feliciano and his wife, Kwanza Jones. The team is expected to be sold at a valuation of $3.9 billion in a record deal for a Major League Baseball team, easily topping the approximately $2.4 billion paid by Steven Cohen for the New York Mets in 2020.

The 53-year-old Feliciano is the co-founder and managing partner of Clearlake Capital, a private equity firm based in Santa Monica, California. The firm was part of an investment group that purchased Premier League club Chelsea in 2022, with Los Angeles Dodgers minority owner Todd Boehly becoming the Blues’ chairman.

Seidler’s family began to explore a sale of the Padres last November, two years after the death of the popular Peter Seidler. His brother, John Seidler, has served as the Padres’ chairman since then.

Peter Seidler was part of a group that bought the Padres in 2012 for $800 million, and he became the team’s primary owner in 2020. He enthralled San Diego’s baseball fans with his free-spending eagerness to win the Padres’ first World Series, and general manager A.J. Preller built a series of exciting teams that have reached the MLB playoffs in four of the last six seasons — a first in team history — despite playing in the same division as the dominant Dodgers.

The Padres’ current players reacted with excitement about the news of the potential sale to Feliciano — and the reported size of the billionaire’s deal particularly caught these millionaires’ attention.

“I think it’s special that they went out there and put that number out there for us,” slugger Manny Machado said in Anaheim before the Padres opened a series with the Los Angeles Angels. “Tells you everything they want for the organization. Looking forward to some conversations with them, and what they see for the future of San Diego. … That’s a big stepping stone, $3.9 billion.”

The Padres’ potential sale price reflects their value as San Diego’s only franchise in North America’s four traditional major sports leagues, leading to a passionate fan base in their attractive home at downtown Petco Park. The Padres have set attendance records in each of the past three seasons, capped last season by drawing a whopping 3,437,201 fans — the second-most in the majors to the Dodgers, who play in their much larger stadium in Chavez Ravine.

“You look at what’s going on in our city and just the state of baseball in general, and this game is in an amazing place,” said infielder Jake Cronenworth, who has been with the Padres since 2020. “For the market that we’re in, and what the team just sold for, I think it shows where the game is. Not only is it close to $4 billion, but for it to break the record is very, very impressive.”

The Padres finished last season with the majors’ ninth-highest payroll at around $217 million, still down significantly from its peak under Seidler.

The current team, which arrived at Angel Stadium on an eight-game winning streak, boasts a lineup anchored by Fernando Tatis Jr., Machado and Jackson Merrill — who are all signed through at least 2033 — along with closer Mason Miller, who has become the most dominant reliever in baseball.

Potential buyers also were clearly not frightened off by the Padres’ relative lack of media revenue. The team is expected to benefit immensely from any new media deal that would accompany baseball’s next collective bargaining agreement.

Feliciano was born and raised in Puerto Rico before attending Princeton and Stanford. He co-founded Clearlake Capital two decades ago.

Machado, a Miami native with Dominican ancestry, was excited by the prospect of a second Latino owner in baseball alongside the Angels’ Arte Moreno. Machado holds a minority ownership stake in Major League Soccer’s San Diego FC.

“That is unbelievable, having another Latin come and be an owner,” Machado said. “I think that tells you a lot about where baseball is heading. Blessed to have another Latin owner that can bring that Latin culture to San Diego, which is already a big part of the Latin community. I know he’s going to bring a lot of great things to the organization, to the city itself.”

The BlueCo consortium formed to buy Chelsea also owns Strasbourg in France’s Ligue 1. Chelsea has been among the Premier League’s biggest spenders since Boehly and his partners took over the club, although it has yet to produce significant success.

Any sale of the Padres must be approved by 75% of MLB owners.

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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB