Real Madrid prioritise signing Liverpool’s Trent Alexander-Arnold, Liverpool and Man City chase Nicolo Barella, Arsenal monitor Benjamin Sesko.

Real Madrid have made Liverpool and England defender Trent Alexander-Arnold, 26, a priority target. (Athletic – subscription required), external

Liverpool and Manchester City are interested in Inter Milan’s Nicolo Barella, 27, but the Italy midfielder is also on the radar of Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid. (Fichajes – in Spanish), external

Arsenal are following the progress of Red Bull Salzburg and Slovenia forward Benjamin Sesko, 21, as they begin to plan for next summer’s transfer window. (Football London), external

Crystal Palace are not willing to entertain any offers for 26-year-old Senegal forward Ismaila Sarr in January. (Football Insider), external

Manchester United have added Turkey boss and former Italy striker Vincenzo Montella, 50, to their shortlist of potential candidates to replace Dutch boss Erik ten Hag, 54, at Old Trafford. (Ajansspor – in Turkish), external

Ten Hag will have to oversee an immediate improvement in results and performances at Manchester United if he is to keep his job beyond the next international break. (Mirror), external

Manchester United are lining up midfield replacements for Denmark international Christian Eriksen, 32, as well as Brazil international Casemiro, 32. (Football Insider), external

United are also clear favourites to sign Netherlands midfielder Frenkie de Jong, 27, if he leaves Barcelona next summer. (Fichajes – in Spanish), external

Real Madrid are considering a January move for 18-year-old England youth international Josh Acheampong, with Liverpool, Newcastle and Tottenham also interested in the Chelsea right-back. (Independent), external

We know that Tuesday, Nov. 5, is a hugely important day in America.

Obviously, it’s the NFL trade deadline, and football fans got a sneak preview of what could be ahead with a flurry of moves this week, most notably Davante Adams going to the Jets and Amari Cooper to the Bills.

[2024 NFL trade deadline tracker: Latest deals across the league]

Will there be even bigger names dealt this season? For teams that have disappointed so far, trading a prominent player is a chance to reload with draft picks. If you have a pending free agent you think will sign elsewhere in March, this is an opportunity to get a pick now instead of waiting for a compensatory pick to come in 2026. And if you’re a contender who’s close, this is your chance to push the chips to the middle of the table and make the most of the window ahead.

So we’re offering up 10 of the biggest names who might be traded, where they might end up and what it might cost to get them.

Maxx Crosby, OLB, Raiders

Crosby, 27, is an elite edge rusher, the kind that really doesn’t come available in free agency or trades. He’s made the Pro Bowl three years in a row, led the NFL in tackles for loss the past two years, and is leading in that category again this year. The Raiders trading Adams makes you wonder if they’d listen to offers for Crosby, just because they could get a huge package of picks — a first-rounder and more.

The instinct here is that cooler heads will prevail, and the Raiders will keep him as a foundational player. But if a team like Detroit really sought a substantial replacement for Aidan Hutchinson, who could be out for the season with a broken leg, Crosby would be the brass ring.

Potential match: Crosby to the Lions, for a 2025 first-round pick and a 2026 second-rounder

Bryce Young, QB, Panthers

Would they really cut bait and move on from a No. 1 overall pick? The Panthers have been a different team since they switched to Andy Dalton, and if they’re sticking with the veteran quarterback, it’s probably better to deal Young now than in the offseason.

If you’re a team without a QB of the future, taking a shot on Young is low-risk and low-cost — basically two years and $10 million after this season. The Panthers could wait until they draft a quarterback in April, but the demand might not be as strong then. A team like the Dolphins, unsure if they can count on Tua Tagovailoa due to multiple concussions, would have an inexpensive plan B who would upgrade their backup situation if nothing else.

Potential match: Young to the Dolphins, for 2025 third- and sixth-round picks

Shawne Merriman on Bryce Young: ‘He was doomed walking in the door’

Haason Reddick, OLB, Jets

We’re six weeks into the 2024 season and Reddick hasn’t so much as practiced for New York since the team acquired him from the Eagles. So you don’t know what shape he’s going to be in and if he needs a few weeks to get up to speed. Plus, you’re getting a half-season, and any trade would require a long-term commitment with a new deal.

The Jets have lost all leverage here, so they have to know they won’t get back the third-rounder they sent to the Eagles. At some point, you’re just selling low to walk away with something. Of the contenders, the 49ers have the most cap space to handle a new contract, though they’ll have their own stars to re-sign with that same cap space soon.

Potential match: Reddick to the 49ers, for a 2025 fourth-round pick

DeAndre Hopkins, WR, Titans

Hopkins is 32, and he’s had only modest production this year, totaling 14 catches for 175 yards and a touchdown amid Tennessee’s offensive struggles. He’s a free agent in the spring, so he probably is done with the Titans either way. 

It’s hard to see the Saints as buyers at 2-4 and with four straight losses headed into Thursday night’s game against Denver, but with Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed both sidelined by injuries, Hopkins would be a high-volume No. 1 in the short term and a veteran target for Derek Carr once he’s back healthy.

Potential match: Hopkins to the Saints, for a 2025 seventh-round pick

Budda Baker, S, Cardinals

If the Cardinals lose to the Chargers on Monday, they’ll drop to 2-5, which makes them sellers. Baker has played his entire eight-year career in Arizona but will be a free agent in the spring, so he’s a smart addition for a team looking for a veteran leader in the secondary. 

Baker is a three-time All-Pro and a six-time Pro Bowler. At age 28, he’s still a tackling machine, with 60 in six games as well as three tackles for loss. Send him to Minnesota, and the Vikings could pair him with Harrison Smith and Cam Bynum in a big-nickel three-safety look.

Potential match: Baker to the Vikings, for a 2025 fourth-round pick

Mike Williams, WR, Jets

Williams is 30 and the odd man out with the Jets adding Adams to an already deep receiving corps. His $10 million salary and middling production — 10 catches for 145 yards and no touchdowns in six games — mean New York would likely need to eat some of his remaining salary to get a team to take him for the rest of this season. 

Williams could be an experienced presence for a team with a young receiver room. Here’s hoping he gets dealt to a contender, as he’s played only two playoff games in his first seven years in the league.

Potential match: Williams to the Steelers, for a 2026 late-round pick swap

Did Aaron Rodgers cross the line calling out Mike Williams after Jets’ loss?

Greg Newsome, CB, Browns

The Browns are bad enough that they should be sellers here, and they could deal from a surplus at corner. It’s doubtful they’d trade Denzel Ward or Martin Emerson, but perhaps they could dangle Newsome, a 2021 first-rounder who’s fallen into a slot role. His fifth-year option will pay him well in 2025, but for a team that will use him in an every-down role, his versatility could make him a smart upgrade.

Potential match: Newsome to the Packers, for a 2025 fourth-round pick

Diontae Johnson, WR, Panthers

Johnson, 28, is the kind of high-volume receiver the Chiefs need after the injuries they’ve taken at the position. He leads the Panthers with 29 receptions for 340 yards and three touchdowns, but they could deal him and still have rookie Xavier Legette, Jonathan Mingo and veteran Adam Thielen.

Johnson will be expensive as a second-tier free agent next spring, but Kansas City needs reliable targets for Patrick Mahomes in the postseason. Whether he sticks there for the long term or not, it makes sense now.

Potential match: Johnson to the Chiefs, for a 2025 fifth-round pick

Azeez Ojulari, OLB, Giants

He’s only 24 and will be a coveted free agent in the spring, but the Giants already broke the bank on Brian Burns, so Ojulari is likely to sign elsewhere. He has three sacks and is on course for his best season since his rookie year, when he had eight. 

The Giants are 2-4 and if they lose to the Eagles this week, they might be in full sell mode. A team like the Falcons, who are tied for the division lead but dead last in the NFL with five sacks, would make sense here. Even though they already traded for Matthew Judon, they need more pressure up front if they want to be a relevant playoff team.

Potential match: Ojulari to the Falcons, for a 2025 fifth-round pick

Khalil Herbert, RB, Bears

Herbert, 26, rushed for 611 yards last year and has a 4.8-yard career average, but he’s a forgotten man in Chicago, running for only 16 yards all season. The Raiders sure could use help at running back, and Herbert has a connection with Vegas offensive coordinator Luke Getsy, who used to be the Bears’ OC. As long as D’Andre Swift and Roschon Johnson stay healthy in Chicago, dealing Herbert is getting something for nothing.

Potential match: Herbert to the Raiders, for a 2025 seventh-round pick

Greg Auman is an NFL Reporter for FOX Sports. He previously spent a decade covering the Buccaneers for the Tampa Bay Times and The Athletic. You can follow him on Twitter at @gregauman.

[Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily.]

Get more from National Football League Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more

RJ Young

FOX Sports National College Football Analyst

Advertisement

Michael Cohen

College Football and College Basketball Writer

Welcome to the College Football Playoff conversation, Indiana.

In his first year as the program’s head coach, Curt Cignetti has helped guide Indiana to a perfect 6-0 record and the No. 16 ranking in the AP Top 25 Poll. Cignetti’s Hoosiers are set to take on Nebraska (5-1) in a Week 8 Big Ten showdown on FOX (Noon ET on FOX and the FOX Sports App).

Indiana currently sits just outside RJ Young’s latest College Football Playoff predictions, but a victory over Dylan Raiola and the Cornhuskers could push this program one step closer to making its first-ever CFP appearance.

There are several other eye-catching matchups across the country in Week 8, including a massive SEC showdown between No. 1 Texas and No. 5 Georgia in Austin, Texas. No. 7 Alabama visits No. 11 Tennessee in another must-see SEC battle, while No. 22. Illinois welcome No. 24 Michigan in a top 25 Big Ten tilt.

FOX Sports college football writers Michael Cohen and RJ Young are here to preview the biggest storylines heading into Week 7.

Indiana, sitting at 6-0, is set to host Nebraska at Noon ET Saturday on FOX. This season has been filled with plenty of great storylines, but where does Indiana rank among the top storylines in college football seven weeks into the season?

Michael Cohen: Given how precipitously the Hoosiers had fallen during the final three years under former head coach Tom Allen — a 2-10 record in 2021; a 4-8 mark in 2022; a 3-9 finish in 2023 — it’s fair to consider Indiana the best team storyline so far this season, an unexpected challenger to an expanded Big Ten hierarchy that now includes Ohio State, Penn State, Oregon and Michigan as the three-time defending conference champion. 

Not only is head coach Curt Cignetti the only coach in program history to begin his tenure with six straight wins, but it’s also just the second time IU has ever started a season 6-0, joining the 1967 squad that was selected for the Rose Bowl and finished 9-2 overall under John Pont. With six straight wins by double figures, Cignetti’s group has set a new school record for most consecutive victories by 10-plus points, eclipsing the previous mark of five that spanned the 1905-06 campaigns. The Hoosiers are one of only two teams that have yet to trail in a game this season. And quarterback Kurtis Rourke, a transfer from Ohio, is the first IU player to throw at least three touchdown passes in three Big Ten games since Harry Gonso accomplished that feat in ’67. 

So, while it’s true that the caliber of Indiana’s opponents has left plenty to be desired thus far — the Hoosiers’ strength of schedule through Week 7 ranks 108th nationally and second-to-last in the Big Ten, according to Pro Football Focus — the comprehensive nature of Cignetti’s victories shouldn’t be overlooked ahead of Saturday’s date with Nebraska. 

RJ Young: Like Army, Navy, Iowa State and BYU, Indiana has emerged as one of the most surprising and exciting teams in the country with this wildly unexpected hot start to the season. At 6-0, the Hoosiers have matched their best start to any season since 1967, and they’ve done it in style.

Curt Cignetti garnered attention last December when he left no doubt about who he is and what he expected to do as head coach at Indiana.

“I win,” he said. “Google me.”

Google, we did. Cignetti has never coached a losing season as head coach. He is 125-35 all time, and he hasn’t lost more than three games in a season since back in 2018. He has since cooled on the rhetoric, though.

“You know, I made a couple comments when I first got hired,” Cignetti said ahead of IU’s game against Nebraska. “I was out there on a limb a little bit, felt like that’s what I needed to do. I think it’s more of a reflection on how the team has played and the success that they’ve had on the field that’s gotten people excited, and this is just a byproduct of that.”

On the other hand, Dylan Raiola was one of the top stories in college football through the first three weeks of the season before the Cornhuskers fell to Illinois in overtime in a Week 4 thriller. Raiola and the Huskers have quietly won back-to-back games since then and sit at 5-1 heading into this showdown against Indiana. Would a win over the undefeated Hoosiers put Raiola and the Huskers back in the national spotlight?

RJ: Almost certainly. Nebraska played in prime time before earning a top 25 ranking, and, prior to its loss to a top 25-ranked Illinois team, the Cornhuskers were enjoying even more attention than Indiana is now. With Raiola at QB, the Huskers have a player under center who gives them a chance to win nearly every game they play. He’s helped by a defense that has shown itself to be more than capable of playing winning football.

Nebraska ranks 13th among FBS teams in total defense, 18th in TFLs and 26th in takeaways. The Huskers have recorded seven interceptions in six games and give up just 11 points per game. They’ll need to play great football against any team coached by Cignetti, who is 4-1 after bye weeks, excluding the 2020 season.

Michael: Without question. The Cornhuskers climbed into the AP Top 25 after their resounding 28-10 win over Colorado in Week 2 to avenge a nationally televised loss from the 2023 season. By then, head coach Matt Rhule’s team was 3-0 overall with an average margin of victory north of 27 points per game. Nebraska checked in at No. 22 ahead of its high-profile Friday night game against then-No. 24 Illinois, a matchup the Cornhuskers ultimately lost in overtime. Their stay in the national rankings proved to be little more than a one-week cameo. 

But back-to-back wins over Purdue (away) and Rutgers (home) gave way to a bye on Oct. 12 that extended Nebraska’s unbeaten streak to three calendar weeks at a time when ranked teams were losing at a torrid pace, including four last Saturday alone. All of which meant that the Cornhuskers kept climbing behind the scenes, and they’ll enter this weekend’s game against Indiana having received the second-most votes of anyone outside the Top 25, which effectively ranks them No. 27 overall. If Rhule & Co. can become the first team to corral an explosive Indiana offense and topple the 16th-ranked Hoosiers away from home, there’s little question that Nebraska will be back in the national rankings next week ahead of a mammoth showdown with No. 4 Ohio State on Oct. 26. 

Georgia travels to Austin to battle No. 1-ranked Texas this weekend in one of the most anticipated matchups of the season. Georgia has been up and down this year, while Texas has been steadily dominant through the first seven weeks of the season. What do you expect to see in this top-five SEC showdown?

Michael: Coming into the season, one of the biggest questions surrounding Texas was how well the offense could replace a handful of playmakers who departed for the NFL. The Longhorns bid farewell to their top running back (Jonathan Brooks: 1,139 yards and 10 TDs) and their five leading receivers (Xavier Worthy: 1,014 yards and 5 TDs; Adonai Mitchell: 845 yards and 11 TDs; Ja’Tavion Sanders: 682 yards and 2 TDs; Jordan Whittington: 505 yards and 1 TD; Brooks: 286 yards and 1 TD) from a 2023 squad that fell a play or two short of reaching the national championship. And while it’s true that head coach Steve Sarkisian and his staff did an excellent job replacing them in the transfer portal and through the high school ranks — with players like former Alabama wideout Isaiah Bond, former Houston wideout Matthew Golden and five-star freshman receiver Ryan Wingo — it was unclear how much time the new pieces would need to jell. 

But after six games and six blowout victories, it’s quite clear that the Longhorns, who rank seventh nationally in scoring offense (43.2 points per game) and seventh nationally in total offense (495.7 yards per game), don’t have much to worry about on that side of the ball, even though they missed starting quarterback Quinn Ewers for multiple games. 

This week’s matchup with Georgia offers the first real test for Texas’ defense, which is among the more interesting storylines to watch. A closer look at the numbers confirms the Longhorns have hardly been tested in that regard at the midway point of the season. Consider the offensive rankings of Texas’ six opponents thus far: 

Colorado State — 86th in total offense; 107th in scoring offense

Michigan — 119th in total offense; 102nd in scoring offense

UTSA — 67th in total offense; t-105th in scoring offense

UL Monroe — 128th in total offense; t-105th in scoring offense

Mississippi State — 78th in total offense; t-71st in scoring offense

Oklahoma — 126th in total offense; t-96th in scoring offense

The Bulldogs will present a much more thorough challenge this weekend on the shoulders of quarterback Carson Beck, a likely first-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft and a player who ranks ninth nationally in passing yards with 1,818. Georgia ranks among the top 30 in total offense (452 yards per game) and the top 35 in scoring offense (33.5 points per game), despite facing a schedule that is No. 24th in difficulty, according to Pro Football Focus. This game will offer plenty of insight about whether Texas’ defense is for real. 

RJ: I expect to see Georgia play a complete game of football for the first time all year. In every game it has played against FBS opponents so far, either the offense or the defense has underwhelmed us. And that underwhelming performance by the defense against Alabama cost them dearly. They didn’t look much better against Mississippi State last weekend, which is worrisome. Kirby Smart knows better than most that Georgia doesn’t need to play its best game on Saturday, but it does need to show itself to be one of the 12 best teams in the sport.

Meanwhile, Texas hasn’t faced an elite offensive opponent all year. Michigan ranks 110th in the country in yards per play, and Oklahoma ranks 127th. And those are the Longhorns‘ two best wins. Couple that with the knowledge that Georgia ranks No. 17 in the country in yards per play.

The Bulldogs have scored at least 31 points in each of their last three games. If Georgia’s defense can stand up against a still maturing Texas offense, there’s no reason to believe the Dawgs can’t leave Austin with the best win in college football this season — a defeat of a No. 1-ranked opponent on the road.

“I want to see them play their best game against Texas,” Smart said. “I mean, simply stated, we have not played our best game. We have not put a complete game together, and that’s what every coach’s goal is, right? To play your best game moving forward. That’s what’s going to be needed to go on the road at Texas. We got to play better and that’s the only goal I’m thinking about right now.”

There are 11 remaining undefeated teams in the FBS right now, including Indiana and Texas. Make your case for which team has the best chance to finish the season with an undefeated record?

RJ: Army. The Black Knights haven’t just been winning games. They’ve been hurting people. They’re mauling opponents for a nation-leading 369 rushing yards per game, while also possessing the nation’s fifth-best scoring offense. They are whooping their competition by an average of 30 points per game. There are only two teams left who might be favored against Army this season: undefeated Navy and a Notre Dame team that already showed itself capable of losing to a directional Illinois program.

Michael:  Liberty. This selection is neither an endorsement of the Flames as an elite team nor a knock to any of the other 10 undefeated programs, all of whom would likely be favored in a head-to-head matchup with Liberty. Rather, it’s a reflection of just how weak the teams in Conference USA really are this season, which means head coach Jamey Chadwell and his players might have the cleanest path toward an unblemished record. Thus far, Liberty’s strength of schedule ranks 129th, according to Pro Football Focus. And Liberty’s remaining schedule, which includes games against Kennesaw State, Jacksonville State, Middle Tennessee State, UMass, Western Kentucky and Sam Houston, ranks 128th in difficulty. The only teams in the country with easier run-ins are Western Kentucky, Louisiana Tech and Florida International. 

So, even if Liberty finishes undefeated for a second consecutive season, it still might not be viewed as an impressive accomplishment by the College Football Playoff Selection Committee. Especially after the Flames were pummeled, 45-6, by Oregon in the Fiesta Bowl last year. 

RJ Young is a national college football writer and analyst for FOX Sports and the host of the podcast “The Number One College Football Show.” Follow him at @RJ_Young.

Michael Cohen covers college football and basketball for FOX Sports with an emphasis on the Big Ten. Follow him at @Michael_Cohen13.

[Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily.]

Get more from College Football Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more

“We tried to appoint Anthony as our manager,” says Fleetwood Town’s chief executive Steve Curwood about Anthony Barry, England’s new assistant boss.

“He was keen to engage with us. This was when Frank Lampard left Chelsea [January 2021] and I think Anthony thought he was going to be out of the door.”

In fact, Barry was kept on at Stamford Bridge and went on to forge such a strong relationship with Thomas Tuchel, Lampard’s replacement, that the German took him to Bayern Munich before the new England boss named him as his assistant on Wednesday.

Liverpool-born Barry, 38, spent 13 years as a midfielder in England’s lower tiers, playing for Yeovil Town, Fleetwood Town, Accrington Stanley and Wrexham among others.

After serious injury at the age of 24, he decided to concentrate on his coaching badges and five years later took charge of Accrington Stanley Under-16s in 2015.

“I remember my first session so clearly,” Barry told the Euros Essential Football Podcast, external in June.

“It was a Tuesday night, there were around 10 players, I had a third of a pitch, and not enough balls and not enough bibs!

“But I simply fell in love with coaching, and on that night I knew it was absolutely everything I wanted to do.”

Nine years on from Accrington Stanley Under-16s, Barry’s thoughts are turning towards the 2026 World Cup as he gets ready to begin his new role on 1 January 2025 alongside Tuchel.

Rangers interim chairman John Gilligan says the “use of pyrotechnics must stop” after the club were fined twice by Uefa.

A fine of approximately £11,500 for flares at the recent Europa League defeat at home by Lyon followed a penalty approaching £15,900 for a similar incident in the earlier fixture away to Malmo, which Rangers won.

Gilligan said, external of the 4-1 loss to Lyon: “The biggest disappointment of that evening, however, was the actions of a small minority of supporters, whose use of pyrotechnics at the match has seen the club fined €13,750 by Uefa. This is in addition to a €19,000 fine for a similar incident in the match with Malmo.

“My message is the use of pyrotechnics must stop and stop now at all of our matches home and away.

“Not only could the repercussions become ever-larger for the club, many supporters have difficulty coping with the effects of pyrotechnics, whether that be the smoke or loud bangs they produce. It is desperately unfair for any Rangers supporter to come to a match and be affected in such a manner.”