Chelsea have now made contact with Ateltico Madrid over signing Pablo Barrios, according to reports, and have been told how much it will take to lure the midfielder away from Spain in 2026.

With the January transfer window less than two months away, the Blues have already got an eye on potential reinforcements. It’s a rare day when those in West London aren’t thinking about the transfer window and Todd Boehly could be about to spend big yet again to help Chelsea bridge the gap on Premier League leaders Arsenal.

Having already welcomed the likes of Jamie Gittens and Joao Pedro in the summer, those at Stamford Bridge are now reportedly interested in signing Ousmane Diomande.

The Sporting CP defender is one of the most promising centre-backs in Europe and certainly fits the criteria of young stars that Chelsea have been recruiting in recent years. But he’s not the only target in their sights.

The Blues have also been linked with a midfield upgrade in Crystal Palace’s Adam Wharton. The England international is among the most sought-after talents in the Premier League and will have the biggest decision of his career to make sooner or later. Whether that results in a move to West London remains to be seen.

With Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernandez at the base of the Blues’ midfield, it would take quite the talent to take a starting spot in the middle of Enzo Maresca’s side, but that may not stand in the way of BlueCo’s spending.

If it’s not Wharton that arrives in 2026, then it could be Atletico Madrid star Barrios, who has entered Chelsea’s radar ahead of the January transfer window.

Chelsea launch contact to sign Pablo Barrios

According to reports in Spain, Chelsea have now made contact over signing Barrios from Atletico Madrid, only to be told that the Spanish club will only be accepting offers in the region of €100m (£88m).

Chelsea have Palmer 2.0 with a "left foot made of gold" & it's not Estevao

The promising talent could be the perfect solution to Chelsea’s Cole Palmer problem.

By
Jack Salveson Holmes

Nov 22, 2025

Whilst money hasn’t been a problem for Chelsea in the past, they should question whether they actually need another midfielder with Caicedo and Fernandez already performing so well together this season.

Barrios has certainly impressed enough to force Chelsea to ask themselves the question about his potential arrival, but whether they can lure him away from Atletico Madrid is another question entirely.

Diego Simeone is a big fan of the midfielder and told reporters when the 22-year-old was first breaking through: “He has a fantastic game, and I told him that we’re going to work to shape it. Koke is there now (at the ‘5’) and we are trying to bring out Pablo’s full potential. He has to grow, but he’s doing very well. I’m excited. He’s a kid from the academy, and he can play several roles.”

Forget Delap: 18-year-old star is destined to be Chelsea's future number 9

Blades named replacement after Holder declines citing a planned medical procedure

ESPNcricinfo staff29-Sep-2025Alzarri Joseph has been ruled out of West Indies’ two-match Test series against India starting this week due to a lower-back injury. Joseph complained of discomfort, and scans revealed “a degeneration of the previously resolved lower-back injury”.According to a CWI release on Monday, Jason Holder, who is currently with the T20I side for a three-match series against Nepal in the UAE, declined to be Joseph’s replacement citing a planned medical procedure.So West Indies have called up left-arm seamer Jediah Blades to replace Joseph. Blades, 23, is also in the UAE and will join the Test squad after the third T20I on Tuesday.Related

• Pierre backs 'hard work over talent' as he inches towards West Indies Test dream

• Injured Shamar Joseph out of India Tests, Johann Layne called up

• Unfamiliar five – Warrican, Pierre among players who can challenge India

• FAQ: All you need to know about the India vs West Indies Test series

Blades is uncapped in Test cricket but has played three ODIs and four T20Is so far. In 13 first-class games, he has picked up 35 wickets at an average of 35.91.Joseph’s absence leaves West Indies’ pace attack severely depleted. Last week, Shamar Joseph was ruled out with an injury and was replaced by uncapped seam-bowling allrounder Johann Layne. Among their current seam-bowling options, Jayden Seales is the only one to have played more than ten Tests. In the spin department, they have got Jomel Warrican, Khary Pierre and captain Roston Chase.The first Test against India starts on October 1 in Ahmedabad.

Updated West Indies squad for India Test series

Roston Chase (capt), Jomel Warrican (vice-capt), Kevlon Anderson, Alick Athanaze, John Campbell, Tagenarine Chanderpaul, Justin Greaves, Shai Hope, Tevin Imlach, Johann Layne, Jediah Blades, Brandon King, Anderson Phillip, Khary Pierre, Jayden Seales

Western Province opening batter Joshua van Heerden has become the first like-for-like injury replacement under a new trial for substitutes in cricket. Van Heerden replaced Edward Moore in a provincial four-day game against Lions at Newlands in the second round of the CSA’s first-class competition. Moore suffered a tear to his left adductor (inner thigh muscle) while fielding on the second day.The trial, which is also being conducted in Australia’s Sheffield Shield and India’s Duleep Trophy and Ranji Trophy, is part of an ICC initiative seeking a solution for teams that lose players to serious injury during a match.Like Australia, South Africa will consider both internal and external injuries (India are only looking at external injuries for now) and have a strict protocol for determining when a player can be replaced. If the injury is internal, such as a muscle tear, which was the case with Moore, the player is required to go for an Ultrasound and/or an MRI scan. The report is then sent to CSA’s chief medical officer Dr Hashendra Ramjee and CSA’s cricket operations manager Obakeng Sepeng who study the results and determine if the injury is serious enough to allow for replacement. They then contact the match referee to confirm the decision. If the injury is external, such as a visible dislocation or broken bone, the match referee can make the decision on a substitute in consultation with Dr Ramjee and Sepeng.Related

• BCCI introduces 'serious injury replacement substitute' rule

• CA to trial injury subs with tactical twist in Sheffield Shield

The injured player can only be replaced provided he has been ruled out of the match in its entirety. He will then be required to satisfy a “stand-down period of seven days”, as stated in CSA’s updated playing conditions before returning to play. In Australia’s case, substitutions are only allowed until stumps on the second day and the injured player is mandated a 12-day non-playing period. Like Australia and India, South Africa are only trialling the system in multi-day cricket for now.The differences in protocol stem from the ways in which different countries want to trial the system. They will all report back to the ICC, which could then come up with regulations for like-for-like substitutions in the international game. Currently, substitutions in international cricket are only allowed for concussion.

Former Manchester United, Newcastle, and Tottenham Hotspur striker Louis Saha has warned Lamine Yamal that he won't match the legacy of Lionel Messi because he doesn't have the same "obsession" with football as Cristiano Ronaldo. The Barcelona youngster has often been in the spotlight for the wrong reasons this season, with Saha the latest to fear that his potential could be wasted.

• Lamine listless as Barca slump to defeat at Chelsea

  Yamal lost his duel against Spanish national team-mate Marc Cucurella comprehensively on Tuesday evening at Stamford Bridge, with the left-back keeping his word. "I'll try to make things as difficult as possible for him," the left-back joked in September when talking about the matchup. 

  Even with his steady return of goals and assists, there’s been a subtle – but unmistakable – dip in the influence Yamal exerts on games this season. Granted, his performances have been affected after being diagnosed with pubalgia, with has prevented the 2025 Ballon d'Or runner-up from gaining the necessary rhythm. 

  However, over the past four months, he has made headlines for the wrong reasons more often than the right ones. He received severe backlash for his wild 18th birthday bash in July. Then, he accused eternal rivals Real Madrid of stealing and complaining.

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  Yamal warned of wasting his talent

  Saha, a Premier League icon, recently spoke to and warned that Yamal's "talent could be wasted because we are starting to see too many things in the papers about him."

  “I think only PSG or Man City could afford to pay £300m for Lamine Yamal. I still think that if you look at his trajectory, it would be sad to see him go so early for a big move," said Saha.

  “For the sake of the football we love, we want to see him develop in Barcelona, do well for Barcelona and be stable in Barcelona. I'm scared that this talent could be wasted because we are starting to see too many things in the papers about him.

  “That's going to be a sad story because he's such a big talent for the next 15 years and I want to see the best from him so I want to protect this kid. Moving around is not good. I think Neymar left Barcelona for this kind of hype. He wanted to be the one big player at PSG.

  “Neymar is such a waste because I think at Barcelona he will have really enjoyed himself and show that there was a complementary way to play with Messi over the years. Sometimes the management it's not easy to do because you have ego and you can find yourself dragged into something that is not very useful to your game.”

• Yamal won't reach the heights of Messi & Ronaldo, says Saha

  Yamal's meteoric rise to superstardom, all while being only 18, has drawn comparisons to Barcelona legend Messi. Recently, former Netherlands international Wesley Sneijder even claimed that it was "possible" for Yamal to supersede the heights scaled by Messi. However, Saha disagrees, explaining that it's likely he will follow the footsteps of a Neymar rather than a Messi or a Ronaldo.

  “Could Lamine Yamal one day overtake Lionel Messi? It would be good for him but I don't think so," the ex-Manchester United forward opined. "I doubt that he can achieve that because I see Lamine Yamal’s quality as a player but I don't see an obsession where you really focus on your football that Cristiano Ronaldo also has.

  “These guys are absolutely insanely obsessed. Some distractions are already around Yamal, that's not good. I think you’ll find him dragged away from the game like Neymar, who has, for me, maybe better quality.

  “Over the years, I've never seen anything like Neymar. Even if Yamal is incredible, I think Neymar was just at another level but he did not have the best lifestyle and over the years he got injuries and was dragged into things that are not helpful for his career.

  “This is where I'm very scared that Yamal will try to choose the same kind of trajectory. That would be sad for football.”

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  Yamal in it to win it all

  While onlookers and naysayers may try to diminish Yamal's light, the youngster continues to remain a highly ambitious and motivated individual. The Barca academy graduate has laid the gauntlet for himself, targeting a treble of Champions League, World Cup, and the Ballon d'Or. "I want it all. I hope I achieve it all, and as long as we can play, it's possible," he stated to .

  "All the individual titles indicate that it has been a great season for the team. For me, it brings me happiness and pride. Accumulating awards at my age is very positive. I'm going to keep working and fighting to achieve things like this."

The Mariners were hoping to take even more control of the ALCS with a win at home on Wednesday night but after jumping out to an early lead they were completely dominated by the Blue Jays at home, losing 13-4. Seattle now leads the series 2-1 and just like that the momentum has shifted to Toronto after its bats woke up in a big way in what seemed like a must-win game for the AL East champs.

The game was pretty much a laugher after six innings as Toronto absolutely silenced the Mariners home crowd by putting up 12 runs and building a double-digit lead.

Speaking of the sixth inning, something happened at the end of Toronto's at-bat that had the FS1 announcers actually laughing out loud.

With two outs, Addison Barger hit a grounder to first baseman Josh Naylor, who was just a few steps away from the base. Instead of simply stepping on the bag, however, to end the inning he decided to make a tough throw to second to get Daulton Varsho out. Mariners shortstop J.P. Crawford, who looked confused afterwards, made a nice play on a bad throw by Naylor to get the final out of the inning.

Fox's Joe Davis and John Smoltz had a good chuckle over this decision by Naylor, who appeared to forget how many outs there were in the inning:

The game was well out of reach at that time so Naylor's questionable move didn't matter and his teammate was able to bail him out by scooping up his bad throw, but the first baseman was still lucky that his mistake didn't lead to even more runs for the Blue Jays.

The Mariners, after winning the first two games of the series on the road, were hoping to take a commanding 3-0 lead at home. Now they find themselves back in a very tough series with Game 4 coming up Thursday night in Seattle.

Hopefully for them all their players are locked in for all nine innings and they can keep track of the outs, because at this point any small mistakes can have big consequences.

For the first time in 24 years, baseball fans in Seattle have experienced the taste of a postseason victory at home.

The Mariners defeated the Tigers 3–2 in Game 2 of the ALDS on Sunday night, evening up the series 1-1. The victory marked the first time in almost a quarter of a century that the Mariners won a playoff game at their home stadium.

As a result, it was an emotional scene at T-Mobile Park, as fans in Seattle soaked in the feeling of an October win. The Fox broadcast captured the scenes in the Pacific Northwest to perfection, showcasing some excited fans as they finally experienced the long-awaited moment.

One fan was captured on the broadcast tearing up and exchanging a wholesome embrace with a loved one.

The last time the Mariners won a home playoff game was October 15, 2001, when they defeated Cleveland 3–1. That season, they advanced to the ALCS but were ultimately defeated by the Yankees in a five-game series.

Fans are hoping this year will be different. Seattle is one of five MLB teams to never win a World Series, and it's clear that the team's supporters are ready for the drought to snap.

Game 3 is slated for Tuesday, Oct. 7 from Comerica Park in Detroit. The series could potentially return to Seattle for a Game 5, if necessary.

أفادت تقارير إعلامية اليوم الخميس، عن وجود أنباء سارة في نادي ريال مدريد، وذلك بالرغم من الهزيمة أمام مانشستر سيتي في بطولة دوري أبطال أوروبا.

ريال مدريد واصل نتائجه السيئة خلال الفترة الأخيرة، وتعرض إلى خسارة قاسية على أرضه ووسط جماهيره أمام مانشستر سيتي بهدفين مقابل هدف، ضمن الجولة السادسة من مرحلة الدوري في دوري الأبطال.

ويمر ريال مدريد بوضعية صعبة للغاية هذا الموسم، خصوصًا على مستوى الإصابات، حيث يفتقد الفريق الملكي إلى العديد من اللاعبين بسبب الإصابة.

ومن بين لاعبي ريال مدريد المصابين في الوقت الحالي، إيدير ميليتاو، والذي تعرض لإصابة قاسية خلال لقاء الميرنجي ضد سيلتا فيجو يوم الأحد الماضي بالدوري الإسباني.

اقرا أيضًا.. ريفالدو ينصح مواطنه ويؤكد: ألونسو يناسب ليفربول.. ولاعب ريال مدريد وضعه حساس

ومن المتوقع أن يغيب ميليتاو عن الملاعب لمدة سوف تصل إلى أربعة أشهر، من أجل التعافي في إصابته في الركبة.

لكن بحسب “البرنابيو ديجيتال”، فإن ميليتاو لن يغيب لمدة أربعة اشهر، وإنما سوف يغيب اللاعب البالغ من العمر 27 عامًا لمدة شهرين فقط بسبب الإصابة.

وبالتالي قد يكون ميليتاو جاهزًا للعب مع ريال مدريد خلال شهر فبراير المقبل، حيث ينافس الفريق الملكي على كافة المسابقات مع ألونسو.