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Tottenham Hotspur recorded possibly their most impressive win of the season on Tuesday night as they beat Copenhagen 4-0 with ten men in the Champions League.

Thomas Frank’s side hit a seasonal high of eight ‘big chances’ created throughout the game, which shows that they were incredibly effective offensively.

Micky van de Ven scored the pick of the goals with his incredible solo run from one box to the other to score his sixth goal of the season, making him the club’s top goalscorer in all competitions.

Randal Kolo Muani led the line for Spurs as their number nine and was unable to get on the scoresheet, but he did provide an assist for Wilson Odobert’s goal.

The PSG loanee has yet to score in seven appearances for the club, per Sofascore, and has missed three ‘big chances’ in front of goal in that time.

It, therefore, remains to be seen whether or not he will be able to retain his starting spot once Dominic Solanke is fit and available for action.

Why Dominic Solanke may be on borrowed time at Spurs

The England international has been out of action since August with an ankle injury, and is expected to be back and available for selection by the end of November.

Solanke will have to compete with Richarlison and Kolo Muani for a place in the starting line-up when he is back, and he may need to improve upon his form from his first season with the club.

The Lilywhites made him their club-record signing for a fee of £65m when they signed him from Bournemouth in the summer of 2024, but he has yet to justify that outlay.

Solanke scored 16 goals in 45 appearances in all competitions in the 2024/25 campaign, per Sofascore, which was a decent return. However, his performances in the Premier League left a little bit to be desired.

Appearances

27

Starts

25

xG

10.97

Goals

9

Big chances missed

12

Minutes per goal

245

xA

1.15

Assists

3

As you can see in the table above, the English centre-forward underperformed his xG by roughly two goals and missed three more ‘big chances’ than goals scored.

A goal every 245 minutes for a club-record signing, who should be in the prime of his career at 27, does not suggest that Spurs have had much value for money so far.

Football Insider recently reported that Frank has been disappointed with the striker’s performances and injury problems, which does not bode well for his future in North London.

That report and Solanke’s underwhelming statistics, given the money paid for him, suggest that he may be on borrowed time with the Lilywhites.

In The Pipeline

Football FanCast’s In the Pipeline series aims to uncover the very best youth players in world football.

Kolo Muani’s start to life in England has been fairly unimpressive, with no goals in seven games, but Spurs do have another striker on the way who could end Solanke’s career in North London.

18-year-old centre-forward Mason Melia is due to arrive at the club to complete his move from St. Patrick’s Athletic when the January transfer window opens for business, after a deal was agreed in February before his 18th birthday.

Why Mason Melia could end Dominic Solanke's Spurs career

Frank will have a decision to make on the teenage marksman for the second half of the season, because he will have the option to bring the Irishman into the first-team squad.

Given that the Danish head coach is reportedly unimpressed by Solanke, the January transfer window would also provide Spurs with an opportunity to shuffle the pack by attempting to move their club-record signing on from the club.

With Kolo Muani and Richarlison already at the club, Melia’s arrival at the start of 2026 would mean that Frank has enough options in the number nine position to part ways with the English striker.

Whether or not Melia is ready to make the step up to the Premier League with Spurs remains to be seen, but his performances at a young age in Ireland have been impressive.

The 18-year-old marksman, who only turned 18 in September, has scored 25 goals in 98 appearances in all competitions for St. Patrick’s Athletic at first-team level to date, per Transfermarkt, which shows that he has plenty of senior experience despite his age.

Melia’s composure in the clip above for one of his goals against Cork City is evidence that he has maturity and composure that belies his years. This suggests that he may be able to handle the pressure that would come with stepping into the first-team with Spurs next year.

Appearances

35

Starts

29

Goals

13

Minutes per goal

199

Conversion rate

15%

Big chances created

5

Assists

3

As you can see in the table above, the teenage centre-forward has scored 13 league goals for his club in the 2025 campaign, averaging a goal every 199 minutes, which is more impressive than Solanke’s aforementioned minutes per goal rate last season in the Premier League.

Melia, who was described as “relentless” and a “hidden gem” by analyst Ben Mattinson, has yet to prove himself in a major league, like the Premier League, but his goal output and composure at such a young age in Ireland are incredibly promising.

Tottenham clearly saw big potential in him, hence why they agreed to sign the forward in February, and Frank will have the chance to assess him up close in January when he arrives in North London.

Spurs have just found the new Eriksen & he's "going to be an elite player"

Thomas Frank may have unlocked Tottenham Hotspur’s new version of Christian Eriksen.

ByDan Emery Nov 5, 2025

If Melia is able to impress the manager and fight for a place in the first-team squad, it could be the end of Solanke’s career at North London, for all the reasons mentioned above.

Baseball is rapidly careening down a track that could lead to a very dark place.

On Sunday, the Los Angeles Dodgers continued their lavish spending by signing closer Tanner Scott to a four-year, $72 million deal. That move came days after 23-year-old Japanese pitcher Roki Sasaki chose to join the Dodgers, which came a few months after the world champions added two-time Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell on a five-year, $182 million contract. That followed a 2023 offseason during which L.A. spent roughly $1.2 billion on contracts. Which came after … you get the idea.

Let me first say the Dodgers are not the problem. The system is. Baseball is facing a jarring division between the haves and have-nots, and there is no sign of it slowing down. The gap between big-market teams and those in medium and small markets is only growing.

Any way you slice it, that is terrible for the game.

The Dodgers have used the financial might of their market to dwarf the competition. In the last 12 months, the franchise has added four nine-figure contracts. Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Tyler Glasnow and Snell will combine to make more than $1.3 billion over the course of their contracts, and they all play the same position. Add those deals to the nine-figure agreements signed by Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman and Will Smith, and you've got seven players being paid a combined $2 billion.

Perhaps the most stunning part of L.A.’s spending spree has been the incredible amount of deferred money involved. The team currently has about $1 billion in deferrals still on the books. A common refrain to counter outrage at the concentration of players the Dodgers have hoarded is that any owner and franchise could be doing this. That's far from reality. When the rival San Diego Padres tried to keep up with Los Angeles's spending in 2023, MLB stepped in and all but outright told them to stop.

Fans should expect owners to spend and be competitive, but they can't ask them to lose money on their teams annually. It would be bad business not to at least break even every season. The problem is that thanks solely to geography, the Dodgers and New York’s two teams have a massive built-in advantage.

Los Angeles signed a 25-year, $8.35 billion television contract in 2013. Thus, before selling a single ticket each season, the Dodgers have roughly $334 million in revenue already on the books. By comparison, the Padres were receiving roughly $60 million per year before Diamond Sports Group's implosion. That figure is now far lower. Given that disparity, San Diego can't be expected to financially compete with the Dodgers.

Big markets will always be a draw for top players. That can't be avoided. But the financial inequality in baseball is reaching alarming levels.

While deferred money has been used in MLB contracts for decades, no one has utilized it as the Dodgers have. According to Forbes's latest franchise valuations, the $1 billion of deferred cash on their books is worth as much as the entire Miami Marlins franchise. That's beyond absurd.

The Dodgers are set to enter the 2025 season with a luxury tax payroll of more than $375 million. That's roughly $70 million more than the Philadelphia Phillies, who come in second. The New York Yankees are the only other team slated to be over $300 million. The Dodgers’ roster features six players with a luxury tax salary of more than $27 million and 14 players making more than $11 million. No other franchise's salary ledger looks anything like that.

There are 29 MLB owners who aren't happy with what's happening in Los Angeles and you can bet they are already gearing up for a massive fight when the current collective bargaining agreement expires following the 2026 season. Baseball's owners have long wanted to implement a salary cap of some kind, and the Dodgers’ spending has given them the perfect argument to get fans on their side.

Small- and mid-market owners will want more competitiveness injected back into the game because they figure fans will tune out at the local level if their teams aren't fighting for playoff spots. That would only accelerate baseball's already declining ratings. They will almost certainly take a hard stance to rein in the massive spending at the top of the food chain. The MLB Players Association, meanwhile, will presumably never accept a hard cap. It would accordingly be shocking if there wasn't a prolonged lockout or strike after the current CBA ends.

Fans will also note that owners such as the Pittsburgh Pirates' Bob Nutting and the Oakland/Sacramento/TBD Athletics' John Fisher hurt the game even more by not spending. You'll get no argument from me on that front. Both are awful for the game.

The most common-sense solution to baseball's problems would be to implement a salary floor that would please the players union and fans while adding incredibly harsh penalties for exceeding the luxury tax and increasing those penalties for repeat offenders. The current system doesn't go far enough. If a team is a repeat offender over the highest threshold, they could pay harsh fines, be stripped of their first five draft picks, have strict limits on the salaries that can be acquired in trades, and/or have their international free agency budget cut from the current figure of $4.75 million to a maximum of $1 million.

Perhaps most relevant to this conversation, deferred money should be counted against the luxury tax. Shohei Ohtani will be paid $700 million for playing 10 years with the Dodgers, but because much of the money is deferred and $700 million will be the future value, his salary only counts as $46 million against the luxury tax payroll. It's a smart accounting trick L.A. has used repeatedly. It should be abolished. If players want to get their money later, that's great, but the total amount given should be the number that counts against the tax. Ohtani will receive $700 million for playing 10 seasons. His annual luxury tax salary should be $70 million.

On top of that, the leaguewide disparity in revenue must be addressed. In the wake of the regional sports network fiasco, pooling local television revenues—or at least a significant percentage of it—then distributing that evenly among the league's 30 teams would be the simplest solution. You can bet teams like the Dodgers, Yankees, and New York Mets would fight that hard, but such a move would give the little guys a fighting chance.

The Dodgers are an incredibly well-run franchise with a rich history and a championship pedigree. They are not the cause of baseball's biggest problem, but a symptom of a broken system.

Major League Baseball needs to turn its attention to the wide financial gap between its teams and start figuring out solutions. If the league ignores the current predicament and doesn't begin preparing a response, things are likely to get ugly when the current CBA expires. At that point, any goodwill fans have will be completely squandered.

Manchester United are reportedly keen on bringing ex-Chelsea forward Christian Pulisic back to the Premier League. Aston Villa are also being credited with interest in the USMNT star, who has been catching the eye for AC Milan. Another transfer for the American could be agreed in 2026 as the offer of a contract extension at San Siro remains unsigned.

Personal bests posted by Pulisic with Serie A giants

Pulisic moved to Italy in 2023, with a four-year spell at Stamford Bridge being brought to a close. He enjoyed success in England, registering a Premier League hat-trick and becoming a Champions League winner. Regular starts were, however, hard to come by at times.

With that in mind, a fresh start was embraced when Milan came calling. Personal bests on the goal front have been posted with the Rossoneri, with that individual bar being raised to 17 efforts last season.

There was talk early in 2025 of Pulisic being considered by Liverpool as a possible successor to Mohamed Salah – prior to the Egyptian superstar signing a new contract at Anfield. United are also said to have had him on their radar at various intervals.

AdvertisementGettyWhy Man Utd & Aston Villa want Pulisic

According to , the Red Devils are mulling over an approach once more. It is claimed that United want Pulisic to form part of a “revamped attack”, as they target more “creative and game-changing players” and build a squad that can “strengthen their aspirations for European tournaments”.

Villa, meanwhile, are said to view Pulisic as an “ideal option”. They see him offering “speed, dribbling skills, and the ability to play both centrally and on the wings”. The United States international is considered to “represent a significant step up in quality” for the Villans’ attack.

Part of the problem for any potential suitor is that Milan remain reluctant sellers. They have Pulisic tied to a deal through to 2027, that includes the option for a 12-month extension. They are looking to put fresh terms in place, with an offer having sat on the table for several months.

That proposal would deliver a significant wage increase, but the likes of United and Villa would have no problem digging that deep either. A recent update on Pulisic’s contract stance stated: “The situation hasn’t really evolved yet: it’s a stand-by phase. Milan don’t have a renewal meeting scheduled, but it will certainly be an issue they’ll want to discuss. For now, however, it remains on hold, and there’s no contact between the parties.”

Pulisic transfer advice from former USMNT star

Pulisic was said to have initially delayed discussions with Milan as he wants to be sure that they are heading in the right direction after missing out on qualification for European competition last season.

With doubts seemingly in his mind, the 27-year-old has been advised to keep his options open. Fellow American Brad Friedel told GOAL recently of Pulisic potentially bidding farewell to Milan: “It’s a huge club that is underperforming. I know he did well last season, but they finished eighth. If AC Milan are finishing in eighth, that means people are losing their jobs – which did happen last year.

“If I was advising him, I would be looking at teams in Europe and seeing what’s happening at AC Milan, for sure. I would make sure, especially in World Cup year, that my client is playing. He is playing, so that’s the best thing. But I think I would have an eye open somewhere else.”

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GettyStay or go? Pulisic facing huge future call

A return to the Premier League could make a lot of sense. He already knows the division and is a better player now than he was when severing ties with Chelsea. Pulisic has become more of a leader with club and country, as he lives up to his ‘Captain America’ nickname.

He has, however, become a fan favourite at San Siro and is held in the highest regard by club bosses. No indication has been offered that he is looking for a move elsewhere – with golf pro girlfriend Alexa Melton paying regular visits to Italy – but clubs of United’s stature are notoriously difficult to turn down, even with their recent struggles for consistency taken into account.

After the success of Harry Amass on loan, Sheffield Wednesday have now reportedly set their sights on signing Gabriele Biancheri and Victor Musa from Manchester United in January.

The Owls are slowly but surely solving the problems left behind by Dejphon Chansiri and now have plenty of reason to be optimistic after clearing debts owed on deals for Yan Valery and Ike Ugbo.

According to The Star’s Alex Miller, with those debts cleared, Sheffield Wednesday’s FIFA transfer restriction has been lifted and they’ll be in a position to sign players at long last in January. What’s more, those at Hillsborough are still waiting for a verdict from the EFL on lifting their ban on signing free agents in what would be a major boost.

Whilst Championship safety remains a mere fantasy after their 12-point deduction, Sheffield Wednesday at least have the chance to drag their rivals down with them after the international break, given that Sheffield United sit as low as 22nd as things stand.

Victory over their rivals in the Steel City derby would take the Owls within two points of reaching the positives again and manager Henrik Pedersen, who is already looking forward to the game – telling reporters: “Oh I am looking forward.

“You can see from the players, from the fans, the energy is good. We are together with a lot of hope for the future and when we see the boys at Southampton, they don’t work hard enough for the three goals, but away at Southampton there were so many good things.”

Off the pitch, meanwhile, the manager will have the chance to welcome some much-needed reinforcements in January, which could start with two more Man United gems.

Sheffield Wednesday targeting Musa and Biancheri

According to transfer reporter Graeme Bailey, Sheffield Wednesday are now targeting Victor Musa and Gabriele Biancheri at Man United following the success of Amass’ loan deal this season. The left-back has started all 11 of Sheffield Wednesday’s Championship games and even scored his first goal for the club against Southampton last time out.

Now turning back to Old Trafford, the Owls could land two more impressive talents. Both 19-year-old strikers, Biancheri has scored four goals in seven Premier League 2 games so far this season and has enjoyed a better season than Musa, who is yet to score.

As a result of his recent rise, it’s Biancheri who has earned the most praise with Canada boss Jesse Marsch telling reporters after inviting the forward to join the country’s training camp in June: “He’s a dynamic player. He’s very good around the goal. You can see he’s an intelligent player.

“He’s a version of Jonathan David. He’s not exactly the same player but he’s a striker that can play up on the backline and is also good at coming underneath and connecting plays and being part of the build-up phase.”

Sheffield Wednesday takeover latest

A 61-run third-wicket stand held the Hong Kong innings together

ESPNcricinfo staff15-Sep-2025Hong Kong clambered to a respectable 149 for 4, as Nizakat Khan drove them through the middle and back end of the innings, after Anshy Rath had held down the fort in the early overs. The two combined in the middle for a partnership worth 61 off 43 balls – Nizakat contributing 33 off 22, while Rath went at a slower pace.Nizakat was not out at the crease on 52 off 38 balls at the end. It was his 12th T20I half-century, and his first against a Full Member (ICC or ACC), plus Hong Kong’s second ever fifty at this event. He’d been reprieved twice in the 17th over, bowled by Nuwan Thushara, but with so many wicket left, he was perhaps right to try low-percentage shots. Rath had fallen two runs short of 50, and struck at 104.34. He scored almost exclusively in front of square.Sri Lanka may have hoped to blow Hong Kong away when they asked them to bat first, but they didn’t have a lot of luck in the early overs. Zeeshan Ali scored boundaries off the outside and inside edge, and Dushmantha Chameera dropped off Thushara’s bowling.Chameera would go on to put in another strong performance, however, eventually dismissing Zeeshan, and later, Rath. He took the innings’ best figures of 2 for 29, but the spinners also delivered some economical overs. Maheesh Theekshana conceded only 22 off his four overs, while Wanindu Hasaranga took 1 for 27.

The Los Angeles Dodgers have placed starting pitcher Blake Snell on the injured list with shoulder inflammation, the team announced Sunday. In a corresponding move, the Dodgers have called up right-hander Matt Sauer.

Snell lands on the IL after he made two starts for the Dodgers in his first season with the team. Snell started the franchise's home opener 10 days ago, allowing five hits, two earned runs and four walks while striking out two in a 5–4 win over the Detroit Tigers. He made his most recent start on Wednesday, giving up five hits, no earned runs, four walks and striking out two over four innings in a 6–5 win over the Atlanta Braves.

Snell was one of the Dodgers' biggest additions this past offseason, signing with Los Angeles on a five-year, $182 million deal.

The team's starting rotation was hampered by injuries last season, prompting the organization to revamped its arsenal of starters. Just two weeks into the 2025 season, however, one of their prized additions already hit the IL.

Snell, a two-time Cy Young winner, missed time last season with the San Francisco Giants due to shoulder and elbow injuries, but managed to return strong after the All-Star break, and finished the season with a 3.12 ERA.

Leeds United are now plotting a January transfer swoop for an “outstanding” striker, who just scored in the Champions League this week.

Leeds eyeing new striker amid Dominic Calvert-Lewin's struggles

On paper, it was a savvy move to bring in Dominic Calvert-Lewin on a free transfer, given that the former Everton man has plenty of experience in the Premier League, but he is yet to pull up any trees since completing a move to Elland Road.

The centre-forward has scored just one goal in 11 matches in all competitions, failing to find the back of the net in his last seven outings, and Lukas Nmecha has recently emerged as the first-choice striker, scoring the opening goal in the 2-1 defeat against Aston Villa last time out.

With Daniel Farke clearly doubtful that Joel Piroe is capable of replicating his form from last season, having predominantly limited the Dutchman to appearances as a substitute, the manager may need to bring in a new striker in the January transfer window, and a new target has been identified.

That is according to a report from TEAMtalk, which states Leeds are now plotting a January bid for Union Saint-Gilloise striker Promise David, who could be available for a relatively low fee, with the Belgian club willing to listen to offers of around £17.5m.

At the moment, David is viewed as a back-up option if the Whites are unable to bring in their other targets, with AZ Alkmaar’s Troy Parrott and Real Madrid’s Gonzalo Garcia also of interest, and Farke is personally keen on bringing in the Spaniard.

There may also be fierce competition for the Union Saint-Gilloise star’s signature, with West Ham United believed to be leading the race, while Wolverhampton Wanderers are said to be plotting a rival bid.

"Outstanding" David impressing in the Champions League

Lauded as “outstanding” by scout Jacek Kulig courtesy of his performances in the 2024-25 campaign, the striker has gone on to make a name for himself in the Champions League this season, scoring two goals in Europe’s elite competition.

Most recently, the 24-year-old scored the only goal of the game as his side prevailed as 1-0 winners away at Galatasaray, finding the back of the net for the ninth time this season across all competitions.

Promise David’s goalscoring record

Appearances

Goals

Jupiler Pro League

13

6

Champions League

5

2

Croky Cup

1

1

As such, the Canadian clearly has the quality to help fire Leeds to safety, and £17.5m could be a bargain fee for a striker who has proven that he can deliver in the Champions League.

Transfer twist at Leeds with 49ers ready to back Farke with £20m forward

The Whites are ready to produce a show of strength by backing Daniel Farke in the transfer market.

BySean Markus Clifford Nov 24, 2025

That said, it remains to be seen whether David would be interested in a move to Elland Road, given that Leeds are now looking like real relegation contenders, having lost five of their last six matches in the Premier League.

Yash Dhull’s 92 and Manav Suthar’s unbeaten 56 made life briefly uncomfortable for Vidarbha

Sreshth Shah05-Oct-2025Rest of India’s Yash Dhull produced a valiant 92 in the fourth innings to briefly threaten a come-from-behind win, but Vidarbha tore down his resistance to win the 2025-26 Irani Cup for the third time since 2017-18.Starting the final day at 30 for 2 in pursuit of a 361-run target, Rest of India lost overnight batter and captain Rajat Patidar early when he drove uppishly for a caught-and-bowled to Aditya Thakare. Ruturaj Gaikwad then lasted only 19 balls before edging Darshan Nalkande to the wicketkeeper.Ishan Kishan, the other overnight batter, lost his patience after 64 balls and came down the wicket to hole out on 35 to deep midwicket off left-arm spinner Harsh Dubey. When Saransh Jain was lbw off left-arm spinner Harsh Rakhade, Rest of Irani were reeling at 133 for 6.However, 22-year-old Dhull, batting at No. 6, gave Rest of India hope by scoring at a brisk rate alongside a more subdued Manav Suthar in a 104-run seventh-wicket stand. Dhull struck eight fours and a six for a 117-ball 92 before playing an uppercut off Yash Thakur to deep third that couldn’t clear the boundary. The frustration – and relief – was clearly visible on the faces of the namesakes as they exchanged words after the dismissal. Next ball, Thakur cleaned up Anshul Kamboj’s stumps with a length ball jagging in, and with Rest of India at 237 for 8, victory was in sight for Vidarbha.When Dubey tossed one up to Akash Deep next, his expansive cover drive found air and when he looked back, his poles were flattened. Suthar battled on with the No. 11 Gurnoor Brar to earn his sixth first-class fifty. Dubey picked off the final wicket to finish with 4 for 73.Earlier in the game, Vidarbha rode on Atharva Taide’s 143 and Yash Rathod’s 91 in the first innings to post 342. Thakur then took a four-for to skittle Rest of India for 214 despite half-centuries from Patidar and Abhimanyu Easwaran. A four-wicket haul from Kamboj in the third innings then restricted Vidarbha to 232. But a target of 361 in the fourth innings turned out to be too steep for Rest of India.

Chelsea star Enzo Fernandez has claimed he did not set out to hurt anyone by singing a controversial song aiming at the France team during Argentina's Copa America celebrations in 2024. The midfielder issued a public apology after footage emerged of several Argentina players singing a song that questioned the heritage of France's black and mixed race players.

Fernandez came under fire for France song

Fernandez came under scrutiny after filming himself and several of his Copa America-winning team-mates singing a song that was deemed "racist and discriminatory" as part of celebrations after the Albiceleste picked up another trophy. Wesley Fofana, who is one of a host of France stars in the Chelsea dressing room, hit out and called the song "uninhibited racism", while Chelsea reacted by opening up disciplinary proceedings. Fernandez ultimately escaped disciplinary action, although he did subsequently post a public apology and admitted the song used "highly offensive language." The Chelsea star has now spoken about how he was not trying to hurt anyone and revealed the lengths he went to in an effort to try and apologise for his actions to his team-mates.

AdvertisementGetty Images Sport'Part of football folklore'

Fernandez told Givemesport: "I remember that period. What happened is not typical of who I am. It was a really hard time for me personally and I suffered during it. I’ve always understood my teammates’ position, so the first thing I did was to phone them and tell them I wasn’t going to go on holiday because I wanted to travel back to speak to them in person to tell them what sort of guy I am and about my values. They understood that and now we all get on well. It all fizzled out and there’s now very good harmony in the dressing room.

“It was a euphoric moment in which I didn’t want to hurt anyone. It was just a song that we sing in Argentina as part of ‘football folklore’, which is what we call it. It was a really difficult time for me, and I tried to apologise to the squad to show my teammates that I’m not the type to discriminate or judge others. They understood my message and that’s where it all ended

"Originally, I called them while I was away. And then I cut short my holiday and travelled to where the team was for pre-season in America. The first thing I did when I arrived was to go and speak with them to apologise in person.”

Enzo grateful for support from Chelsea

Fernandez also says he enjoys a great relationship with the France stars in the Chelsea squad and hailed the support he received from Chelsea during what was a difficult time.

“I have a very good relationship with them,” he added. “We often eat together and do things outside of the dressing room. When we have team dinners or are in the dressing room, everything is normal. Nothing else happened because they know what I’m like as a person.

“The club has always shown faith in me and I’m grateful for that because I was given the captain’s armband at a tough time. But that shows a lot about me and what I mean to the club and my teammates who showed faith in me from the start. The support was unwavering, so I’m ever so grateful to them for that.”

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GettyChelsea set to continue title push

Chelsea and Fernandez are currently enjoying a strong season and sit in third place in the Premier League table, six points behind leaders Arsenal. Fernandez has been a driving force for the Blues so far in 2025-26, scoring five goals in all competitions for Enzo Maresca's side. Both teams are back in action in midweek, with Chelsea up against Leeds at Elland Road and Arsenal taking on Brentford at the Emirates.

The Athletes Unlimited Softball League will begin play in June with something that none of its predecessor leagues ever had. It will have the financial support of MLB.

The professional softball landscape has historically been fragmented and shaky. But as the sport has grown on the youth and college levels over the last few years—against the backdrop of a larger swell in women’s sports—MLB became increasingly interested in growing its involvement here. It weighed the idea of starting its own softball league. But it decided instead to invest in the existing start-up Athletes Unlimited.

It marks MLB’s first major involvement in women’s sports at a time when more and more organizations are trying to capitalize on recent growth opportunities in that landscape. It has the potential to create a dramatic shift in professional softball. And it presents a different model for an established men’s league stepping into women’s sports. Rather than starting a league and retaining majority ownership—as the NBA did with the WNBA—or taking modest steps toward collaboration without any financial relationship—as the NHL has done with the PWHL—MLB is taking an equity stake in the AUSL.

MLB and AUSL officially announced the investment on Thursday. Its terms were not disclosed, but sources close to the deal confirmed that it was eight figures, which was reported by ESPN as more than a 20% stake for MLB.  

“If you look at Major League Baseball historically, something like this is not taken lightly,” says MLB chief baseball development officer Tony Reagins. “We’re leaning in on all parts of our business to make this a sustainable league.”

MLB and Athletes Unlimited executives first met in 2019. That was shortly before the organization launched with a fairly radical structure: Rather than establish a set of teams for a traditional league, Athletes Unlimited would rank players individually on a leaderboard by assigning points for almost everything that could be done on a softball field, shuffling team assignments each week accordingly over a brief season. Those early conversations included Kim Ng, then senior vice president of baseball operations for MLB, who was also a former college softball player who had worked on various softball initiatives for the league.

There was nothing concrete in those initial talks. Athletes Unlimited began play soon after with its signature model in 2020. (It started with softball before expanding to volleyball, basketball and lacrosse, all for women.) Ng left the MLB commissioner’s office to become the general manager of the Miami Marlins. Over the next few years, Athletes Unlimited experimented with format and presentation. But crucially for a sport like softball, where professional opportunities have come and gone and rarely paid more than four figures in the U.S., the organization remained a consistent opportunity. It was certainly not a traditional softball league or season. But it paid better than many of its predecessors, it had several broadcast partners, and it offered a stable professional environment in a sport where players have never been able to take that for granted.

With investment and interest growing across women’s sports, MLB and Athletes Unlimited struck up talks again last spring. The initial goal was not an equity stake or major investment: “Where we’ve ended up, honestly, far surpasses what I could have expected even a year ago,” says Athletes Unlimited CEO Jon Patricof. But the last year saw two major turning points. Athletes Unlimited announced that it would launch a more traditional softball league in 2025, beginning with four teams barnstorming this summer around the United States, with plans to expand to six teams anchored in specific cities in ’26. And it brought on Ng, first in the role of strategic advisor and then as commissioner of the newly announced league, the AUSL.

Ng worked in MLB for 30 years and had been widely respected by peers across the league. Her addition was key for the AUSL.  

“We’d watched the operation from afar, saw how they conducted business, saw the creativity, the innovation, how they utilize their players—those things were interesting,” Reagins says. “Kim comes on board, and the comfort level just grew in terms of the structure, their stability. We felt they could be a partner that we could stand alongside long-term.”

It represents a meaningful opportunity for Ng. “It’s very personal,” she says of working in softball. It also represents an intriguing challenge for the longtime executive.

Professional softball in the U.S. has traditionally operated with very limited infrastructure and with hardly any external investment. National Pro Fastpitch was the main domestic option for American players for nearly 20 years. But teams popped up and disappeared year by year, and the pay was so low that players could not afford to treat the league as a serious, full-time gig. (The average salary was $5,000 in NPF’s last full season of operation in 2019.) There is a long history of independent teams and smaller leagues. Elite players have often left to pursue more lucrative opportunities in Japan. There has never been one stable league to consistently attract talent and offer growth opportunities for the sport.

“We’ve never had one North Star where an athlete could say, ,” says retired player Natasha Watley, who won Olympic gold with Team USA in 2004 and went on to be the all-time batting average leader in NPF and to play in Japan. “I’m thinking this is going to be it.”

Watley has spent years as MLB’s youth softball ambassador. She is now an advisor to the AUSL.

The question is how much the sport can grow with a consistent professional league. Ng points out that growth in college softball has never had a meaningful chance to translate to growth in the pros: “For baseball, they get to see their players go on from college… Ours are done in four years. That’s hard to get a game to grow.” The Women’s College World Series Finals had a record average viewership of 2 million in 2024. Figuring out how to harness and tap into even just a fraction of that interest will be critical. 

Many of the AUSL barnstorming locations this summer will be in college softball hotbeds, such as Norman, Okla. and Tuscaloosa, Ala. They will also play in Rosemont, Ill., just outside Chicago, where previous softball games were held for Athletes Unlimited.

MLB’s eight-figure investment provides a level of capital the sport had never previously seen in the U.S. Patricof says that money will be used for purposes and departments across the league. (The average player salary for the AUSL this year will be $45,000.) And beyond the funding itself, MLB’s partnership also signifies a chance for visibility, crossover marketing, and corporate sponsorship opportunities that have previously not been on the table for pro softball. 

“Those are huge things that money can’t buy,” Patricof says.

The AUSL already had a broadcast deal to air 33 games this summer on ESPN. The MLB partnership will include games aired on MLB Network, too. Patricof says that all games will be on linear TV.

Both sides of the partnership say their time horizons are long here.

“MLB is going in eyes wide open,” Patricof says. “No one’s looking to get involved to turn a profit in the short term… This is going to require sustained investment over a long period of time. There’s a lot of work to do to build out the commercial side of this business.”

And the fact that it remains its own distinct business is meaningful. Both sides have said they believe the AUSL will have a better chance of success as its own league—rather than as one that might have been purchased outright and run by MLB. That means a certain degree of operational independence and nimbleness, of course, but also a chance to build a more distinct brand.   

The investment here is also notable for what it is not. MLB’s youth initiatives in recent years have included both softball and girls’ baseball. The Women’s Professional Baseball League will launch with six teams in 2026. But the choice for investment here was softball. 

“We feel the talent pool right now is not as deep as softball,” Reagins says of women’s baseball. “We’re working on building a pipeline. The infrastructure is not as structured as softball, so we have a ways to go in terms of women’s baseball, but it’s something that we’re going to continue to lean into.”