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In his press conference after yesterday’s win over Osasuna, Carlo Ancelotti picked out 3 players for notable praise.
All have come at this season from very different places in their career, but they’ve each proven their worth.
Arda Guler is the rising star wonderkid, with the world at his feet. In quotes picked up by Marca, Ancelotti called him a “great talent” and noted that only a player of his ability could do what he did when he came within inches of scoring from the halfway line.
Brahim Diaz was once a wonderkid in a similar vein, but his career seemed to be drifting off course a little until his integration into Madrid’s plans this season. Ancelotti praised his versatility and explained how his mobility gave Madrid a lot, and “made things hard for [their] opposition.”
Then comes Andriy Lunin. He’s had to work his way back from some tough moments even as recently as the last few months, but he’s now a player who “gives the team confidence,” according to his coach.
As you’d expect from the man management master himself, Carlo has dealt with each case perfectly, and is now reaping the rewards.
The post Three young stars praised by Carlo Ancelotti as he steers new team towards title appeared first on Football España.
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Fabrizio Romano drops overnight transfer update with huge implications for Liverpool & Isak deal
Liverpool’s ongoing pursuit of Alexander Isak looks unlikely to be resolved in the coming hours. Newcastle, for one, remain intent on keeping hold of their most valuable asset despite the prospect of a British transfer record fee being on the table. More to the point, the Magpies will need to have a top-class replacement lying in wait to seriously contemplate an exit of this magnitude. Liverpool signing Alexander Isak may depend on Benjamin Sesko The Merseysiders may need to wait on Newcastle in their ongoing efforts to land Benjamin Sesko’s signature this summer. Fabrizio Romano now reports that the RB Leipzig striker has yet to decide on his potential future destination in the Premier League. This comes amid competing interest from Ruben Amorim’s Manchester United, with the Red Devils also particularly keen on signing a central forward. “Man United keep working on the Sesko deal [and are] in contact with people close to the player, ready to also speak to Leipzig,” the Italian journalist spoke on his YouTube channel. “So, it’s not only Newcastle. Newcastle are very ready, but Manchester United need to understand if they can be ready or not. “This is also on the player; the player can decide at any moment to go to Newcastle or maybe to wait for Manchester United. Let’s see what’s going to happen. “Obviously, Sesko is going to take his time; it’s not something very imminent in terms of hours. So, it’s probably going to take some days to decide what he’s going to do. “But for sure, Benjamin Sesko remains a big topic of this window.” The key point here is ultimately that Sesko’s decision is ‘not something very imminent’ – so Liverpool fans could be left in the lurch over Isak until the end of the week at the earliest. Newcastle have a big decision to make There’s a financial logic behind opting to sell the Sweden international first before embarking on further business. Albeit, one that immediately suits Liverpool whilst requiring some risk-taking from Eddie Howe’s outfit. Selling Isak for a record fee – more than likely well above the £120m mark – would free up significant PSR headroom for the club. Certainly, it would more than likely ease the process of securing a serious replacement like Sesko from the Bundesliga. There is, of course, also the possibility of Newcastle losing their star player and missing out on their backup target to Hugo Ekitike. Ultimately, it all comes down to how much the side backs itself in the market compared to the likes of Manchester United. The Red Devils may have the prestige of (increasingly distant) glorious history on their side – but Newcastle can offer Champions League football, and, potentially, top wages, immediately.
Maple Leafs Top Prospect Shatters Expectations at World Junior Showcase
The World Junior Summer Showcase is in full swing, and Maple Leafs top prospect Ben Danford is shattering expectations, truly proving how good of a player he can be. The Toronto Maple Leafs' defensive prospect, Ben Danford, is among the 44 players who were invited to Hockey Canada's World Juniors Summer Showcase. Hockey Canada finally unveiled the 44 prospects who will head to Minnesota for the showcase, after they held the roster release back while the organization dealt with several injuries, which begins Sunday and runs through August 2 in Minneapolis. Defensive prospect Ben Danford is the only Maple Leafs player invited to the annual showcase, where Canada's World Junior staff will get their first look at what their team might look like for the 2026 World Juniors, which will also take place in Minnesota in December. Danford is being called the best player at the World Juniors Summer Showcase Danford has been exceeding expectations, and one source revealed that he has been the best player at the World Junior Showcase so far. The source said Danford is steady, smart, and hard to ignore on the ice. 'Ben Danford has been the best player at the World Junior Showcase he's steady, smart, and impossible to ignore. Makes every shift count, whether he's breaking up plays or starting the rush. Canada's blue line is in good hands.' - An unnamed source The Maple Leafs selected Danford with their first pick (31st overall) at the 2024 NHL Draft. During his visit to Toronto's development camp earlier this month, the defender revealed that he's receiving mentorship from current Leafs defensemen as well as some alumni like Mark Giordano. The 6-foot-2 Danford could make for an excellent fit for Canada should he make the team. He is responsible in his own end, and he demonstrated leadership capabilities when he was named captain of the Oshawa Generals ahead of the 2024-25 OHL season.
Commanders reportedly hesitant about one issue with Terry McLaurin deal
The 2024 offseason expanded the $30M-per-year wide receiver club to six members. D.K. Metcalf, Ja’Marr Chase and Garrett Wilson have taken it to nine this year. Terry McLaurin is undoubtedly pushing to bump that number to 10, after seeing 2019 Day 2 classmates Metcalf and A.J. Brown land among that contingent. McLaurin reported to training camp Sunday and landed on the active/PUP list. As our Rory Parks explained, skepticism exists about how injured the Commanders’ top wide receiver really is. An ankle injury has keyed the PUP stay, but it can be safely assumed McLaurin would be ready to practice if an extension comes to pass. Nevertheless, the Commanders have been surprised by the difficulty of these talks. Using an injury to avoid practicing while negotiating — developments the Jonathan Taylor and Micah Parsons sagas brought — represents a third tactic, joining the holdout and the increasingly utilized hold-in amid extension talks. McLaurin shifted from a holdout to the injury route; no matter how he is accomplishing not practicing, the seventh-year veteran is aiming to land a lucrative third contract. His age provides a complication for Washington. McLaurin is going into an age-30 season, separating him from Brown and Metcalf. Both Ole Miss products were drafted just before McLaurin, a 2019 third-round pick, but they are each two years younger. This strengthened their cases for big-ticket third contracts. McLaurin went first to ignite the second-tier boom on the receiver market in 2022, agreeing to a three-year, $69.6M extension. That shaped the Metcalf and Deebo Samuel extensions, both of which coming in higher than McLaurin’s despite the latter’s consistency with suboptimal quarterback situations. McLaurin’s AAV has dropped to 17th at wide receiver. The Commanders are prepared to extend their top wideout, but Sportskeeda.com’s Tony Pauline indicates the "holdup" is regarding the $30M-AAV number. Some around the league point to the team not wanting to go into that neighborhood for McLaurin, despite his five 1,000-yard seasons. Courtland Sutton and McLaurin are nearly the same age, and the Broncos’ top target signed a four-year, $92M extension. That matches where the Titans went for Calvin Ridley (now 30) in 2024. McLaurin, though, has a better resume than both and should be aiming higher. The Commanders have a Jayden Daniels rookie contract to structure another McLaurin extension around as well. Adam Peters was around for the 49ers’ 2022 Samuel extension but not Brandon Aiyuk‘s $30M-per-year deal. (The Samuel extension also did not work out for the 49ers, who proceeded with a salary dump of sorts by trading him to the Commanders.) The second-year GM taking a hardline stance with McLaurin would be an interesting route given the WR’s importance to a sudden contender. Peters confirmed talks are ongoing, with that comment coming after McLaurin expressed frustration about the negotiations. A potential gap between the pack of 20-somethings (and Tyreek Hill) north of $30M AAV and the Tee Higgins–Jaylen Waddle–D.J. Moore tier could be relevant here, and it will be interesting to see if McLaurin settles for something just south of that $30MM benchmark. Guarantees and contract structure, of course, will be important to determining the value as well. A short-term extension should be reached soon, per Pauline, but if the Commanders hold the line at or around $30M, the McLaurin matter could drag on for a while longer.
Oilers to Acquire a Top-Tier Goalie. An Official Trade Offer Is on the Table in a Blockbuster Deal
Lakers coach JJ Redick issues challenge to Bronny James
The Los Angeles Lakers are looking for Bronny James to make some changes ahead of his second year in the NBA. James, the No. 55 pick in the 2024 draft, played in 27 games for the Lakers last season and started in one game. He averaged 2.3 points, .8 assists and .7 rebounds per contest. For James to improve on those numbers this season, head coach JJ Redick thinks the 20-year-old needs to change his physique. "The biggest thing for Bronny is that he has to get in elite shape," Redick said, per Dave McMenamin of ESPN. "That's the barrier of entry for him right now. And if he does that, I think he's got a chance to be a really fantastic player in the NBA." James didn't have much of a chance to get in elite shape before his rookie season. He played a shortened season at USC after suffering cardiac arrest on July 24, 2023. James made his debut for the Trojans on Dec. 10, 2023. Redick compared James' ceiling to Davion Mitchell of the Miami Heat and T.J. McConnell of the Indiana Pacers. For James to get there, he has to push past his fears of the prior cardiac arrest caused by a congenital heart defect. "I think we have all seen these amazing flashes of it from Bronny," Redick said. "And to get to that next level for him, it's cardio fitness. "He's cleared. ... I get that there's a history there of a really scary thing that he had to live through, and I think it's tough to push past certain points for him, but he's going to get there. He's going to get there." Based on Redick's comments, James has more to change than getting his 6-foot-3, 210-pound frame in shape for the upcoming season. He has to work on his mental fear of pushing his body too far. James' mental hurdle might be the biggest obstacle to his improvement as an NBA player.
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