Aston Villa line up Christian Pulisic deal as AC Milan talks emerge

Aston Villa are now battling Manchester United for the signature of AC Milan star Christian Pulisic, amid a new update on his future at the San Siro.

Villa’s interest in a new forward comes amid doubts over both Jadon Sancho and Harvey Elliott, with the former failing to hit the ground running since arriving on loan in the summer, being unable to register a goal or assist in his opening eight matches in all competitions.

Elliott, on the other hand, hasn’t received any game time in the Premier League since the end of September, with transfer correspondent Pete O’Rourke revealing the attacking midfielder could be set to return to Anfield, saying: “Aston Villa does seem to be having second thoughts on potentially making that long deal permanent as well.

“There’s a possibility he returns to Anfield in the January window if he’s not going to figure in Unai Emery’s plans going forward.”

As such, if the Villans are to remain in the hunt for the European places, Emery may want to bolster his attacking options this winter, and a new target has now been identified…

Aston Villa now fighting Man Utd for Christian Pulisic

According to a report from Spain, Aston Villa are now battling Manchester United for the signature of Pulisic, and view the American as an ideal addition to the squad, given that they are looking to bring in a versatile forward.

The 27-year-old is able to play both through the middle and out wide, which is what has alerted Villa, but there is a possibility he remains at the San Siro, with it being revealed that AC Milan have already opened talks over a new contract.

The Milan star’s agent is already ‘handling offers’ and awaiting a decision about where he would like to play next, with a move to Villa Park potentially attractive, given that he would be likely to receive regular first-team football.

The former Chelsea man has managed to establish himself as an important player for AC Milan, and his performances over the past year have been very impressive, placing in the 86th percentile for non-penalty goals and assists per 90, when compared to his positional peers.

Although Milan underperformed last season, finishing eighth in Serie A, the USA international remained a reliable source of goals and assists in all competitions.

Christian Pulisic’s output in 2024-25

Appearances

Goal contributions

Serie A

34

22

Champions League

9

5

Italian Super Cup

2

2

The versatile forward, who has scored 32 goals for the USA, has also been lauded by journalist Jacob Schneider, who described him as “sensational” on X.

Pulisic has clearly taken his game to the next level in the Serie A, so he could be a real statement signing for Aston Villa, but the competition from Man United could pose a problem.

Aston Villa want deal for Real Madrid forward done ASAP Aston Villa want deal for Real Madrid forward done ASAP after making offer

The Villans have made an approach for a new forward, but there could be major competition from their Premier League rivals.

ByDominic Lund Nov 16, 2025

Awesome in Australia: Laxman's Sydney solo vs Rahane's Melbourne revival

Vote for the best individual Border-Gavaskar Trophy performance by an Indian in Australia since 2000

ESPNcricinfo staff25-Oct-2024Update: This poll has ended. VVS Laxman’s performance goes into the quarter-finals. Check the other polls here.ESPNcricinfo LtdVVS Laxman’s maiden Test ton was the first of many special innings against Australia•AFP via Getty Images

VVS Laxman – 167 in Sydney, 2000

Australia win by an innings and 141 runs, and won the series 3-0After heavy defeats in Adelaide and Melbourne, India were running on fumes by the time the final Test began at the SCG. VVS Laxman wasn’t meant to open in Australia but the lack of viable options meant he had to perform a role he didn’t particularly enjoy.Up until Sydney, Sachin Tendulkar was the only Indian batter to have shown fight on the tour, but after India capitulated once again in the first innings, Laxman let rip. A blow to the helmet from Glenn McGrath was the trigger that made him play like he had nothing to lose.A maiden Test hundred off just 114 balls, full of gloriously languid drives and flicks that rivalled the watching Mark Waugh’s repertoire, grew into an innings of 167 with 27 boundaries. As he walked off the field to applause from the Australians on the field and in the stands, it was just the start of Laxman’s very, very special love affair with Australia.By Shashank KishoreWatch the highlights of these performances on the Star Sports network at 10am, 1pm, 4pm and 7pm IST, from October 25 onwards.Ajinkya Rahane led India’s turnaround from the front in Melbourne•Darrian Traynor/Cricket Australia/Getty Images

Ajinkya Rahane – 112 in Melbourne, 2020

India win by 8 wickets to level the series 1-1India would come to wear 36 all out like a badge, but imagine the scene of the immediate aftermath. They had collapsed to their lowest-ever total and let a promising position slip in the first Test of a tour already complicated by Covid-19 restrictions and injuries to key players. Now their captain Virat Kohli was going home too on paternal leave. In his place, India would be led by Ajinkya Rahane, a man under a bit of pressure, having contributed significantly to Kohli’s first-innings run-out, one of the turning points in Adelaide.India turned it around spectacularly at the MCG, and Rahane was a central figure. His captaincy was a key ingredient – he was part of a leadership group that decided India would strengthen their bowling rather than their batting in Kohli’s absence – but his most decisive contribution came with the bat.After India had dismissed Australia for 195 on Boxing Day, Rahane walked in at 61 for 2, which quickly became 64 for 3. His technique was under question after a second-innings duck in Adelaide, but he showed immense trust in his methods while soaking up early pressure, scoring just four off his first 30 balls, before his confidence and rhythm began to shine through. The bowling and the conditions were never less than challenging, but a shot of startling crispness – none crisper than the square-cut off Pat Cummins that brought up his century – would ever so often interrupt long periods of soft-hands defence. With Hanuma Vihari, Rishabh Pant and Ravindra Jadeja building defiant partnerships with him, Rahane went on to score a series-turning 112 that helped India take a decisive 131-run lead in the first innings of a famous victory.By Karthik Krishnaswamy

Pant bats with fractured foot to add crucial runs at Old Trafford

Having retired hurt on the first day, Pant came out on the second morning, hit Archer for a six, completed his fifty and helped India cross 350

Sidharth Monga24-Jul-2025

Rishabh Pant scored 17 runs batting with a fractured foot•Associated Press

Rishabh Pant shocked everyone by coming out to bat with a broken foot and extending his overnight retired-hurt score of 37 to 54.During this unexpected extension of his innings, he hit his 90th six in Test cricket to go level with Virender Sehwag, India’s highest six-hitter in Test cricket. It took Sehwag 103 Tests to do so; this was Pant’s only 47th Test. Pant went on to get to his fifty with a block with no follow-through that raced along the floor to the cover boundary.Pant injured his right foot during the final session of the first day when, while trying to reverse-sweep Chris Woakes, he ended up playing the full toss onto his boot. He went down in seemingly unbearable pain immediately, and when he removed his sock, it revealed an egg-sized lump.Pant had to be carted off the field in a golf-style buggy, and he went straight for scans. The BCCI is yet to confirm the results of the scans, but ESPNcricinfo understands that he has a fracture and that he is out of the final Test.Related

How Woakes defied injury to front up in England's hour of need

Sai Sudharsan fifty guides India after they lose Pant to injury

Sai Sudharsan brings calm to India's chaos at No. 3

Pant suffers foot fracture, set to miss remainder of series

Dhruv Jurel will keep wicket for the rest of the Manchester Test, but it was anticipated that Pant would bat only if India needed him desperately.However, Pant was seen in his whites as Shardul Thakur and Washington Sundar added 48 for the sixth wicket. Just before lunch on day two, with the score 314 for 6 in conditions where 350 is being seen as above par, Pant walked out to a big applause. He was still in pain, couldn’t do much more than hobble through for his runs, but he hung around for long enough to have 35 runs added while he was at the wicket.During his extended innings, Pant was involved in the running 14 of singles. Once he lost Washington, Pant picked up a slower ball from Jofra Archer and smacked a pull for six before bringing up his fifty. Archer had to produce the unplayable ball – angling in from round the wicket, seaming away, hitting top of off – to get rid of Pant.

ديلي ميل: محمد صلاح لن ينال نهاية مثالية في ليفربول.. وشبح مصير جيرارد يحوم في الأفق

لا تزال تصريحات محمد صلاح النارية تجاه مدربه آرني سلوت ونادي ليفربول تُلقي بظلالها على الإعلام الإنجليزي، الذي لم يهدأ منذ اللحظة الأولى لانفجار الأزمة.

ولم يعد الأمر مجرد خلاف فني أو غضب لاعب من جلوسه على مقاعد البدلاء، بل تحوّلت إلى ملف مفتوح تتصدره الصحف الكبرى يوميًا، مع تحليلات مستمرة حول مستقبل النجم المصري.

ورصدت صحيفة “ديلي ميل” البريطانية تقريرًا يتناول اللحظة الحالية في مسيرة محمد صلاح مع ليفربول ووضعه في مقارنة مع أساطير النادي السابقين، وجاء بعنوان: “انفجار غضب محمد صلاح يوضح لماذا من المستحيل أن ينتهي الأمر بنهاية سعيدة في ليفربول، كلمات الملك المصري تسببت في أضرار لا يمكن إصلاحها”.

تبدأ الصحيفة تقريرها بالحديث عن قائد وأسطورة ليفربول السابق ستيفن جيرارد الذي لم يحظٍ بنهاية مثالية في “آنفيلد”، القائد الذي حمل النادي على كتفيه لسنوات، لم يختتم مسيرته بكأس أو لحظة خالدة، بل بهزيمتين موجعتين وخلافات مع الإدارة.

صرّح جيرارد بعد الهزيمة في نصف النهائي أمام أستون فيلا، بعدما كان يتمنى اللقب: “كان الأمر رائعًا لدرجة يصعب تصديقها، أليس كذلك؟، الفوز بكأس الاتحاد الإنجليزي، في عيد ميلادك، في مباراتك الأخيرة؟”.

كانت آخر مباريات جيرارد مع ليفربول، هزيمة 3-1 أمام كريستال بالاس وهزيمة 6-1 أمام ستوك؛ كان ذلك بعد أن تعامل النادي مع محادثات تمديد عقده بشكل مؤسف، وتدهورت علاقته مع بريندان رودجرز.

اقرأ أيضًا | ديلي ميل: تجربة جوارديولا حل ليفربول للخروج من مأزق أنانية محمد صلاح

وقبل جيرارد كان ستيف ماكمانامان، الذي أضاء عتمة الليل في ليفربول بأدائه خلال فترة التسعينات، لكنه ترك خلفه جدلًا وغضبًا بسبب انتقاله إلى ريال مدريد، رغم أن النادي نفسه حاول بيعه قبلها دون رغبة منه.

والقصة تكررت مع لويس سواريز، الذي عاش موسمًا استثنائيًا، لكنه عاد إلى آنفيلد بقميص برشلونة محاطًا بصافرات الاستهجان.

وهناك أيضًا مايكل أوين، الذي حصل على الكرة الذهبية وقاد النادي لبطولات تاريخية، خرج بدوره من الباب الخلفي وانتقل إلى ريال مدريد، ثم انتهى به الأمر في مانشستر يونايتد، والآن يُذكر اسمه بألفاظ نابية.

وتشير “ديلي ميل” إلى أن هناك المزيد، من الماضي وحتى الآونة الأخيرة، حيث ثارت ضجة عندما بيع روبي فاولر إلى ليدز (2001) وانتقال تشابي ألونسو إلى ريال مدريد (2009).

وكان فيليب كوتينيو نجمًا ساطعًا في عهد يورجن كلوب، لكن رغبته في الانتقال إلى برشلونة، أثارت حوله موجةً من الاستهجان، وباعه ليفربول مقابل 142 مليون جنيه إسترليني، لكن الغضب من رحيله، في البداية، لا يُنسى.

وفي الآونة الأخيرة، جوردان هندرسون، قائد التتويج بالدوري بعد ثلاثين عامًا، ودّع النادي في صيف صامت وسط أعمال بناء خالية من الجماهير، وهو يكافح دموعه، بعد أن قرر الانتقال إلى نادي الاتفاق.

وتوضح “ديلي ميل” أن هذه الخلفية ليست مجرد سرد تاريخي؛ لكن هي مفتاح لفهم اللحظة التي يعيشها محمد صلاح الآن في ليفربول.

المصري حين خرج بتصريحات نارية ضد سلوت، لم يكن مجرد اختلاف في وجهات النظر، بل بدا وكأنه إعلان مواجهة مباشرة، وفتيل قنبلة يشعله، خطوة منفردة تحمل ضجيجًا سياسيًا وإعلاميًا داخل النادي، وتفتح الباب أمام أزمة يصعب التراجع عنها بسهولة.

وأفاد التقرير بأن محمد صلاح أحدث مثال على استحالة أن تكون نهاية مسيرته في ليفربول مثالية، بإلقاء نظرة على التاريخ، سنرلا العديد من الأمثلة على أبطال انتهى بهم الأمر في صراع مع النادي، أو انقلب عليهم المشجعون، أو تركوا الجماهير في خلاف مع المالكين.

وتوضح “ديلي ميل” أن صلاح يعرف جيدًا تأثير كلماته، ويعرف أكثر كيف يُحدث الضجة، وكيف تتحرك الجماهير حين يتحدث، وقبل عام فقط استخدم ردود الفعل الجماهيرية لدعم موقفه في مفاوضات العقد الجديد، لكنه هذه المرة لم يجد نفس الصدى؛ فالتوقيت حساس، والأداء محل نقاش، والعلاقة مع المدرب تمر بمرحلة دقيقة.

اقرأ أيضًا | ذا أثلتيك: 3 أطراف وراء استبعاد محمد صلاح من مباراة إنتر ميلان.. وهذا موقف ليفربول من تأديبه

ويفيد التقرير أن السيناريو الأقرب خلال الشهور الماضية كان رحيل صلاح بنهاية الموسم نحو الدوري السعودي، إلا أن ما حدث الآن وضع الجميع في مأزق.

والسؤال الآن كيف سيُعامل هدّاف تاريخي للنادي إذا اضطر المدرب إلى استبعاده؟ وفي المقابل، كيف يمكن لصلاح أن يتصرف كلاعب “منضبط” وسط هذا الكم من الضجيج؟، وكيف يمكن أن يكون صلاح في موقف يُستبعد فيه كتلميذ مشاغب؟.

كان يعتقد أن محمد صلاح سيشهد نهاية لهذه القصة حيث يغادر بحذاء ذهبي آخر وميدالية أخرى وإشادة أنفيلد ترن في أذنيه، وإذا لم يحدث هذا لجيرارد، فلن يحدث للملك المصري، الذي عانى تاجه من أضرار لا يمكن إصلاحها.

Man Utd to "complete" move and sign "the next Casemiro" in coming days

Manchester United are plotting signings and now look to be on the verge of announcing their latest arrival at Old Trafford, according to Fabrizio Romano.

Man Utd prepare to take on Crystal Palace

The dust has settled on a disappointing defeat for Manchester United against Everton on Monday night, which will have left Ruben Amorim with plenty to stew over after being denied by a rigid block that refused to budge at Old Trafford.

Arguably, a change of shape or style would’ve heightened the chances of the Red Devils scoring. Still, some excellent saves from Jordan Pickford ended their five-match unbeaten run in the Premier League, and they will now need to reset against Crystal Palace on Sunday.

South London has proved to be one of the toughest destinations in the top-flight this campaign for clubs keen on points, albeit Manchester United will have no choice but to try and defy recent norms in their pursuit of continental qualification.

Come the January window, Amorim will hope to call upon the backing of INEOS in the hunt for new additions, and Wolverhampton Wanderers pair Joao Gomes and Andre are wanted at Old Trafford.

Casemiro could be on his way out at Manchester United, with Fabrizio Romano confirming that he may only be kept on under reduced salary conditions, as he said: “So now the desire is from Man Utd obviously to continue with Casemiro, but on different conditions.

“So the salary he has right now is a salary Manchester United don’t want to pay in the future. Not because of unhappiness with the player, but because they want to change the salary structure.”

With that in mind, the Red Devils could now be set to imminently sign a younger midfielder who shares similar traits with the Brazil international.

Man Utd set to sign Cristian Orozco

According to Romano on X, Manchester United are now close to signing Fortaleza midfielder Cristian Orozco for a fee in the region of £756,800 and he will arrive in England over the coming days to seal his move.

Despite never playing senior club football, scouts have compared him to the likes of Moises Caicedo and believe he could be the “next Casemiro” due to his “physically imposing” displays in the engine room.

Capped 13 times at Under-17 level by Colombia, he looks to be the latest in a long line of additions Manchester United have made over recent times with an eye for the future, similar to the likes of Chido Obi-Martin, Ayden Heaven and Diego Leon.

Man Utd plotting "bargain" deal to sign "imposing" Ligue 1 defender who scouts love

He could complete Amorim’s back three.

ByTom Cunningham Nov 27, 2025

With Casemiro soon to be into the final few months of his contract, the Red Devils may have now done the groundwork to land his long-term replacement.

Kevin Pietersen, match turner

The England batter had the stellar ability to make games change course, and that made him worth more than his numbers

Jarrod Kimber18-May-2025In December 2013, when covering a Test at the WACA, journalists started putting their laptops in the fridge as they overheated. It was hot every day of this Test, with 37°C the maximum temperature. The sort of heat that melts your soul after a day or two.Some batters say that it gets harder to think in hot conditions. They resort to trying to get as many runs as they can before fatigue gets them out. This was one of those days. England were well behind in the Test, needing to score 504 to win. At the crease was Kevin Pietersen.The chances of winning were low. The heat had split the WACA pitch like a fault line, with cracks everywhere. Australia had Mitchell Johnson in peak form, and burly chested fast bowler Ryan Harris, who was almost as good. They were both too fast, too much. With a big total to chase, the wicket and the heat, nothing was on England’s side. But they did still have Pietersen, the player who changed things with his strokeplay. His strike rate at the end of his career was 62, which was nowhere near some of the quickest players. But when he went hard, it was violent. “Kevin Pietersen, he’s the best player I’ve ever seen play for England,” says David “Bumble” Lloyd.At The Oval in 2005, Pietersen was yet to make a Test hundred. He was facing Brett Lee and Shaun Tait – two of the fastest bowlers, then and now. As well as Glenn McGrath and Shane Warne – two of the best bowlers, then and now.Pietersen slog-swept Warne like he was a part-timer in a village team. The champion legspinner took 40 wickets in that series. Pietersen brought his hundred up from 124 balls, though for a period Warne bowled defensively around the wicket into the footmarks just to slow him down.But it was the attack on Brett Lee that was the most exhilarating. After 60 balls, Pietersen was on 35, and most of those were boundaries from attacking Warne. Lee decided to bounce Pietersen.It started with a bruise, clocked at 93.7mph. All Pietersen could do was glove it and almost fall over into his stumps. Straight after that, Lee went all in on the short ball. Pietersen went on the hook.The second ball of this plan was hooked for six. Lee’s speed was 91mph. It cleared fine leg by some distance. Pietersen was not a great hooker; like many other tall batters, he didn’t face as many short balls growing up as others. He often made the decision late, and it was more of a panicked swipe. He also often tried to play it off the front foot, which he was even worse at. He averaged far less on the pull and hook than the top six batters of his era.After a watchful start against Brett Lee at The Oval in 2005, Pietersen laid into him, hitting three sixes and five fours•Hamish Blair/Getty ImagesPietersen used this shot differently compared to other players. He was daring quicks to keep bowling it to him. Lee did. Looking back, it felt like this contest went on forever. Lee kept getting faster and shorter, and Pietersen swung more and more frantically. Lee was forced to give up the plan.No one who saw that innings live has ever forgotten it.Pietersen was no one’s idea of a perfect batter. His technique involved hitting balls on the up, dragging deliveries from outside off to leg, and hitting the ball in the air. Playing across the line might have been why he struggled in the second innings of matches, averaging only 38, as the ball kept lower. Overall, the risks he took stopped him from averaging 50 in what was a great era to bat.He is not an automatic selection for the top 50 Test batters of all time, but his ability to turn a match in an innings was like few others in history. It means his average of 47 is more significant than others.About eight years after 2005, Pietersen is facing fast bowling from Australians again – this time on a faster wicket, at the WACA. But he is also going up against a new Australian spinner, Nathan Lyon, bowling with the breeze.Australia have attacking fielders and boundary riders, an in-out field. Many batters would simply rotate the strike, punish any bad deliveries and keep their wicket intact. Lyon is the bowler to milk, to stay in against, to save your real energy for Johnson’s thunderbolts or Harris’ Mack Truck-like force. However, it is hot, and the Australian quicks are all rotating through their second spells. To give them more time to rest, Lyon’s offspin is floating on the breeze.Pietersen starts to attack him almost immediately, smashing one back, which is stopped. Next, he comes down the wicket and drop-kicks a shot over mid- on. He gets three. The next over, there are two more boundaries: one from a fine sweep and another from a cover drive against the spin. Lyon stays on, and Pietersen wants to emphasise that he should not. So he runs down and smashes the ball over the long-on fielder into the crowd. It is audacious, wild, and exactly how Pietersen thinks.He was averaging more than 50 against Lyon then. He has the match-up, has put him in the crowd, and scores off him with ease. One more blow will change Australia’s rest strategy.BloomsburyPietersen runs down the wicket at Lyon one more time and goes for glory. But something doesn’t work; his head isn’t perfect, the ball doesn’t come from the middle, it hangs in the famous Fremantle Doctor and the catch is taken by Harris, one of the quick bowlers he is trying to tire, at long-on.Though we were almost a decade into Pietersen’s career at this point, and he’d taken that sort of risk so many times, he was still taken to task for it.People saw it as arrogance, a lack of patience, or just plain stupidity. But there was solid thinking to how he played. If he did knock Lyon out of the attack, Johnson would probably have to come back too early. Getting him tired was the key to making runs against Australia if you’d managed to survive Harris and the new ball.Johnson and Harris were the threats. You could try handling them for hours and do that over time, or you could speed up the process by making the player who rests them unbowlable.Pietersen often chose the faster, more dramatic option. And when it worked, England won the 2005 Ashes due to his 158 at the Oval. When it didn’t, Australia won the 2013-14 Ashes at the WACA. In terms of game theory, Pietersen was risk and reward. He was hailed as a hero when it worked and abused as a pariah when it didn’t.The Art of Batting: the Craft of Cricket’s Greatest Run Scorers

Jos Buttler's 70 leaves Northern Superchargers stuck in third

Manchester Originals 140 for 3 (Buttler 70, Ravindra 47*) beat Northern Superchargers 139 for 8 (Patel 42, Aspinwall 3-17) by seven wicketsWith the return of Sir James Anderson to the Manchester Originals’ line-up, there was an extra frisson at Headingley for the local derby as the Northern Superchargers looked to record eight wins from eight for the women and men at their northern fortress. Alas for Harry Brook’s side, although they will still be in the Eliminator at the Kia Oval on Saturday, it was not to be.Starting on the same points total as the Trent Rockets but with a significant deficit in net run rate, the Superchargers were looking for a big win to give themselves a decent chance of finishing second in the group stages.The Originals won the toss and chose to field, with Anderson bowling the first ten, and rapidly picking up his first and second wickets in The Hundred, accompanied by a broad grin. He then had Brook dropped in the deep before seeing England’s white-ball captain try his falling-over scoop, the ball merely dribbling a few feet from the bat, Brook ending up on his bottom and Anderson in stitches.Brook (20 off 20) was then caught off Scott Currie and Zak Crawley (17 off 17) holed out, and at 73 for 5 off 67 balls, the Originals were in the box seat.Enter the 40-year-old Samit Patel, three years younger than Anderson perhaps, but still very much a senior citizen in professional cricketing terms. When he was dismissed off the penultimate delivery, he had pummelled four fours and three sixes in his 19-ball 42 and, along with David Miller (30 off 22), given the Superchargers something to defend despite Tom Aspinwall’s impressive 3 for 17.The Superchargers’ opening pair of Jacob Duffy and Matthew Potts were tidy, Phil Salt (9 off 13) and Ben McKinney (6 off 8) struggling to break free but once they had gone, Jos Buttler and Rachin Ravindra (47* off 23) showed just why they are rated two of the best white-ball batters in the world, a thrilling partnership of 99 off 48 ensuring the Originals finished the competition on a high and consigning the Superchargers to a third-place group finish, barring a catastrophic defeat by the Rockets to the Phoenix tomorrow at Trent Bridge.Buttler was imperious, smiting seven fours and five sixes in his 37-ball 70 before being bowled by Adil Rashid, at which point only 10 were needed off 21 balls. Rashid conceded 39 from his 20, the most he has ever leaked in The Hundred, and successive boundaries from Ravindra sealed the deal with seven wickets and 16 balls to spare.Meerkat Match Hero Jos Buttler said: “The surface was a bit tricky, a bit slow. I thought we bowled exceptionally well apart from three or four balls and that allowed us to chase it down. We showed our best cricket in this last game when we were already out of the tournament, which is frustrating.”Overall, over the course of the tournament, we left a lot out there. In a couple of games, we failed to get over the line and we are where we deserve to be in the end. Tonight we showed what we are truly capable of as a team.”

Ex-MLB Pitcher Found Guilty in Father-in-Law’s Murder

Dan Serafini, a former Major League Baseball pitcher for six teams over seven seasons from 1996 to 2007, was found guilty Monday of killing his father-in-law in June 2021.

According to a Facebook news release from the district attorney's office in Placer County, Calif., Serafini was convicted of both first-degree murder and attempted murder—the former of his father-in-law Gary Spohr and latter of his mother-in-law Wendy Wood. He is also guilty of first-degree burglary.

Police arrested the 51-year-old Serafini in Oct. 2023 after an investigation that took more than two years. During that time, Wood—who survived Serafini's '21 attack—died by suicide.

A report on the verdict from Doc Louallen of ABC News said prosecutors labeled the attack "financially motivated."

Serafini pitched for the Minnesota Twins, Chicago Cubs, Pittsburgh Pirates, Cincinnati Reds, Colorado Rockies and San Diego Padres during his career, as well as in Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball, in Taiwan's Chinese Professional Baseball League, and for Italy in the World Baseball Classic.

Alex Rodriguez Calls Out One Dodgers Star for Not Helping Shohei Ohtani

Shohei Ohtani and the Dodgers hoped to seize control of the World Series in Game 4 but they weren't able to get it done at home, losing 6-2 to the Blue Jays. The series is now tied up at 2-2 and suddenly it looks like Los Angeles could be in trouble, partly because while Ohtani has done virtually everything he can thus far, some of his star teammates are not having the same kind of success.

The biggest name that hasn't stepped up enough in the World Series is Mookie Betts. The 2018 AL MVP is an eight-time All-Star but he hasn't been himself at the plate against the Blue Jays. He has just three hits in 19 at-bats and has yet to knock in a run.

Moments after Game 4, in which Betts went 1-for-4 with his only hit being a single in the eighth inning, Alex Rodriguez seemed to call out the Dodgers' star shortstop, saying his struggles could hurt Ohtani the rest of the series.

"When I look at that lineup, the one guy that you have to circle is the great, great Mookie Betts because if Mookie doesn’t get going that means that Shohei may not get one more at-bat for the rest of series and that’s something to watch," Rodriguez said.

David Ortiz then chimed in with what he thinks has gone wrong for the Dodgers and what the team's other stars need to do to pick up Ohtani.

"Shohei has a hard job to do because he has to pitch and he has to hit but he’s more critical because if he doesn’t hit [the Dodgers] don’t hit," Ortiz said. "It seems like every night when they get going it’s because of [Ohtani]. Now you have a lot of superstars on the ball club, you have a lot of professional hitters that until this point they haven’t been able to come through collectively."

Here's that complete conversation from Fox's postgame show.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts hinted there could be some lineup changes for Game 5, saying in his postgame press conference: “I’m going to think long and hard, and it might look a little bit different tomorrow.”

The Dodgers need their other stars to pick it up, and fast. The Blue Jays were resilient in Game 4 and if they can win Game 5 they will head home with a 3-2 lead and will only need to win one game at Rogers Centre to claim their first World Series title since 1993.

Game 5 is a crucial game for both teams. We'll have to wait and see what changes the Dodgers make, if any, and if Betts can finally get going at the plate.

"Oh my god", "Sackable" – Carragher rips into Liverpool star in behind-scenes footage

Jamie Carragher criticised a struggling Liverpool star as the Reds were dealt another humiliating defeat at Anfield, this time at the hands of PSV Eindhoven.

Curtis Jones admits he's out of "answers" after Liverpool defeat

Where do Liverpool go from here? This is no longer a blip. The Premier League champions are in a full-blown crisis that not even Anfield could protect them from against Nottingham Forest and PSV. Their crown has been ripped from their head in ruthless fashion and serious questions are being asked of manager Arne Slot.

Curtis Jones looked a man defeated at full-time, as he admitted that he doesn’t have the “answers” to Liverpool’s current form, which has seen them lose nine of their last 12 games in all competitions.

The academy graduate told reporters: “I don’t have the answers. Honestly, I don’t. I’m saying that to everybody. It’s just unacceptable. I don’t even have to wait to think about it. I’m past being angry inside.

“I’m at the point now where I just don’t have the words. It’s hard because I’m playing for the team I support. I’m a fan, and I’ve seen this club all my life. In a long, long time, I haven’t experienced a Liverpool team going through a period like this with results like these.

Ranked: The worst title defences in Premier League history

Look away now, Arne Slot…

By
Tom Cunningham

Nov 25, 2025

“But at the end of the day, we still have that badge on our chest. And until that badge is gone, we’re always going to fight. We’re going to try and get this team back to where it needs to be, show everyone again what this club is about and why people call it the best team in the world. But right now, we’re in the s***, and it needs to change.”

Carragher also didn’t hold back behind the scenes on CBS, ripping into Ibrahima Konate after the Frenchman endured another disastrous outing at Anfield.

Carragher rips into Konate after "sackable" PSV performance

Caught on camera watching the game behind the scenes on punditry duty for CBS, Carragher slammed Konate and claimed that it was a “sackable offence” for Slot to start the struggling defender against PSV.

Konate, who is out of contract in the summer, has been one of the most disappointing players in Liverpool’s recent run and continued his struggles against PSV – missing his interception for their third goal.

Once again, he found himself hooked in the second-half as Slot desperately attempted to turn the game around. By the time that the defender departed the game in the 76th minute, Konate had made just three tackles and won zero aerial duels on another evening to forget.

It’s a timely reminder that, despite breaking their transfer record twice in the summer, Liverpool made a major mistake when they missed out on Crystal Palace’s Marc Guehi.

As bad as Konate & Van Dijk: £85m Liverpool duo cannot start together again

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