​Gabriel Jesus completed a transfer deadline day move from Arsenal to Barcelona on Tuesday on a three-year contract. The 29-year-old Brazil striker was part of Arsenal's Premier League title-winning squad last season after lifting four league crowns with Manchester City. He joins Spanish champion Barcelona following the departure of Robert Lewandowski at the end of last season. Jesus joined Arsenal in 2022 after six trophy-laden seasons at City. Despite enduring an injury-disrupted time at the Emirates Stadium, he was part of the squad that ended the London club's 22-year wait to be crowned English champion. Jesus is the latest arrival in a busy transfer window for Barcelona, following deals for Anthony Gordon, Rodri, Joao Cancelo, Karim Adeyemi and Dominik Livakovic. Reporting by The Associated Press. Read More

​After trading 2023 second-round draft pick Gervon Dexter and going through a training camp with injuries to key players, Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles still views his team as capable of defending the NFC North title. The major reason is quarterback Caleb Williams' development in his second season under coach Ben Johnson and third year overall. "I think the first year, he was white-knuckling the whole time, trying to figure it out, trying to do it right," Poles said Tuesday. "He continues to do that, wanting to do it right, but I think you see that joy back in his game where he’s playing free." Johnson backed that thought about Williams, who threw only five passes in preseason. "I’ve seen a very composed person every time he steps into the building," Johnson said. "This guy, you know, might have had a little bit of goofy to him a year ago. And I use that term with love. "And now you just see a more serious player and intent every time I’m around him. And I think his teammates feel that as well." The Bears may need an explosive offense and more focused QB because their secondary is still in question coming out of training camp despite being an area Poles sees as loaded with versatile players. Nickel cornerback Kyler Gordon’s injury situation is an issue. He suffered an offseason calf injury and hasn’t practiced all training camp, after missing 14 regular-season games last season with a groin injury. Poles said he’s still hopeful of Gordon’s return. "Any time you have an injury and you’re coming back from something, there’s discomfort that you have to push through and that’s what it comes down to," Poles said. "So we haven’t been able to get over that hump and we’re not progressing as fast as we’d like. That’s really all I have to say about that." Up front on defense, the trade of Dexter for a fifth-round pick and cornerback Clark Phillips III allowed the Bears to set up budding young defensive tackles Jordan van den Berg and Jayden Loving with more potential playing time. They avoided a big pay day next year for a veteran player who hasn’t fit well into defensive coordinator Dennis Allen’s scheme. "Those young guys started making a push when we got through camp, and along with obviously Grady (Jarrett), (Kentavius) Street and Neville Gallimore)," Poles said. "And we felt like the timing made sense for us. So really, it was about the shape in the room and really how well those young guys were doing, too. So, we feel really good and confident in our talent level at that position." Phillips could eventually fit their plans to replace Gordon, but he hasn’t played much slot cornerback in the NFL. For now, they’ll use fourth-round rookie Malik Muhammad in the slot. They’ve also considered Josh Blackwell, Xavier Woods, and even first-round rookie safety Dillon Thieneman. Injuries hit the secondary during camp, starting with Gordon. Safety Coby Bryant is out until at least December. In addition, cornerbacks Tyrique Stevenson and Jaylon Johnson were hurt during a joint practice last week against the Titans, but both returned Tuesday from minor issues to practice. The injuries were less severe on offense, with only running back Kyle Monangai a real question for the Sept. 13 opener against the Panthers. The Bears fought through injury and consistency issues at left tackle to settle on Braxton Jones protecting Williams' blind side, possibly until starter Ozzy Trapilo returns from knee surgery. It now appears Trapilo is well ahead of schedule and made it onto the 53-man roster. "We’re going to be able to operate as an offense and I think we’ll be able to score points," Johnson said. "It’s going to take all 11 of those guys out there in order to get that done." Reporting by the Associated Press. Read More

​With the calendar turning to September and the final month of the MLB regular season underway, a handful of frontrunners are already preparing for October while a crowded field prepares for high-stakes pennant races down the stretch. In the National League, the Milwaukee Brewers, Los Angeles Dodgers, Atlanta Braves, and Chicago Cubs have all nearly wrapped up their places in the postseason. Over in the American League, the Tampa Bay Rays, New York Yankees, and Boston Red Sox remain positioned to make the playoffs. Here is where the major postseason races stand as the regular season dwindles down. JUMP TO: AL: East | Central | West | Wild CardNL: East | Central | West | Wild Card AL East The Rays maintain a 4.5-game division lead over New York as September begins, keeping control of the AL East. The Yankees hold second place and occupy the top AL Wild Card spot. Max Fried continues to work back into the rotation alongside Gerrit Cole. However, New York remains without Aaron Judge (rib fracture) and Cody Bellinger, who is back after dealing with a hamstring strain. The Red Sox sit 7.5 games behind Tampa Bay and 3.0 games behind the Yankees, maintaining momentum to hang onto the second wild-card spot. AL Central The White Sox remain in first place as September starts, holding a 3.0-game lead over Cleveland. Chicago has been bolstered by slugging rookie Munetaka Murakami since his return from the injured list in mid-July. Cleveland sits in second place, 3.0 games behind Chicago, while Minnesota lurks 6.5 games back and Detroit trails by 9.0 games. The battle for the division titleis still up for grabs with less than a month to play. AL West The Astros hold a slim 2.0-game lead in the AL West over the Rangers. Seattle sits 6.0 games off the pace. The AL West remains tightly contested as top contenders push through the final month of the regular season, with Seattle maintaining the fewest runs allowed in the division. This is anybody's division as the final stretch unfolds. AL Wild Card The Yankees and Red Sox hold firm cushions in the top two AL Wild Card spots. Meanwhile, Cleveland, Baltimore, and Texas are packed within a single game of each other, fighting fiercely for the final wild-card spot. Boston's midseason turnaround helped erase much of the early damage to its season, but nothing is locked up yet for any of these clubs as multiple AL contenders stay right on their tail. NL East Atlanta enters September maintaining a 4.0-game division cushion over Philadelphia in the division. Ronald Acuña Jr. continues to lead the lineup on offense and defense since returning in late July. Acuña Jr. has energized Atlanta's lineup at the top of the order since returning, with Atlanta continuing to perform significantly better with him in the lineup in 2026. Philadelphia was just 12-19 at the end of April, but a strong summer push has kept pressure on the division race while nearly locking up a solid wild-card position. NL Central The Brewers have the best record in baseball, despite allowing nine home runs in a loss to the Cubs to close out August. Milwaukee has rotation depth, led by NL Cy Young frontrunner Jacob Misiorowski—who became the second-fastest pitcher in MLB history to reach 200 strikeouts in a season last month. The Cubs sit 7.0 games back while holding a top NL Wild Card spot and pose the only threat to the Brewers division title hopes. Pete Crow-Armstrong has established himself as an MVP candidate after completing a 30-homer, 30-stolen base season while leading the majors in WAR. NL West The Diamondbacks and Padres are both still in the race for wild-card spots, as the Dodgers lead in the NL West has ballooned to 9.5-games ahead of San Diego and 10 games ahead of Arizona. The Dodgers have worked recent trade acquisition Tarik Skubal in the rotation. The Dodgers remain the favorite to win the World Series in October, despite their struggles last month. This is a team positioned for a deep postseason run, though navigating pitch counts and health down the stretch remains key. NL Wild Card The Cubs and Phillies sit comfortably atop the NL wild-card standings with 5.0 games of breathing room before the next closest in the race as September begins. The Padres currently hold the final wild-card spot, with the Diamondbacks right in the mix just 0.5 games back, while Miami, St. Louis, Pittsburgh, and Cincinnati all still have a chance as they are within 6.0 games of the final wild card position. Read More

​Folarin Balogun’s return to the English Premier League will have to wait until 2027. According to multiple reports in Europe, the U.S. men’s World Cup striker’s widely expected $50 million-plus move from French Ligue 1 team Monaco to Prem mainstay Everton has collapsed in the final hours of European soccer’s summer transfer window. Everton reportedly submitted a deal sheet to the Premier League to give the club a two-hour transfer deadline extension to finalize a move for the United States men’s national team forward, but Balogun ultimately decided against the move after the deal was renegotiated. The two clubs had agreed on the fee and Balogun to what was surely a significant salary bump. Balogun had been given permission by Monaco to travel to the blue side of Liverpool on Tuesday to complete his "medical" — the routine but nonetheless required physical examination that is almost always a formality for some of the world’s best conditioned athletes. The 25-year-old New York-born, London-raised 25-year-old sat out much of Monaco’s preseason with what was thought to be a minor injury he first sustained at the World Cup. Balogun scored three goals in four games — including the winner in a knockout stage victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina before the Americans were eliminated by Belgium in the round of 16. He also found himself at the center of an international controversy after President Trump asked FIFA president Gianni Infantino for global soccer's governing body to review the red card that would’ve kept him out of the co-hosts round of 16 match against Belgium. FIFA suspended the suspension, allowing Balogun to play, though the U.S. lost 4-1. Another report, from the highly respected French daily sports newspaper L’Equipe, said that the holdup was caused by Everton needing to first finalize the sale of Senegalese forward Iliman Ndiaye to Manchester City. Ndiaye's transfer was finalized, but Balogun's wasn't. Staying at Monaco until the January transfer window opens wouldn’t be the worst thing for Balogun or the U.S. national team if that’s how this shakes out, though the club will miss out on the UEFA Champions League this season after finishing seventh in France’s top flight last term. Balogun was a hot commodity this summer after his breakout performance for the Stars and Stripes, having also drawn interest from Champions League participants Aston Villa and Spanish champions Barcelona, per reports. Everton, which was suddenly left shorthanded up top after sending veteran forward Beto to Italian side Fiorentina on Tuesday, could also circle back on Balogun in the new year. The American would be an ideal supplement to 6-foot-5 target man Thierno Barry under Toffees manager David Moyes. The Gunners product shouldn’t need much time to adapt to life on the blue side of Liverpool, or to the physicality of the Prem, as Balogun made 10 first team appearances for Arsenal over parts of two seasons. In his three years in Monaco, Balogun has scored 31 goals, including 29 in 85 Ligue 1 and UEFA Champions League matches. If healthy, Balogun is expected to be included on USA coach Mauricio Pochettino's squad for home exhibition games later this month against Chile and Peru and in early October vs. regional foes Canada and Mexico. Read More

​A slew of lawsuits clearing the way for waived NFL players to re-enter college football has sent shockwaves across the sport. Reaction first poured in from top college coaches like LSU’s Lane Kiffin, Texas’ Steve Sarkisian and Oregon's Dan Lanning. Now, NFL executives are joining the fray, led by Indianapolis Colts general manager Chris Ballard, who didn't mince words when asked for his thoughts by reporters on Tuesday. "No, that’s the stupidest shit I’ve ever heard," Ballard said. "Your entire life, you fight to get up to the NFL. OK, but now we’re gonna go back? That makes a lot of freakin’ sense." The Colts' 53-man roster is locked in with no players attempting a return to college. Meanwhile, former Tampa Bay Buccaneers edge rusher Jack Pyburn tried heading back to LSU before the Kansas City Chiefs stepped in to claim him off waivers. While he was one of the biggest names publicly expressing interest in playing for Kiffin, he won't be heading back to LSU after all. Instead, he stayed in the NFL after putting together a dominant preseason for the Buccaneers, where he recorded four sacks in three games. After being waived during the NFL preseason, defensive tackle Zxavian Harris and tight end Dae’Quan Wright attempted to return to college football to play for Kiffin at LSU. As of now, their eligibility is caught in a legal battle over a new SEC policy. The SEC’s new policy bans certain former pros from returning to college sports, threatening severe penalties for programs like LSU that break the rule. It’s a move that highlights just how chaotic this entire situation has become. Public scrutiny surrounding Kiffin and LSU's portal moves has yet to shake the locker room. Starting tight end Trey'Dez Green is embracing the added talent and told reporters that he’s staying focused on whatever helps the team win, even if it means sharing reps with Wright. Ballard is the first NFL general manager to speak out so bluntly, but when Rams coach Sean McVay was asked about NFL players returning to college last week he said: "I feel like I took a freakin' gummy." Read More