Sunderland have now made a decision on Granit Xhaka’s future, amid interest from Juventus ahead of the January transfer window.

The Black Cats have surpassed all expectations so far this season, currently sitting fourth in the Premier League table after collecting 19 points from their opening 11 games, and Regis Le Bris & co deserve major credit for the work they did in the transfer window.

It was a summer of change for the Championship play-off final winners, bringing in new additions all over the pitch, including at centre-forward, with Brian Brobbey getting off the mark courtesy of a dramatic late equaliser against Arsenal before the international break.

However, arguably Le Bris’ best addition has been Xhaka, with the central midfielder’s importance underlined by the fact he has played every minute in the Premier League so far this season, receiving plaudits from former defender Micky Gray after impressing against West Ham United.

Gray described the Swiss maestro as “absolutely incredible”, before going on to add: “You could see him trying to speak to everybody and calm everybody down. And when the ball came to his feet, he wasn’t rushing his passes. He was slowing everything down. So that experience is absolutely huge.”

Juventus eyeing January move for Sunderland star Granit Xhaka

As such, it will come as no surprise to learn that the 33-year-old is attracting attention ahead of the January transfer window, with a report from TuttoSport (via Sport Witness), revealing Juventus are now eyeing a shock winter transfer.

The 142-time Switzerland international’s agents are said to be seeking a move, given that their client has made a fantastic start to the campaign, with the report bizarrely also claiming the Black Cats are willing to sanction a January move if he asks to leave.

Sunderland have done extremely well to be competing at the top end of the Premier League table, and they are already nearly half-way to the magic 40-point mark, but they are not out of the woods just yet, so it would, of course, be a mistake to cash-in this winter.

The Basel-born midfielder has contributed one goal and three assists in the Premier League this term, with Wayne Rooney suggesting he could be the signing of the season, given his experience and leadership qualities.

The former Arsenal man has also impressed at international level during the current break, scoring a penalty and making a number of other key contributions as Switzerland ran out emphatic 4-1 winners against Sweden on Saturday.

In all honesty, it was a major coup for Sunderland to even sign Xhaka in the first place, and given that he remains under contract until 2028, there is no need to cash-in this January or in the summer.

Sunderland "diamond" could be Regis Le Bris' captain after Granit Xhaka

Move over Xhaka: Sunderland "diamond" is Regis Le Bris' future captain

Regis Le Bris has a future Sunderland captain on his hands in this battling star.

By
Kelan Sarson

Nov 17, 2025

Turkey’s national team reported over €300,000 worth of jewellery missing from their dressing room after the 2-2 draw against Spain in Seville, triggering a police investigation. A luxury watch and two rings vanished from La Cartuja before being recovered. At least one arrest has been made as authorities work to uncover how the theft took place.

• Theft shock in Seville: Turkey report €300k jewellery missing

  Turkey’s World Cup qualifying draw against Spain ended in dramatic fashion both on and off the pitch, after the Turkish federation reported the disappearance of high-value jewellery from their dressing room at La Cartuja Stadium. According to the initial complaint, a watch valued at approximately €200,000 and two rings estimated at more than €60,000 each were discovered missing shortly after full-time.

  The Turkish delegation noticed the items were gone while preparing to leave the dressing room following the 2-2 draw. Stadium personnel later said they received a routine notice that “the Turkish team had left something behind in the locker room,” which at first appeared to be a common oversight. However, when staff checked, it became clear the missing belongings were not simply forgotten but potentially stolen, prompting an immediate formal report.

  According to , police had launched a criminal investigation within hours, treating the incident as a suspected case of theft inside an area with restricted access. The timing of the disappearance, and the high value of the items, intensified scrutiny around the stadium’s security protocols during international fixtures.

  Authorities later verified that the items were found and returned to Turkish officials, but by then the case had already escalated into a criminal probe involving multiple police units.

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• Items recovered as police confirm arrest

  The report confirmed that both the watch and the two rings have been located and recovered, easing initial fears that they had been moved off-site or trafficked. However, the discovery did little to close the case, with officers emphasising that the objective now was to establish the full chain of events.

  Spanish authorities stated that “the investigation is ongoing. Efforts are being made to determine exactly how the theft occurred and who is behind it.” Their remarks underscored that the recovered items do not automatically rule out internal involvement, especially given that La Cartuja’s dressing rooms are typically accessed only by players, staff, security personnel and approved stadium employees.

  At least one arrest has been made, with police confirming they are analysing whether the individual had legitimate stadium access at the time. Investigators are working to determine if the detainee is a stadium employee or someone who “entered the area without permission,” a distinction that could reshape the legal penalties attached to the case.

• Security review & legal process ahead

  The recovery of the stolen items has eased immediate tensions, but both national federations are now awaiting the formal outcome of the ongoing police investigation. Stadium officials at La Cartuja are expected to carry out an internal security audit, especially regarding locker-room access and surveillance coverage during high-profile international fixtures.

  With at least one arrest confirmed and the possibility of more to follow, Spanish authorities will continue examining whether the incident was opportunistic or part of a coordinated attempt to target high-value belongings. Further updates are expected once forensic analysis and security footage reviews are completed.

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  Turkey settles, while Spain bracing for biggest arena

  The alleged theft cast a shadow over what had been a gripping night of football. Spain secured their place at the 2026 World Cup after a tense 2-2 draw with a spirited Turkey side, finishing atop Group E despite being pushed to the brink.

  Dani Olmo opened the scoring in the fourth minute after superb wing play from Marc Cucurella, but Turkey’s Deniz Gul equalised in the 42nd minute with a finish that punctured Spain’s previously perfect defensive record in qualifying. Turkey then stunned the home crowd when Salih Özcan made it 2-1 in the 55th minute with a precise low strike following an intricate build-up.

  The result extended Spain’s unbeaten run in qualifiers to 31 matches, maintaining a streak of World Cup qualifications dating back to 1978. Turkey, meanwhile, settled for a playoff position, having needed a near-impossible seven-goal margin to top the group.

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Mets pitcher Nolan McLean debuted ably Saturday with 5 1/3 shutout innings against the Mariners, striking out eight while allowing just two hits.

The Willow Spring, N.C., native, however, went above and beyond to help his own cause in the field.

With one out and the bases loaded in the top of the third inning, Seattle center fielder Julio Rodriguez sent a screaming grounder McLean's way. McLean went behind the back to snare it, threw to Brett Baty at second base, and watched Baty find first baseman Pete Alonso to complete a double play.

The play kept the Mariners off the board and paved the way for a much-needed 3–1 New York victory, which increased the Mets' cushion over the Reds in the National League wild-card race to one game.

McLean joined the squad with a scintillating minor-league season under his belt. He's 8-5 with a 2.45 ERA and 127 strikeouts in 113 2/3 innings for the Double-A Binghamton Rumble Ponies and Triple-A Syracuse Mets.

The St. Louis Cardinals beat the Pittsburgh Pirates in style Monday night, courtesy of a walk-off solo home run by Alec Burleson in the bottom of the ninth inning.

While it was a fun victory on a late summer night, a historically low number of fans were inside Busch Stadium to witness it.

The Cardinals are now just 65-67 on the season and it appears that they will miss the postseason for a third straight year. That lack of success might be the reason why only 17,675 fans were in attendance on Monday night. That number, according to the Derrick Goold, is the lowest in the stadium's history and the first time they have had under 20,000 people at a home game since the stadium was opened in 2006.

That's a tough look for a franchise that has won 11 World Series titles. But it's also a sign of the times for a club that has only won one two playoff series since 2014.

Lots of MLB fans roasted the Cardinals and their fans, who have been known to refer to themselves as the best in baseball.

The Cardinals will host the Pirates in the second game of their series Tuesday night at 7:45 p.m. ET.

أسدل الستار على مباريات الجولة الثانية من المجموعة الأولى لبطولة كأس العرب 2025، والتي شهدت تعادل منتخب فلسطين مع تونس وكذلك قطر أمام نظيره السوري.

وتضم المجموعة الأولى في كأس العرب، منتخبات: تونس وفلسطين وسوريا وقطر.

انتهت مباراة منتخب فلسطين أمام نظيره تونس، والتي جمعتهما اليوم الخميس، بالتعادل بهدفين لكل فريق، ضمن منافسات الجولة الثانية من دور المجموعات من بطولة كأس العرب 2025 المقامة في قطر.

كما انتهت مباراة قطر أمام نظيره سوريا، والتي جمعتهما اليوم الخميس، بالتعادل بهدف لكل فريق، ضمن منافسات نفس الجولة.

 طالع | ترتيب مجموعات كأس العرب 2025 بعد نهاية الجولة الأولى

ورفع منتخب فلسطين رصيده إلى 4 نقاط في صدارة المجموعة الأولى، أما سوريا في المركز الثاني بأربع نقاط، بينما تونس في المركز الثالث بنقطة واحدة، وكذلك قطر في المركز الرابع بنقطة. ترتيب المجموعة الأولى في كأس العرب بعد تعادل سوريا مع قطر

1- منتخب فلسطين، 4 نقاط من مباراتين

2- منتخب سوريا، 4 نقاط من مباراتين.

3- منتخب تونس، نقطة من مباراتين.

4- منتخب قطر، نقطة من مباراتين.

Australia’s one, two and three smashed quick centuries, the last of them off just 47 balls

Namooh Shah24-Aug-2025276 – Australia’s margin of victory in the third ODI, the biggest defeat for South Africa in ODIs (by runs) going past the 243 runs they lost by in the 2023 World Cup to India. It is also the second-biggest margin of victory for Australia in ODIs, only behind the 309 runs against Netherlands in 2023.It is also the fourth-biggest margin of victory by runs in ODIs among Full Member teams, with the top two spots taken by India followed by New Zealand at three.431 for 2 – Australia’s second-highest total in an ODI, bettered only by the 434 for 4 also against South Africa in Johannesburg in 2006.Australia’s total is also the highest in an ODI in Australia and the second-highest against South Africa behind that 434 for 4.ESPNcricinfo Ltd2 – Australia’s top three of Head (142), Marsh (100) and Green (118*) scored centuries, making it only the second such instance in ODIs. The first was by South Africa against West Indies in Johannesburg in 2015.250 – Head and Marsh’s opening partnership, the fifth-highest in ODIs for Australia. The last Australia pair to stitch a double-century partnership for any wicket was by Maxwell and Pat Cummins for the eighth wicket in Mumbai in 2023.431 – The runs added by the first three Australian wickets is also the second-highest in an ODI, only behind South Africa’s 439 against West Indies in Johannesburg in 2015.47 – Green took 47 balls to complete his maiden ODI century, the second-fastest by an Australia batter behind Glenn Maxwell’s 40-ball effort against Netherlands in Delhi in the 2023 ODI world cup.Green’s 47-ball century is also the fastest against South Africa, bettering the 66-ball hundred by Matthew Hayden by some way.ESPNcricinfo Ltd12.14 – The scoring rate of the Green-Alex Carey partnership of 164 runs for the third wicket, the highest for Australia (min 150 runs), bettering the record of Maxwell and Shane Watson, who scored 160 at a rate of 11.70 against Sri Lanka in 2015.13.28 – Wiaan Mulder’s economy rate – the second-poorest in ODIs (six or more overs), behind Kevin O’Brien’s 13.57 against South Africa in 2015.22y 2d – Cooper Connolly’s age when he took his maiden five-wicket haul, becoming the youngest Australia bowler to do so, going past Craig McDermott, who took a five-for at 22 years and 204 days against Pakistan in 1987.5/22 – Connolly’s are the best bowling figures for an Australia spinner in an ODI, bettering the figures of Brad Hogg (5 for 32) against West Indies in 2005.

The India allrounder has ambitions of playing in the 2027 ODI World Cup

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Oct-20259:02

Chopra on Iyer vice-captain, Axar over Jadeja and more

Ravindra Jadeja has said that he isn’t surprised by his non-selection for India’s upcoming ODI series in Australia and that the communication from the team management has been smooth. Jadeja, who will turn 37 this December, had retired from T20Is after winning the World Cup last year, but has ambitions of playing in the 2027 ODI World Cup.”[Selection] is not in my hands. I want to play, for sure,” Jadeja said at his press conference after the second day’s play against West Indies in the Delhi Test. “[At the] end of the day, team management, selectors, coach and captain have their thoughts and they will have their reasons for not selecting me for this series. They have talked to me, it was not a surprise for me after the squad was announced.Related

• Kohli and Rohit selected in India's ODI squad for Australia

“It is a good thing that they communicated the reason behind my omission. I am happy about that. But whenever I get a chance next, I will try and do what I have done all these years. If I get a chance in the World Cup and there are many ODIs before and if I do well there, it will be a good thing for Indian cricket. Winning a World Cup is everyone’s dream. We had narrowly missed out the last time, the next time we will try and make up for it.2:56

Jadeja: ‘I don’t think about captaincy and vice-captaincy anymore’

Jadeja’s omission was among five changes from the ODI squad that had won the Champions Trophy in the UAE in March. After announcing the squads, Ajit Agarkar, India’s chief selector, however, suggested that Jadeja is still part of their future plans in ODI cricket.”With regards to Jaddu [Jadeja], I mean look, at the moment to take two left-arm spinners to Australia is not possible. He is clearly in the scheme of things with how good he is, but there will be some competition for places,” Agarkar said at the time. “Of course he was there in the Champions Trophy squad, because we took those extra spinners with the conditions there [in UAE].”At the moment we could only carry one and get some balance in the team with Washy [Washington Sundar] and Kuldeep there as well. I don’t think we are going to need more than that in Australia. It’s a short series, you can’t accommodate everyone and unfortunately at the moment he is missing out, but it’s nothing more than that.”Jadeja has played 204 ODIs so far, taking 231 wickets to go with 2806 runs. In his most recent ODI assignment, the Champions Trophy, he came away with five wickets in five innings at an economy rate of 4.35.India will play three ODIs in Australia on October 19, 23 and 25, followed by five T20Is between October 29 and November 8.

The tournament will be held in February-March 2026 in India and Sri Lanka

ESPNcricinfo staff16-Oct-2025

United Arab Emirates (UAE) have qualified for the 2026 Men’s T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka, after defeating Japan on Thursday by eight wickets in the Asia-EAP Qualifier tournament in Al Amerat.Haider Ali’s 3 for 20 and and an opening partnership of 70 between openers Alishan Sharafu and Muhammad Waseem helped them comfortably chase 117 against Japan. UAE now join Nepal and Oman as the last three teams to secure their World Cup spot in next year’s edition.Apart from hosts India and Sri Lanka, the other teams with automatic qualification into the tournament are the top-seven teams from the 2024 T20 World Cup – Afghanistan, Australia, Bangladesh, England, South Africa, United States of America and West Indies. The three teams that qualified on basis of their T20I rankings were New Zealand, Pakistan and Ireland.Canada comfortably took the lone Americas Qualifier position. Italy, first time T20 World Cup participants, and Netherlands qualified from the five-team tournament in Europe. Namibia and Zimbabwe grabbed the two spots from the eight-team Africa qualifier before Nepal, Oman and UAE wrapped up the list this week in the nine-team Asia-EAP round.The 2026 tournament will follow the same format as the previous edition – the 20 teams will be split into four groups of five each, with every team playing the others once in a round-robin format. The top two teams from every group will progress to the Super 8 stage, where they will be placed into two groups of four according to pre-tournament seedings for another round-robin phase. The top two sides from each Super 8 group will then qualify for the semi-finals. The winners of the semi-final will meet in the final.

The allrounder is now a T20 freelancer and struck a deal with the selectors to miss the West Indies and South Africa series

Matt Roller14-Aug-2025It is mid-afternoon on a hot summer’s day in London, and Marcus Stoinis is sitting on the members’ benches in the lower tier of the Lord’s Pavilion. He has spent the last two hours training on the Nursery Ground and, yet to look at his phone, he is anxious to learn the result of Australia’s T20I against South Africa, more than 8,000 miles away in Darwin.”Has it finished?” Stoinis asks. It has: Australia have lost by 53 runs, their first defeat in 10 matches. “I was watching it on the bus, but we just had training so I missed most of our batting innings,” he explains. It is an unusual scenario for him, albeit one that he is growing used to: a regular in Australia’s T20 team since 2018, he has now missed two series in a row.The curious aspect is that Stoinis has not retired from T20Is, nor has he been dropped. His non-involvement owes to conversations he instigated with Andrew McDonald and George Bailey – Australia’s coach and chief selector – earlier this year, and he still hopes to be selected for upcoming series against New Zealand and India with an eye on the 2026 T20 World Cup.Related

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• Bailey declares Weatherald 'in the mix' for Ashes

Stoinis has been a freelancer – without a national or state contract – for the past year, and remains in high demand in leagues around the world. It is a lifestyle that suits him, and deals like his £200,000 direct signing with Trent Rockets are hard to turn down. “There’s no better place to play,” he says, ahead of Thursday’s fixture against London Spirit at Lord’s.”The nature of it is that you can’t select yourself in an Australian jersey, but you can sign a contract to come and play in the Hundred,” Stoinis explains. “When this opportunity came up, I spoke to Cricket Australia, I spoke to Ron [McDonald] and we made a plan around that, really… When you’re planning it in advance, that makes it easier.”He has retired from ODIs but remains available for T20 selection, and Bailey confirmed last week that he will be “firmly in the mix” for next year’s World Cup. “We are very lucky,” Stoinis says. “We do it very well in Australia. The relationships that I’ve got with both Ron and Bails means you just have those conversations pretty openly.”His absence has created opportunities for 23-year-old allrounder Mitchell Owen in the middle order, who impressed in the Caribbean last month. “Maybe it’s because I’m older, but I want him to do well,” Stoinis, who turns 36 on Saturday, says. “We were just with each other during the IPL [at Punjab Kings] and it’s been good for him to play different roles.Marcus Stoinis’ most recent appearance for Australia came last November•AFP”I’m also fully aware that myself and Maxi [Glenn Maxwell] – and, more recently, Timmy David – have been holding that spot through the middle of Australian cricket for a long time. It’s very hard for other, young people to come through and have a crack at that… You need to bring through the next generation as well. It’s no-one’s spot.”He has found it “weird” watching his team-mates from afar but seems at peace with the decisions that he has made. “You share a few messages after the games and have a laugh… They say playing for your country should be the best time of your life, and for me it has been. But I don’t feel like it’s done yet.”Life as a freelancer has meant the best part of five months on the road for Stoinis. He spent from mid-March to early June in India for the IPL – contracting Covid-19 during a short trip home when the league was suspended – then flew back to Australia to get his visa sorted for Major League Cricket. He had two weeks off after that, then was back to the UK for the Hundred.He occasionally employs a personal chef in India and, along with Tim David, trains with Jim Allenby – the former Glamorgan allrounder, now a coach – when he is back in Perth. But he generally looks after himself and relies on the staff at his various teams, rather than travelling the world with an entourage in tow as a tennis player or a golfer would.Marcus Stoinis shakes hands with Harry Brook•Andy Kearns/Getty ImagesIt is a happy coincidence, then, that his Melbourne Stars coach Peter Moores is involved in the Rockets’ backroom staff, and he has also worked with Andy Flower before at Lucknow Super Giants. Graeme Swann has been arranging the team’s golf days, and they are a happy bunch after starting the season with wins over Birmingham Phoenix and Northern Superchargers.Stoinis played in the Hundred three years ago with Southern Brave, and says that he has wanted to return ever since. He will have family at Lord’s on Thursday night, and his girlfriend Sarah arrives next week: “Whenever an Aussie plays in England, the family sees it as a good opportunity to make the trip over. It’s somewhere where everyone wants to be.”He has noted the presence of new team owners in the Hundred, and expects Cricket Australia will follow suit with the BBL. Players have an obvious vested interest in private investment and Stoinis is unsurprisingly supportive, arguing that it is the obvious direction of travel – even if he still sees the chance to play in next year’s T20 World Cup as his main personal ambition.”Thinking about the IPL owners and what they’ve done with the IPL, you want people that have got a track record of building something that’s very good. If they do that, it’s great for them, but it’s also great for English cricket or for Australian cricket… It’s a pretty clear path to me, as to where most of cricket’s going.”