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  • 2025 NBIGP: Lyles v Jacobs in Clash of Olympic 100m Champs as Fisher, Hoppel, & Valby Debut

    2025 NBIGP: Lyles v Jacobs in Clash of Olympic 100m Champs as Fisher, Hoppel, & Valby Debut

     

    The 2025 New Balance Indoor Grand Prix is one of the most loaded editions in meet history as the US pro season officially kicks off

     

    Because it is sponsored by a major shoe brand and operated by one of the most powerful agencies in the sport (Mark Wetmore‘s Global Athletics & Marketing), you can always count on the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix (NBIGP) to have a solid base level of talent. But the 2025 edition, which will be held at The Track at New Balance in Boston on Sunday afternoon, is especially star-studded.

    Paris Olympic champions Noah Lyles, Julien Alfred, Grant Holloway, Masai Russell, and Rai Benjamin are all set to compete along with US distance stars Grant Fisher, Hobbs Kessler, Bryce Hoppel, Graham Blanks, and Parker Valby. The latter two, both New Balance pros based in Boston, will be making their professional debuts on their de facto home track.

     

    The amount of star power is particularly notable given we are coming off an Olympic year. For most athletes, the Olympics are the culmination of a four-year training cycle and there is not always a motivation to rush right back into top-level competition — particularly since we are coming off an unprecedented stretch of four global outdoor championships in four years.

    But for those that are showing up in Boston — and the Millrose Games six days later — it is time to focus on 2025, a year with indoor and outdoor World Championships and a new professional series called Grand Slam Track.

     

     

    Fisher is coming off a career year that included two Olympic medals and an American record in the 2-mile (Kevin Morris photo)

    “There’s some people that talk about the post-Olympic slump, kind of hard to get motivation and stuff,” Fisher told LetsRun.com last month. “And I think that applies for people that win a gold medal. If you win gold, it’s like, Man, what else is there to do now, I’m the best in the world.

     

    “But I never had that feeling. There were two guys better than me in both events. So there’s still a carrot out in front of me…At no point did I feel the lack of motivation.”

     

    Because NBIGP is our first real look at most of these athletes in 2025, it can serve as something of an agenda-setter for the rest of the year in track. When Lyles beat Trayvon Bromell here in the 60m two years ago, it showed his start was finally strong enough to contend with the world’s best short sprinters — and he finished that year as a triple world champion in Budapest.

    Last year, Kessler looked fantastic in defeating 2022 world champion Jake Wightman in the 1500, presaging a breakout year that would see Kessler run 1:43/3:29 and make the US Olympic team in two events. Whose breakout will we be talking about when this year’s meet concludes on Sunday evening? Let’s run through some of the events and storylines to watch in Boston.

     

    ICYMI, there’s another big meet in Boston this weekend: the John Thomas Terrier Classic at Boston University on Friday and Saturday. We previewed that event in a separate article. LRC 2025 BU Terrier: A Super Fast Men’s Mile & New Mexico’s Squad of World U20 Medalists Comes to Boston

     

    What: 2025 New Balance Indoor Grand Prix

    When: Sunday, February 2. TV window 4-6 p.m. ET.

    Where: The TRACK at New Balance, Boston, Massachusetts

    How to watch: Live on NBC or streaming on Peacock

    *Schedule/entries *Live results *How to watch live around the world

     

    Grant Holloway is running, which means we are required by law to mention that he has never lost a 60-meter hurdle race in his life over the 42-inch barriers used in college and pro races.

    He is a perfect 63 for 63 (including prelims). Considering Holloway is coming off a year in which he set the world indoor record of 7.27 and won Olympic gold in the 110H, he is firmly in his prime and will start as a heavy favorite against a field that includes reigning US indoor champ Trey Cunningham and Olympic finalist Freddie Crittenden.

     

    Women’s mile (3:51 p.m. ET): Engelhardt races the pros

    This race comes before the TV window but is still quite strong. It features a trio of Americans who just missed out on making last year’s Olympic team in Sage Hurta-Klecker, Sinclaire Johnson, and Heather MacLean as well as three-time NCAA champion Maia Ramsden (now a pro with On Athletics Club) and Olympic 6th-placer Susan Ejore.

    There is also high schooler Sadie Engelhardt, whose 4:28.46 pb currently ranks #2 on the all-time US HS list in the women’s mile, behind only Mary Cain‘s 4:24.11.

     

    Men’s 400 (4:03 p.m. ET): Young stars Wilson & Sumner square off

    America loves its phenoms, and there are two of them in this race. 17-year-old Quincy Wilson, who was upset by fellow high schooler Andrew Salvodon in his last race in the 500 meters, will step up and face the pros here, including 21-year-old Will Sumner. Sumner, the 2023 NCAA 800 champ for Georgia, missed the 2024 season due to injury, but he is working his way back into shape and ran 46.75 at Clemson last weekend.

     

    Article continues below player.

    Olympian Dakotah Popehn (Lindwurm) had trouble seeing at 2024 NYC MarathonRon Mann and Haron Lagat talk after coaching John Korir to 2024 Chicago Marathon title in 2:02:43Parker Wolfe’s Collegiate Workouts vs Grant Fisher Workouts_ Has the Game Changed_

    Neither man is the favorite here, though. That would be Trinidad & Tobago’s Jereem Richards, the 2022 World Indoor champion who finished 4th at last summer’s Olympics.

     

    Men’s 60 (prelims 4:12 p.m. ET, final 5:54 p.m. ET): Lyles v Jacobs in a battle of Olympic champions

    Olympic 100-meter champion is the most prestigious title in the sport of track & field. Anytime the Olympic 100 champion races, it is a big deal. And the men’s 60 at NBIGP will have not one Olympic 100 champ, but two: American Noah Lyles and Italy’s Marcell Jacobs. That is a rare sight indeed.

     

    How rare? You would have to go back to the August 5, 2017 — Usain Bolt‘s final race when he was upset by Justin Gatlin at the World Championships in London — for the last head-to-head matchup between Olympic men’s 100m champions.

     

    This should be a great matchup. Lyles is the reigning Olympic champion, World Indoor silver medalist in the 60, and he has won at this meet three years in a row. He is the favorite, but Jacobs is no slouch in the 60, either — he won World Indoors in 2022, and his 6.41 pb is faster than Lyles’ 6.43 and ranks tied for 4th all-time. Granted, that was three years ago, but Jacobs showed last year he’s still got some run in him by running 9.85 for 5th in the Olympic final.

     

    Trayvon Bromell, the 2016 World Indoor champ, is also in this race and is still only 29 years old. Bromell’s injury history is longer than a CVS receipt, but he ran 6.42 as recently as two years ago and opened up this year in 6.62 — the same time Lyles ran in his opener last week.

     

    Who wins the men’s 60 at 2025 NBIGP?

     

     

    Women’s 60 hurdles (4:34 p.m. ET): WR holder Charlton v Olympic champ Russell

    There are only five entrants in this event so it will be run as a straight final with no prelims. But the quality is very high, with reigning world indoor champ and world record holder Devynne Charlton of the Bahamas taking on Olympic 100 hurdles champ Masai Russell of the USA. Jamaica’s Ackera Nugent — the 2024 world leader in the 100 hurdles (12.24, #4 all-time) is also in the field.

     

    Men’s 3000 (4:49 p.m. ET): Kessler opens up as teen sensation Myers gets a big test

    Cameron Myers, the teenage Aussie star who ran 3:50 in the mile last year at age 17, has flown halfway around the world this winter in search of top competition. He impressed last week by winning the mile at the Dr. Sander Scorcher in New York in a world U20 indoor record of 3:53.12 but will get a sterner test on Sunday in Boston, where he will face Olympic 1500 finalists Hobbs Kessler and Neil Gourley.

     

     

    Kessler won big at NBIGP last year (Kevin Morris photo)

    Kessler is more of an 800/1500 guy, but he has good natural endurance (he ran 7:39 for 3k in 2023). Myers, meanwhile, ran a pb of 7:41 in Australia back in December, so he’s a bit more race sharp than Kessler, who will be making his 2025 debut.

     

    In some ways, this race is a tuneup for the more prestigious Wanamaker Mile at Millrose next week — a race that Myers, Kessler, and Gourley are all running. But it may also offer an indication of what we can expect from Kessler later this year.

    Kessler showed in 2024 that he has the speed to be a factor in the 1500, but if he is to win a medal, he needs the strength to be able to access that speed in a championship final. To win gold in the Ingebrigtsen era, it is not enough to run 3:29 after three rounds of championship racing, as Kessler did in Paris. You also need to be able to change gears off of that pace. Kessler is still working on that one. The good news is, he has time: he’s still only 21.

     

    Jake Wightman, Josh Kerr, and Cole Hocker each began their gold-medal years with a strong 3k/2-mile indoors that was far faster than they had ever managed before. In the moment, those were regarded as solid early-season performances. With the benefit of hindsight, we can see they were clues that each man had upped his endurance to the level necessary to win gold in a global final.

     

    That doesn’t mean Kessler is going to win gold in Tokyo if he blows everyone away in the 3,000 in Boston. But a strong early-season run at a longer distance would be a very good sign that Kessler is ready to take another step forward after his 2024 breakout.

     

    Men’s 800 (5:04 p.m. ET): Hoppel kicks off 2025 season

    Bryce Hoppel takes the indoor season seriously, typically hitting up NBIGP, Millrose, and USA Indoors, where he is riding a four-year streak of US titles. America’s best 800 runner told LetsRun.com he is not planning on defending his World Indoor title in Nanjing in March, but he will be in Boston on Sunday in the 800 and will race the same distance a week later at Millrose.

     

    Some of the names Hoppel is up against in Boston may not sound familiar to a US audience, but this will not be an easy race. Belgium’s Pieter Sisk ran 1:43.48 last year. And Spain’s Elvin Canales just ran a national indoor record of 1:44.65 in Luxembourg two weeks ago — the fastest time in the world indoors in four years. Hoppel’s indoor pb is faster (1:44.37 from 2021), but he’ll need to be on his game to win in Boston.

     

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    Men’s 1500 (5:21 p.m. ET): There’s a lot going on here

    From a LetsRun.com perspective, this is the most interesting race of the day, with a lot of notable distance names: Graham Blanks (pro debut), Vincent Ciattei (4th at US Olympic Trials), Grant Fisher (2025 opener), Ollie Hoare, Josh Hoey (fresh off a US 1000m record), Joe Waskom, and Jake Wightman.

     

    You would expect the 1500 specialists — Ciattei, Hoare, Waskom, Wightman — to be the best here. But Fisher, tuning for a 3000m showdown against Cole Hocker next week at Millrose, is a double Olympic medalist and is going to be competitive in any race he runs.

     

    The two most interesting guys here are Hoey and Wightman. Last year for Hoey was about finally realizing his potential — after being stuck in the 1:47s since high school, he ran 1:43 for 800 at age 24. This year is about taking the next step and making a US team — and potentially expanding his range. Hoey told Jeff Hollobaugh in a recent Track & Field News profile that he did a big block of altitude training in Flagstaff this fall and winter and is looking to race the 1500 as well as 800 in 2025.

     

    So far, so good. He opened up with a 3:52 mile pb at BU on December 7. Then on January 14, Hoey came just shy of the world record in the indoor 1000m by running 2:14.48. If he wins here, Hoey will stamp himself as a threat in the 1500 as well — though given how loaded the US is in that event right now, it still makes sense to prioritize the 800.

     

    As for Wightman, we know how good he can be when he is healthy. The problem is, the 30-year-old Brit has not been healthy when it matters the last two years, missing the 2023 Worlds with a foot injury and the 2024 Olympics with a strained hamstring following a tear in his calf.

    Despite that, Wightman still ran 1:44.10 for 800 and 3:47.83 in the mile last year, and he opened up this year with a solid 7:44 3k on January 4. He has a great shot to win on Sunday, though he has a history of coming up just short in Boston: in six appearances at the NBIGP, he has finished 2nd four times but has never won.

     

    Who wins the men’s 1500 at 2025 NBIGP?

     

     

    Women’s 3000 (5:39 p.m. ET): Valby debuts, Coburn returns, plus Hull v Bell

    It’s time to give New Balance some credit here. For years, NB would use this meet as a showcase of its biggest stars by putting them up against soft fields they knew they could beat or having them run odd distances so they could get nice finish line photos or brag about breaking obscure American records. Not this year. New Balance just made two huge signings by inking Graham Blanks and Parker Valby, and their pro debuts will be baptisms by fire as Blanks is in a strong 1500 field and Valby is in a loaded 3000.

     

     

    Valby will make her pro debut on her new home track on Sunday (Courtesy New Balance)

    To that, we say: great! Professional running is hard, and adjusting to a new level of competition is part of the process of becoming a pro. It’s not like the people who became fans of Blanks and Valby during their college careers are going to abandon them just because they lose one race in February.

     

    Valby certainly has it tough in this 3k as she is up against Jessica Hull and Georgia Bell, both of whom medalled in the 1500 at last year’s Olympics, as well as 20-year-old Ethiopian Melknat Wudu (8:32 pb), US 1500m Olympian Emily Mackay, and Elise Cranny, doubling back from the mile at BU on Friday. But Valby is also coming off a fall of base training with her New Balance Boston teammates and her first-ever altitude stint in Flagstaff, so it will be interesting to see what progress she has made since the Olympics.

     

    Another interesting storyline — not just in this race, but throughout 2025 — is the comeback of Emma Coburn. Long the US’s top steepler, Coburn, 34, broke her ankle last season, causing her to miss the Olympic Trials — the first time she had missed out on a US team since 2013.

    In her absence, four Americans broke 9:10 last season — and none were named Courtney Frerichs. Can Coburn make it back to Worlds this year? She made a solid start by running a 4:33 mile at elevation in Boulder on January 11. This race offers a much bigger challenge.

     

     

  • Could a Champions League striker replace Liam Delap at Ipswich?

    Could a Champions League striker replace Liam Delap at Ipswich?


      

    The 26-year-old started in the Champions League for Les Dogues on Wednesday night, playing 63 minutes of the 6-1 victory over Feyenoord.

    The Tractor Boys have been less successful in the Premier League recently, suffering a 4-1 thrashing at the home of Liverpool last weekend.

    Bayo is currently playing second fiddle to leading marksman Jonathan David at Lille, with the Canadian attacker one of Ligue 1’s top players.

    As a result, the 26-time Guinea international has started just four matches in the French top flight so far this term, totalling 305 minutes of Ligue 1 football.

    According to French publication L’Equipe, Lille attacker Bayo is expected to leave Decathlon Arena before the conclusion of the winter transfer window.

    The report claims that the 26-year-old has attracted interest from the Belgian Pro League, with Royal Antwerp considering a swoop for his services.

    However, the Belgian club are set to struggle to lure Bayo the club, given that both Ipswich and Besiktas have entered the race for the attacker.

    It is understood that the Tractor Boys and the Turkish giants have made ‘concrete steps’ as they pursue the striker before the winter deadline.

    Despite being contracted to the club until 2027, Bayo is fully expected to depart Lille this month, with the player set to decide on his next team ‘in the coming hours’.

    Sitting just a point behind Leicester City in 17th, Ipswich still possess realistic ambitions of avoiding relegation to the Championship this season.

    Key in the Tractor Boys’ scrap for survival so far, Liam Delap leads the club’s Golden Boot race with eight strikes across 22 Premier League contests.

    The 21-year-old’s performances have failed to go unnoticed, with Manchester United supposedly shortlisting the striker as a potential Old Trafford arrival this month.

    As a result, it is natural to question whether Ipswich’s late swoop for Bayo could be in response to the possible departure of Delap from Portman Road.

  • West Ham told ‘to bid £60m’ for Liam Delap transfer agreement

    West Ham told ‘to bid £60m’ for Liam Delap transfer agreement

    Martin Allen has urged West Ham to go after Ipswich Town star Liam Delap after missing out on Jhon Duran.

    The Hammers tabled a £57million bid for the Colombia international which was turned down by Aston Villa almost immediately [David Ornstein].

    Despite Unai Emery’s side showing a desire to keep the 21-year-old, the striker now looks to be on his way to Saudi Arabian outfit Al-Nassr [L’Equipe].

    After failing to sign Duran this winter, former Irons midfielder Allen has urged Graham Potter to make an even bigger bid for Delap before the window slams shut on 3 February.

    Speaking exclusively to West Ham Zone, Allen said: “If West Ham have bid £57m for Duran, I would definitely bid £60m for Delap and test the waters with Ipswich to see if there is a deal to be done.

    “I would definitely take him, I think he’s a really good player, for me he is on the way up and there is a lot more to see.

    “I think he’d be a really good signing, definitely.“

    The England under-21 international has been one of the shining lights for the Tractor Boys so far this campaign, despite Kieran McKenna’s side sitting 19th in the Premier League.

    As a result, the 21-year-old has piqued the interest of various suitors and the Hammers could prove to be an ideal destination for the striker.

    A move to the London Stadium could benefit the former Manchester City youngster as the Irons look for a first-team-ready striker after injuries to Niclas Fullkrug and Michail Antonio.

    It would be interesting to see how much Ipswich could demand for their star man but after showing some financial muscle with the Duran bid, the Irons could flex that to the newly promoted club before the 3 February transfer deadline.

  • Borussia Dortmund name former Bayern Munich boss as their new manager

    Borussia Dortmund name former Bayern Munich boss as their new manager

     

     

    Bundesliga giants Borussia Dortmund have announced their new manager

    Erik ten Hag had been linked with vacant role after being sacked by Man United

    It’s All Kicking Off! Ruben Amorim’s comments are remarkable… but can we blame him?

    Borussia Dortmund have officially unveiled former Bayern Munich boss Niko Kovac as the club’s new manager.

     

    The club have been in search of a new head coach since Nuri Sahin was sacked last week following a dismal start to the campaign.

     

    Sahin led the club to the Champions League final earlier this year but has struggled this season, with three consecutive league defeats leaving the club in the bottom half of the Bundesliga.

     

    Youth coach Mike Tullberg took charge of the club’s draw with Werder Bremen on Saturday and their win over Shakhtar Donetsk in the Champions League.

     

    Erik ten Hag had been heavily linked with the role, with the former Manchester United boss understood to have held talks with the club.

     

    However, Ten Hag’s desire to wait until the summer before returning to the dugout reportedly left him out of contention.

     

    The 53-year-old previously managed rivals Bayern Munich, and was most recently in charge at fellow Bundesliga side Wolfsburg

    The 53-year-old previously managed rivals Bayern Munich, and was most recently in charge at fellow Bundesliga side Wolfsburg

    Erik ten Hag had held discussions over the role, but is intent on waiting until the summer to return to the dugout

    Erik ten Hag had held discussions over the role, but is intent on waiting until the summer to return to the dugout

    Instead, Dortmund moved for Kovac, who played for several Bundesliga clubs before embarking on a career in management upon retiring from football in 2009.

     

    A statement from the club revealed the 53-year-old has agreed a deal that will keep him at the Signal Iduna Park until June 2026.

     

    After spells with the Croatian national team and Eintracht Frankfurt, Kovac became Bayern boss in the summer of 2018.

     

    Kovac won a league and cup double in his first season with the Bavarian giants, before he was sacked following a poor start to his second campaign.

     

    He then spent two years in Ligue 1 with Monaco, and led the Monegasque club to the final of the Coupe de France in his first season in charge.

     

    Kovac was most recently in charge of fellow Bundesliga outfit Wolfsburg before he was sacked by the club in March 2024.

     

    Despite victory on Wednesday seeing the club qualify for the Champions League knockout phase playoffs next month, Dortmund are 11th in the Bundesliga, five points adrift of the European places.

  • How to Watch Pro Bowl Games with the Lions

    How to Watch Pro Bowl Games with the Lions

    Six Detroit Lions will formally play in the NFL’s annual Pro Bowl Games, which are scheduled for Thursday and Sunday.

    Several players drafted by Detroit have been replaced, notably wide receiver Amon-Ra St.

    Brown and offensive lineman Penei Sewell. They will still have good representation, though.

    The NFL is set to conduct its annual Pro Bowl Games Thursday and Sunday, and six Detroit Lions will officially be participating.

     

    Detroit has had multiple players selected that have been replaced, including offensive tackle Penei Sewell and wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown. However, they will still be well-represented.

    There will be several activities on Thursday that will give athletes a chance to show off their skills in an enjoyable setting.

    On Sunday, the league will play its yearly flag football match. Security Running back Jahmyr Gibbs and Brian Branch will compete in a 40-yard dash relay.

    Micah Parsons, an edge defender for the Dallas Cowboys, and Jaycee Horn, a cornerback for the Carolina Panthers, will round out the four-man team.

    The NFC’s dodgeball squad will include offensive tackle Taylor Decker and punter Jack Fox. Decker will also compete in the tug-of-war competition.

    Fox will compete in the perfect punt competition, on the other hand. Jared Goff, a quarterback, will compete in the Passing the Test tournament for athletes in his position.

    In addition, Center Frank Ragnow will take part in two events.

    On Thursday, a number of events will occur allowing players to showcase their athleticism in a fun environment. The league will conduct its annual flag football game on Sunday.

     

    Safety Brian Branch and running back Jahmyr Gibbs will participate in a 40-yard dash relay, with Dallas Cowboys edge defender Micah Parsons and Carolina Panthers cornerback Jaycee Horn completing the four-player squad.

     

    Offensive tackle Taylor Decker and punter Jack Fox will be part of the NFC’s dodgeball team, and Decker will also participate in the tug-of-war event.

    Fox, meanwhile, will be one of the competitors in the perfect punt competition.

     

    Quarterback Jared Goff will be in the Passing The Test competition for players at his position.

    Center Frank Ragnow will participate in two events in addition to the flag football game, titled The Big Spike and The Great Football Race.

     

     

  • Nottingham Forest signs Bell, an NI midfielder.

    Nottingham Forest signs Bell, an NI midfielder.

    Megan Bell, a Northern Ireland international, left Rangers of the WSPL1 to join Nottingham Forest.

    Bell, a midfielder, scored three goals and earned 34 caps for his country.

    The 23-year-old, who formerly played for Hearts, Durham, and Linfield, joins Rangers in 2020.

    Bell stated that joining Forest, who are ranked second in the FA Premier Division North, the third division in England, “means a lot.”

    “I’m thrilled to be here because it’s a huge club with enormous ambition,” Bell said on the team’s website.

    “I think I’m a very attack-minded player and I’d like to think I can make things happen.

    ” Bell’s transfer to Forest will allow him to join teammates Caragh Hamilton, Casey Howe, and Nat Johnson from Northern Ireland.

    “Tremendous potential” was what Nottingham Forest head coach Carly Davies said of Bell.

    “I’m excited to assist in her growth and watch how far we can take her.

    “Megan is an exciting young prospect with an exceptionally bright future.”

     

  • Mikel Arteta ‘prefers’ two stars he wants Arsenal to sign ahead of Ollie Watkins

    Mikel Arteta ‘prefers’ two stars he wants Arsenal to sign ahead of Ollie Watkins

    Mikel Arteta ‘prefers’ two stars he wants Arsenal to sign ahead of Ollie Watkins

    Arsenal had to go down their transfer pecking order before deciding to launch a bid for Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins according to former Gunners midfielder Emmanuel Petit

     

    Arsenal and Mikel Arteta would have preferred to sign two players over Ollie Watkins, according to former Gunners star Emmanuel Petit.

     

    It emerged earlier this week than the north London side had made a move to sign Aston Villa forward Watkins, amid their desire for a new forward. Petit believes the move for the former Brentford and Exeter ace is one of ‘panic’.

     

    Watkins has scored 10 goals already this term, in addition to providing five assists. Last term, the 28-year-old netted 19 goals and provided 13 assists.

     

    Petit believes that the England international could prove a useful signing for Arteta. The Frenchman reckons Watkins would strengthen Arsenal’s forward line but that he was not their first choice.

     

     

    Instead, Petit believes the Gunners’ preference will have been Newcastle forward Alexander Isak or Napoli striker Victor Osimhen, who is on loan at Galatasaray.

     

    “The potential signing of Ollie Watkins to Arsenal feels like a bit of a panic buy,” Petit told Metro. “He wasn’t the first-choice target, but with the January transfer window nearing its end, Arsenal have had to act.

     

    “I’m fairly certain Arsenal would have preferred a different striker. That being said, I do like Watkins as a player. He is highly competitive, has a strong desire to score goals and provide assists, and brings real energy to the attack. He would add a physical presence to Arsenal’s forward line, and with his pace, he offers something different.

    “However, there would have been a few names ahead of Ollie Watkins that Arsenal wanted. Alexander Isak possesses everything Arsenal would want and need in an out-and-out striker.

    “I think Victor Osimhen would also have been on the list, but perhaps his personality and character could have been a problem going forward for Arsenal.”

     

    Any attempt by Arsenal to sign Watkins could yet prove more difficult. Aston Villa forward Jhon Duran is close to completing a move to Saudi Arabian club Al-Nassr, which would appear to make a transfer for Watkins less likely to be sanctioned.

     

    The clubs are said to have agreed a fee, with Duran reported to have said his goodbyes to Villa staff on Wednesday night. Duran could fly to Saudi Arabia this weekend.

     

    Unai Emery said of a deal: “If he is leaving it’s because he wants [to]. I told you last week I wanted him here. We are different people, different objectives. The club is working and we have to be intelligent in the market.”

     

     

  • Man City’s Chloe Kelly set to return to Arsenal on loan

     

    Chloe Kelly is set to sign for Arsenal on loan from Manchester City

    The winger had appeared set to make a switch to Manchester United

    LISTEN NOW: It’s All Kicking Off! Ollie Watkins to Arsenal? It’s terrible planning from Arsenal… it’s all a bit late and panicked from the Gunners!

    Chloe Kelly’s short-term future looks finally to have cleared up with the England midfielder set to join Arsenal on loan until the rest of the season.

     

    The 27-year-old’s contract at Manchester City was due to expire in June, and she looked set for a move across town to Manchester United due to location preferences.

     

    But it now appears the north London club is where she will spend the rest of the season, with City accepting a bid from Arsenal just hours before the deadline closes.

     

    Mail Sport understands City had only received one suitable bid for Kelly before the statement and that had been with her to consider ahead of the window closing.

     

    The move comes after the City winger – who has started just once in the WSL this season – issued a statement saying that her situation was affecting her ‘mental wellbeing’ as she bids for more regular playing time ahead of this summer’s Euros.

     

    Posting on Instagram late on Wednesday night, Kelly wrote: ‘With the Euros fast approaching, this summer is a huge one and I want to be in a position to give it my best shot to represent my country.

     

    Chloe Kelly is set to sign for Arsenal on loan from Manchester City for the rest of the season

    Chloe Kelly is set to sign for Arsenal on loan from Manchester City for the rest of the season

    Kelly will return to Arsenal to link up with Renee Slegers’ team despite Man United’s interest

    Kelly will return to Arsenal to link up with Renee Slegers’ team despite Man United’s interest

    Kelly has played just once in the WSL this season, while City boss Gareth Taylor has claimed her absence since December is due to an ankle injury

    Kelly has played just once in the WSL this season, while City boss Gareth Taylor has claimed her absence since December is due to an ankle injury

    ‘However, to be dictated whom I can and can’t join with only four months left of the football season is having a huge impact on not only my career by my mental wellbeing.

     

    ‘The situation has been dragged on for too long, it’s disappointing and not right.’

     

    Arsenal are currently fourth in the WSL table, one point behind City, and Kelly will give them a positive boost as the Gunners attempt to wrangle a top-three Champions League spot.

  • Jets ‘Predicted Return’ Revealed In Possible Trade For No. 1 2025 Draft Pick

    Jets ‘Predicted Return’ Revealed In Possible Trade For No. 1 2025 Draft Pick

     

    New York Jets President, Hymie Elhai, owner, Woody Johnson, general manager, Darren Mougey, head coach, Aaron Glenn and vice chairman, Christopher Johnson, pose for a photograph, Monday, January 27, 2025, in Florham Park.

    New York Jets President, Hymie Elhai, owner, Woody Johnson, general manager, Darren Mougey, head coach, Aaron Glenn and vice chairman, Christopher Johnson, pose for a photograph, Monday, January 27, 2025, in Florham Park. / Kevin R. Wexler-NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

     

    The New York Jets are at a critical turning point in their franchise’s history.

     

    After a dismal 5-12 season, the Jets brought in a new head coach (Aaron Glenn) and general manager (Darren Mougey) in tandem. The two will be tasked with reshaping the roster, creating a winning culture, and pulling the team out of the longest active playoff drought in the NFL.

     

    Further complicating the situation is 40-year-old starting quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who hasn’t yet determined if he wishes to play this season for the Jets, for another team, or not at all. What Rodgers decides, and whether the Jets wish to retain him anyway, has major ramifications for the direction of the franchise.

     

    Say the Jets want to move on completely from Rodgers, though, and select a quarterback at the top of the NFL Draft. Because they have the seventh pick, they’d have to trade up, and the most logical way to control the outcome is to land the number-one pick, which is owned by the Tennessee Titans

     

    In a Wednesday article, Bleacher Report’s Brad Gagnon predicted what the Jets would have to surrender to land the Titans’ number-one pick: the number-seven pick in this year’s draft, the Jets’ 2026 first-round pick, plus their 2025 second-round pick

     

    “(The Jets) pick seventh and might be fired up to replace Aaron Rodgers, if indeed that experiment ends between now and draft day,” Gagnon wrote.

     

    “If so, we’re of course again looking at next year’s first as well as immediate Day 2 draft capital. And in this case, that’d potentially have to outweigh what the Raiders have on the table, as New York would be moving up from seven instead of six.”

     

    That’s a lot to give up in any draft class, but this year in particular, it’s an iffy proposition. A quarterback isn’t a lock to go number one at all, and regardless of whether Miami’s Cam Ward or Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders is considered the best QB in this class, most believe next year’s signal-callers have more promise.

     

    The Jets would be justified to exercise some caution and not sell the farm for the rights to Ward or Sanders. But one never knows how a front office might evaluate college quarterbacks, so maybe Mougey has already begun plotting.

  • Ipswich Eyeing Move to Sign Champions League Striker

    Ipswich Eyeing Move to Sign Champions League Striker

    Ipswich Town could be set to make a move for Lille star Mohamed Bayo, according to reports – with Kieran McKenna wanting to add goals to his squad in a bid to stay in the Premier League.

    Bayo, 26, joined Lille back in 2022 after a 14-goal haul at Clermont Foot in the French top-flight, though he’s struggled to earn first-team minutes at the Stade Pierre Mauroy for the time being. As a result, that could see him leave after bagging just six goals in 38 games in Ligue 1 for Bruno Genesio’s men – and Ipswich have taken notice.

    Report: Ipswich ‘Make Concrete Steps’ to Sign Mohamed Bayo

    The Tractor Boys want to add goals to their ranks

    The report from L’Equipe, via GFFN, states that despite starting in the Champions League for Lille on Wednesday night, Bayo is still likely to leave the Ligue 1 club before the end of the transfer window on Monday evening.

     

    He has found game time extremely hard to come by this season, being the backup option behind Canadian star Jonathan David. The Canadian star is ‘very likely’ to depart in the summer on a free transfer with his deal expiring in June, though Bayo is expected to leave in the winter window.

    Despite being under contract until 2027, he has been subject to interest from other clubs – and that could see Kieran McKenna’s Ipswich side swoop for his services.

    The Tractor Boys, alongside Turkish giants Besiktas, have taken ‘concrete steps’ to sign the Guinea international, with a decision expected to be taken on his future in the coming hours.

    Ipswich have only scored 21 league goals this season, with Everton and Southampton being the only sides to have scored less in the Premier League – and although Liam Delap has eight goals to his name already in the top-flight, more goals are needed from elsewhere, with only three players having scored two or more goals in the league.

    Sammie Szmodics has four goals to his name after a summer transfer from Blackburn Rovers, whilst marquee signing Omari Hutchinson has two after his move from Chelsea in the summer – and so Bayo could be a strong addition to their ranks.