WWE SummerSlam 2026 wrapped up Night 1 from U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, with a star-making performance out of Oba Femi. Elsewhere, Randy Orton returned to throw a wrench in Cody Rhodes path back to the WWE title, Liv Morgan dispatched Iyo Sky, Solo Sikoa found his footing, and Paige suddenly has a need for new friends.As we prepare for Night 2, heres six takeaways from an action-packed night in Minnesota.1. One hell of a way to go outTwenty-four years after bursting onto the main-roster scene and brutalizing The Undertaker in Hell in a Cell, Brock Lesnar pulled out all the stops in the main event of SummerSlam Night 1 against Oba Femi. Lesnar and Femi had actual workrate, momentum trading, brutality with weapons and big spots in the ring. Lesnar ripped up the padding from the ring, tombstoned Femi in a callback to Taker, yet still couldnt put him away. It was Femi who eventually hit a Fall from Grace onto the exposed ring frame for the win. After the win, Lesnar got on the mic and put Femi over as the future of WWE.THE PAST THE PRESENT THE FUTURE@BrockLesnar | @Obaofwwepic.twitter.com/YLmd6tDWg5 WWE (@WWE) August 2, 2026The organization has navigated speed bumps along the way, but its official: WWE is Femis for the taking. The Ruler seems poised for a world title run, which should give him a signature WrestleMania moment next April. Until then, a sustained feud should help prepare Femi for the path forward from here.As for Lesnar, there was no sendoff from the home crowd into retirement, just an appreciation of his body of work. There may be no immediate plans for The Beast Incarnate, and a period of hibernation wouldnt be a surprise before returning for 2027s first international WrestleMania in Saudi Arabia. If Lesnar is set on hanging up his boots, a showdown against Gunther fits the bill as a cant-miss-match that would also feed into Gunthers Career Killer persona.Fear him.WWE via Getty Images2. The best man for the jobIn a battle meant to identify who was better than whom, Cody Rhodes and CM Punk walked out of Night 1 absent of that clarity. The duo have spent the past few weeks one-upping each other, and that continued through the first half of their championship tilt, before a returning Randy Orton played spoiler. An RKO from Orton opened the door for a GTS from Punk and the pinfall win. The interference finish also provided space for WWE to return to Punk vs. Rhodes down the road, with a clear and logical path forward for both men to go their separate ways for now.RANDY ORTON IS BACK RKO TO CODY RHODES!!!! pic.twitter.com/3IK4QrUHSL WWE (@WWE) August 2, 2026The return of Orton likely pulls Rhodes out of the title chase and back into finishing their unsettled business from WrestleMania, when Orton punted Rhodes to close the night. Punk, as the defending Undisputed WWE Champion, now looks prepped to battle the winner of Sundays Finn Blor vs. Sami Zayn match, with two contenders looking for another taste of gold. Thats despite Punk answering to the crowd and calling Oba Femi out on the post-show, who almost certainly wont be running straight for a world title from here. "I WANT OBA" @CMPunk has called out Oba Femi! pic.twitter.com/eK9K0FRLSE WWE (@WWE) August 2, 2026SmackDown continues to reset its title picture, and without a clear story arc to build, I actually think its a pretty refreshing move.3. Her title reign Liv(s) onLiv Morgans title reign finally got supercharged on Saturday night in the opener with a little help from her friends. The reigning Womens World Champion needed outside interference from her Judgement Day team members just as Iyo Sky was starting to run away with the match. But it was Morgan on her own from that point the champ took everything Sky could throw at her before hitting Oblivion for the finish.The trend continues with the Judgement Day using the numbers game to its advantage at nearly every avenue, including Raquel Rodriguez recently winning the Womens Intercontinental Championship. An inevitable WarGames match feels like its in the works here, building toward Morgan and Co. aligning with someone like Jade Cargill against the likes of Sky, Rhea Ripley, Charlotte Flair, Sol Ruca and others.4. Not quite career-killingYears of tension between some of WWEs top stars and SmackDown general manager Nick Aldis came to a head when the authority finally traded in his suit for ring tights. Aldis showed he still has every bit of the in-ring talent that made him a compelling addition to the WWE roster in a match that more than lived up to expectations. Aldis held his own in a showdown that felt like it could go either way, but he ultimately suffered the same fate as John Cena and tapped to Gunthers rear-naked chokehold.Gunther rode the momentum of ending Cenas career in December, and parlayed it into ending AJ Styles career as well. Since then hes hopped between rivalries without much substance, and yet again finds himself at a premium live event playing second fiddle to the main-event scene. The goal has to be to get him more deeply integrated alongside other top talent so this becomes less of a revolving door problem.For Aldis, theres no longer an excuse for him to play the mild mannered general manager. Hes shown he can mix it up with the best the company has to offer, and shouldnt shy away from contact in the future. An RKO from Randy Orton or a Claymore from Drew McIntyre should be met with an equal shot from Aldis."I believe in what you did" @TripleH has reinstated @RealNickAldis as the General Manager of #SmackDown! pic.twitter.com/uczwxblYn9 WWE (@WWE) August 2, 20265. Time to go SoloFor a twosome of wrestlers like LA Knight and Solo Sikoa, who have been consistently set back in recent years, SummerSlam Night 1 was an enormous moment. Knight has felt firmly in the rear-view since last years WrestleMania, Sikoa never quite felt like a natural leader of the Bloodline 2.0, yet both guys got back on the right track alongside Royce Keys.It was a match that flipped the script on Jey Uso and Jacob Fatu, who at one point seemed on top of the world, but failed to sustain enough offense to hold off the unlikely trio. Essentially everyone outside of Fatu had glimpses of momentum in the match, with Sikoa stealing the spotlight with his entertaining demeanor and Knight snatching the victory with a pinfall victory over Jey Uso.Sikoa feels rejuvenated in a way thats reminiscent of Rocky Maivia finding himself as The Rock. He has personality that shines through alongside workrate, and everything is coming together now that hes standing on his own.Solo Sikoa, LA Knight, and Royce Keys celebrate their win during SummerSlam at U.S. Bank Stadium on August 1, 2026 in Minneapolis, Minnesota.WWE via Getty ImagesKnight getting the win feels important to his long-term positioning, and it was surprising to see that come at the expense of former world champion Jey Uso. Fatu felt pretty invisible in this one, and back alongside Reigns is unfortunately becoming a shell of the character who appeared poised to be next in line as WWE Champion.This rivalry is far from over, with a natural escalation surely coming in the coming months. An obvious path would be toward WarGames. But with the Hakus return to television, Im fascinated to see how fast WWE pieces the different iterations of the Bloodline together. That includes Sikoa, who is doing arguably his best work since joining WWE.6. Turning the PaigeA week after winning the tag-team titles, Fatal Influence has dissolved the partnership with the Bella Twins and Paige. The progression of the rivalry always seemed to signal an opportunity to elevate Fatal Influence, specifically Jacy Jayne, who needs to establish herself as a legit challenger in the womens division.It also provided the perfect space for the Bellas to get fed up with the nostalgia act and turn on Paige. With the Bellas now working heel, Paige likely needs a tag-team partner to even the odds, and who better to join her on SmackDown than someone like AJ Lee?

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Detroit Rickie Fowler has been here from the beginning.You best believe he'd love to be the last man standing at the last Rocket Classic. And it's possible.Fowler shot a Saturday 67 and was at 12 under through three rounds, three shots back of leader Davis Riley entering Sunday's final round at Detroit Golf Club. Fowler has been the face of this tournament since it was announced in 2018.He's been a pitchman for Rocket (and previously Quicken Loans) for years, and he's been pitch perfect in trumpeting the value of Detroit's PGA Tour tournament, which is ending after eight years."It's definitely been a bummer to kind of come into this knowing it was the last one," Fowler said this week. "It's been fun for me to have a partnership with Rocket and see this event make its way here, because that was always a dream of theirs to have an event back in Detroit."To see it continue to grow over the years, (I) felt like it just kept getting bigger and better."There have been a lot of big moments in the history of the Rocket classic, though none was bigger for the fans and the visibility than Fowler's uber-popular victory in 2023.That year, he made birdie on the 72nd hole on Sunday to get into a playoff, then made birdie again on that same 18th hole on the first playoff to seal the victory.It ended a three-year winless drought for Fowler, and it gave Rocket the moment they dreamed of when Dan Gilbert brought the tournament to Detroit in 2019. Rocket made no bones about it. When the playoff began between Fowler, Collin Morikawa and Adam Hadwin in 2023, Rocket officials were on the tee wearing orange Puma hats.That was Fowler's sixth PGA Tour win, and his last. The gallery on the 18 that Sunday in 2023 was arguably the largest and loudest in tournament history, despite a ferocious storm approaching.The moment Rickie Fowler and his legion of fans have been waiting for. pic.twitter.com/5LVx7fl69b Tony Paul | Detroit News (@TonyPaul1984) July 2, 2023"Fans have always been great to me here and having the association with Rocket," said Fowler, 37, who grew up in California, lives in Florida, but has a legion of fans in Michigan. "I think the win in '23 helped solidify that. "This has always been a fun week for us and a little bittersweet."He has an opportunity Sunday to make the finale a little more sweet than bitter.Fowler stumbled early Saturday with a birdie at the par-4 second, but played bogey-free the rest of the way to get well within striking distance on a course where there already have been three 61s this week. He bemoaned leaving his 26-foot birdie putt on 18 just one rotation short, but he still got himself within three shots of the lead by day's end.The largest final-round comeback to win the Rocket Classic? Three shots.tpaul@detroitnews.com@tonypaul1984This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Rickie Fowler is face of PGA Tour in Detroit. He'd love the final bow

INDIANAPOLIS, IN - JUNE 10: Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Nick Westbrook-Ikhine (12) runs through a drill during the Indianapolis Colts Minicamp on June 10, 2026 at the Indiana Farm Bureau Football Center in Indianapolis, IN. (Photo by Zach Bolinger/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty ImagesWith rain in the forecast, Indianapolis Colts held an indoor training camp practice Saturday evening for Back Together Weekendfor the final practice of this weekend and the last before pads come on. Well gang, lets get to it! Daniel Jones Had a Hot Hand on SaturdayThats a wrap from Day 4 of Colts Camp. Great day for Daniel Jones. Very accurate and moves the ball down the field well. 12/15 with 3 TDs in 11s.Josh Downs with a very productive day as well. Was the favorite target of Jones and displayed great route running. Andrew Moore (@AndrewMooreNFL) August 1, 2026One of the highlights of today was #Colts QB Daniel Jones delivering a rocket to TE Tyler Warren for a TD in the red zone. This was in 11-on-11. James Boyd (@RomeovilleKid) August 1, 2026Rookie AJ Haulcy Gets Run with Starting Dwith Justin Walley flashing again#Colts Safety A.J. Haulcy getting work with the first team defense.Justin Walley another nice pass break up in the first 11 on 11 team period. @WTHRcom Dominic Miranda (@DomMirandaTV) August 1, 2026Sauce Gets Sticky in CoverageSauce Gardner with a beautiful pass breakup in the 3rd 11 on 11 team period of the day. #Colts Dominic Miranda (@DomMirandaTV) August 1, 2026Rookie Seth McGowan Making RB2 Competition InterestingSeth McGowan with a nice run up the middle for a TD in the second round of 11s. Showing good burst. Andrew Moore (@AndrewMooreNFL) August 1, 2026Nick Westbrook-Ikhine Pushing for WR3?Nick Westbrook-Ikhine just reeled in a 50 yard rocket from Riley Leonard over two defendersWR3? Logan Hancock (@ProFanLogan) August 1, 2026Nick Westbrook-Ikhine with ANOTHER tough contested catch in 11 on 11s this time on Sauce Gardner Logan Hancock (@ProFanLogan) August 1, 2026No Steichen Due to Personal ReasonsNo Shane Steichen at practice today, due to a personal matter. Rainy Saturday has the #Colts indoors for their first afternoon practice of camp. Four straight days of practice concludes today. Longest stretch of camp. Kevin Bowen (@KBowen1070) August 1, 2026

CHICAGO (AP) Robert Lewandowski scored two goals, including the winner, in his home debut for the Fire, helping Chicago beat Charlotte FC 2-1 on Saturday.Lewandowski, who made the move from FC Barcelona in a two-year deal with Chicago, equalized in the 20th minute off a screamer from outside the box that tied the game at 1. He connected on his second goal of the night in the 68th minute with a go-ahead shot to the bottom left corner to seal the win for the Fire (9-6-2), who played their first home match in over two months.Pep Biel gave Charlotte (7-7-4) an early lead with a shot from the right side of the box on an assist from Idan Toklomati.Charlotte pushed for an equalizer late and earned a corner in stoppage time, but Chicago held on to preserve the one-goal lead.Charlotte entered the match unbeaten in its last two games, but dropped its third straight against the Fire. Up nextCharlotte: Takes on Pumas UNAM in Leagues Cup group stage play on Tuesday.Chicago: Visit Club Necaxa in Leagues Cup group stage play on Thursday.___AP soccer: https://apnews.com/soccer

Collin Sexton has the opportunity to make a sizable impact on the Los Angeles Lakers this season. The 6-foot-3 guard, who signed a two-year, $19 million contract with them this summer, is a scoring threat who can handle the ball, facilitate and speed up the pace of the game.Sexton is also a very energetic, high-motor player who always gives 100% on both ends of the floor. During his first media availability as a member of the Lakers, he was asked about the vision that coach JJ Redick and general manager Rob Pelinka have for the team and how he can fit into that vision.Just toughness, Sexton said. I would say the toughness. They wanna be able to compete in all aspects on the defensive side, but also the offensive side and just being able to change the pace of the game whenever its needed. I feel like sometimes walking the ball up and letting the other team set up their defense is tough, sometimes you gotta be able to change the flow. We talked and it was a really good conversation and they believe in me. I just feel like at the end of the day, whenever a coach believes in you, and like you said, hes gonna be hard on me and yell at scream at me, so I like that. I think thats what gets the best from me.Last season, Los Angeles was 20th in defensive rating, 16th in fast-break points and 22nd in pace. One would expect the team's pace and transition opportunities to increase at least somewhat thanks to the addition of players such as Sexton who can attack off the dribble in the open court. The acquisition of men such as Sexton and forwards Ziaire Williams and Matisse Thybulle, all of whom are adept at coming up with steals, should also help L.A.'s transition game.Sexton averaged 15.4 points and 3.3 assists in 23.7 minutes a game while shooting 48.5% overall and 40.1% from 3-point range last season. The Lakers would occasionally get blown out in games and seem to almost mail it in this past season, but with a better bench, more youth and more athleticism, they may not happen as much this coming season.This article originally appeared on LeBron Wire: Collin Sexton says Lakers want him to bring toughness

BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - AUGUST 01: A general view of the Baltimore Orioles playing against the Philadelphia Phillies in the fourth inning at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on August 01, 2026 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Greg Fiume/Getty Images) | Getty ImagesWell, lets start with the good feelings. There was a sentimental feeling percolating around the Yard well before tonights game, with a team Hall of Fame induction ceremony that saw former Os slugger Chris Davis, 1983 World Series Champion Storm Davis, and late scout Jim Russo all get their green jackets. Both Storm and Chris were in attendance, along with lots of their former teammates, including, to give short pre-game remarks and stop by the MASN booth to chat about their favorite memories. It was cool to learn that Storm Davis actually served as a mentor to a young Ben McDonald, then a rookie pitcher, now a MASN analyst, but I was especially sentimental about Daviss reminiscences, which covered the especially sweet 2012-16 years, when the Os led the AL in wins. Dishing about some of his favorite memories, Davis named several that brought up memories. There was his 2013 home opener grand slam:View LinkThis unreal broken-bat home run off lefty Tony Watson.And, my favorite, the ludicrously improbable homer he hit off ambidextrous sinker-baller Pat Venditte, a tentative one-handed half-swing that somehow made it into the stands. Davis described it earlier this week: The home run vs Pat Venditte where I literally ass out, one handed, I heard he tore up the video room on the visitor side after that Im like, I dont know either dude. Like I dont know what Im doing. Amazing!I can see how Pat would be upset Chris found a way to hit this pitch out for a walk-off. pic.twitter.com/5TbbYvDIGjhttps://t.co/FSLudZGbIV Ryan Ripken (@ryanripkenshow) July 28, 2026Look, Chris Davis had his share of troubles on the field, especially toward the end of his career, but he is a beloved part of Birdland history, a fact that seemed confirmed by how many former Os made it out to honor him.OK, but thats the extent of the sentimentality here, because there was a game to play, and for Os fans, not a lot of sweet memories will be left from this one. This is because Philadelphias Christopher Snchez is a true artist on the mound. The left-hander came into tonight with the NLs fifth best ERA and a wicked 50-inning scoreless streak earlier this season, and tonight, you saw why it was deserved. Snchez has one of the best sinkers in the game, and so it was again. He also has a changeup several miles slower but with the same path out of the hand. It wreaked havoc. Snchez drew 9 swings and misses on 15 changeups tonight (60%), finishing with 11 strikeouts in just six innings.Then again, for most of the game the score was 1-0, and Os starter Shane Baz was really good, too: he threw 6 1/3 innings and only allowed one run. More on Baz in a sec.The Birds had a few chances against Snchez, believe it or noteven if they had to do it by free pass, and not by hard contact. In the fourth inning, Snchez did something he hadnt all season and walked three hitters in a rowGunnar Henderson, Tyler ONeill, Christian Encarnacin-Strand. This brought up Leody Taveras with the bases juiced and two outs. Could he ?? Alas, he could not. It was not a good at-bat. Taveras swung aggressively through the early pitches, and stared at a fairly routine pitch down the middle for Strike 3.They gritted a second rally chance into existence in the sixth, but if youve been paying attention to the final score you know how that went. Taylor Ward worked a walk, and chugged his way to third base on a Tyler ONeill dribbler the other waynice hustle, Ward! CES had a chance to drive him in from third, but he walked, the second time Snchez had loaded the bases with two outs. Snchez looked mighty distracted, way overthrowing the ball twice to CES before walking him.So, not much to report on offense. Now, despite what the badness of the score indicates, Orioles pitching was excellent until a bullpen meltdown in the eighth inning. Os right hander Shane Baz went toe-to-toe with Snchez, basically, continuing to look like a solid investment for this team and a great option in this rotation. Baz had dazzling spin on his changeup and knuckle curve, plenty of movement on his sinker, and even better velocity than usualwhich is saying something! Baz allowed some loud contact, but no more than two hits out of the first fourteen batters.Regrettably, he got the loss in this game, with one run surrendered in the fifth inning. With a man on second via walk, Baz allowed a two-out single to Bryan de la Cruz. Not a cheapie, it was a bad, middle-of-the-zone fastball, and De la Cruz responded appropriately. This was pretty much Bazs only bad pitch of the night.In the sixth, Baz allowed a leadoff single to Bryce Harper, but then retired the side on a groundout, popout, andoh, a super nice play by new-guy catcher Jake Rogers, acquired last week from Detroit, who caught Alec Bohm wandering off of first and fired down to Pete Alonso, who tagged him out.Baz came one strike short of completing seven, but Philly second baseman Bryson Stott was a huge pain in the neck, seeing 14 pitches before cuing an opposite-way single. It took Baz out of there, but doesnt dampen what was a great outing by the starter: 6 1/3 innings, 1 ER, 6 H, 4 K, 1 BB.What was not great was the Grant Wolfram + Andrew Kittredge tandem in the eighth, which coughed up four runs by virtue of three combined walks and three hits. Wolfram looked wild, and Kittredge hittable. The inning felt like forever, and a 1-0 pitchers duel became a 5-0 blowout, deflating the stadium.At the time of this writing, the Twins lost and the Guardians are in a 12-7 hole, so the Orioles havent actually given up ground in the Wild Card race. Despite this stupid result, the hunt for the playoffs goes on. Tomorrow, Kyle Bradish v. Zack Wheeler. Lets hope the bullpen is more rested by then.

SEATTLE (AP) The Seattle Mariners have traded right-hander Luis Castillo to the Chicago White Sox in exchange for right-hander Seranthony Domnguez, outfielder Nolan Jones and catching prospect Boston Smith and cash considerations, the Mariners announced Saturday night.The struggling Mariners, who are four games below .500 and trail the Houston Astros by three games in the AL West, elected to part ways with one of their longest tenured players ahead of Mondays trade deadline. The White Sox, meanwhile, lead the AL Central by 2 1/2 games with a 58-52 record.Castillo, 33, is under contract through the 2027 season with a vesting option for 2028. He is 3-9 with 86 strikeouts and a 5.06 ERA across 99 2/3 innings. The Mariners have a surplus of starting pitching options. At one point in the 2026 season, manager Dan Wilson paired Castillo and right-hander Bryce Miller in a piggyback to ensure Seattles six starting pitchers were all able to regularly appear in games. Without Castillo, the Mariners still have Miller, former first-round pick Emerson Hancock, George Kirby and former All-Stars Logan Gilbert and Bryan Woo. Domnguez, 31, is 4-3 with a 4.10 ERA in 42 games this season. Jones, 28, did not appear in a game for Chicago, instead splitting his time between Triple-A Charlotte and Triple-A Columbus, the top affiliate for the Cleveland Guardians.Smith, 23, is hitting .291 with 22 home runs and 58 RBIs across stints at three minor league levels.The Washington Nationals selected Smith in the sixth round of the 2025 MLB draft, and traded him to Chicago in March for utility man Curtis Mead. ___ AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

CLEVELAND (AP) Geraldo Perdomo and Corbin Carroll homered during a seven-run seventh inning, and the Arizona Diamondbacks beat the Cleveland Guardians 12-8 on Saturday night for their fourth straight victory.Perdomo also had the fourth four-hit game of his six-year career and drove in three runs for the Diamondbacks, who hold the second wild-card spot in the National League. The shortstop is 6 for 10 with four RBIs in the first two games of the series.Brian McCann had three hits while Nolan Arenado also went deep with a solo shot in the eighth inning.Rhys Hoskins and Chase DeLauter homered for Cleveland, which is 5-10 since the All-Star break. Steven Kwan added three hits as the Guardians (56-56) fell to .500 for the first time since May 10.Gerardo Carrillo (2-0), the second of six Arizona pitchers, got the win after throwing two scoreless innings.The Diamondbacks sent 10 to the plate in the seventh. Perdomo led off the frame and gave the Diamondbacks a 3-2 lead with a first-pitch drive over the right-field wall off Hunter Gaddis (1-3). Arizona scored their next six runs with two outs. Ildemaro Vargas had an RBI single, Brian McCann had a two-run double and Carroll launched a three-run homer to center.Hoskins gave Cleveland a 2-0 lead in the first inning with a two-run homer to center field off Arizona rookie starter Kohl Drake.The Diamondbacks tied it at 2 in the fifth when Ryan Waldschmidt scored from second after Hoskins errant throw to first and Gabriel Moreno drove in Carroll on a fielder's choice.Cleveland mounted a rally with five runs in the eighth inning. DeLauter led it off with a homer to right-center while Steven Kwan had the other key hit with a two-run single. DeLauter came up as the potential tying run with two outs and runners on first and second but lined out to center.Up nextArizona right-hander Merrill Kelly (8-8, 4.36 ERA) and Cleveland righty Gavin Williams (10-6, 3.71) are slated for Sunday's series finale.___AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

Photo by Dennis Bresser/BSR Agency/Getty ImagesBarcelonas midfield situation has changed considerably over the last few weeks. Frenkie de Jongs injury has left Hansi Flick with fewer reliable options in the double pivot, while Marc Bernal is still returning from a lengthy layoff and cannot immediately be expected to carry a full workload.Pedri remains an automatic starter and Gavi has proven that he can play alongside him, but the depth behind them suddenly looks far less secure than it did at the beginning of the summer.There have also been rumours that Flick had already begun losing some trust in Frenkie towards the end of last season. The Dutchman reportedly did not manage his previous injury particularly well and continued playing during a World Cup year despite not being fully fit.That was said to have frustrated Flick, who began trusting Gavi more during the closing stages of the campaign. Frenkie has still travelled with the team for pre-season, although some have interpreted that as Flick wanting him to recover under the clubs supervision and, in a way, holding him accountable for how the situation was handled.With Barcelona still expected to complete more business before the transfer window closes, another midfielder may now have become a genuine necessity rather than a luxury.Casad Opens the DoorMarc Casads potential departure could completely change Barcelonas approach to the market. Reports suggest the club would be willing to sell him for approximately 40 million, a significant amount for a player who was developed internally and would therefore represent almost pure profit on the books.More importantly, the sale would help Barcelona remain within La Ligas 1:1 rule, giving the club the ability to reinvest the money into a replacement midfielder.Casad has proven himself to be a dependable member of the squad, but 40 million would be difficult for Barcelona to reject given their financial situation.Selling him without bringing in another midfielder, however, would leave Flick dangerously short. Pedri and Gavi can form the starting partnership, but Bernal is still finding his rhythm after a long absence and Tommy Marqus is only beginning his transition into the senior team.Tommy is expected to be counted on by Flick and deserves the opportunity to prove himself, but Barcelona should not place too much responsibility on him immediately. There is a difference between giving a talented academy player opportunities and entering an entire season expecting him to cover major minutes in one of the most demanding positions in Flicks system.A Casad sale would therefore create both the need and the financial opportunity to sign another midfielder.Trusting La MasiaBarcelonas youngsters have once again been among the biggest stories of pre-season. An article published two days ago highlighted Ibrahim Diarra, Ebrima Tunkara and Alex Gonzlez as three academy talents who have particularly impressed the coaching staff. All three made an impact in the recent 4-1 friendly win over Europa and the 2-2 draw against Birmingham City.Diarra is a strong and direct attacker who can operate all over the front four, while Tunkara is considered one of La Masias most talented prospects and can play as an attacking midfielder or false nine.Gonzlez, who only joined the club in April, has already impressed with his positioning and movement around the penalty area. Their performances are another reminder that Flick will not hesitate to trust young players when they prove themselves.However, none of those three directly solves Barcelonas shortage in the double pivot. Their emergence could strengthen the attacking areas of the squad, but the midfield still depends heavily on Pedri, Gavi, Bernal and potentially Tommy.Barcelona should continue creating pathways for La Masia, but signing Kees Smit would not necessarily close those pathways. At only 20 years old, he would be another long-term investment capable of growing alongside the clubs existing young core.The question is whether Barcelona should place all their faith in Bernals recovery and Tommys development, or take advantage of the market while an ideal young midfielder is still attainable.Limited Market AlternativesSeveral midfielders have been mentioned as possible options, but most of them are either unrealistic or do not make enough sense for Barcelona.Rodri would obviously be the dream signing, but Manchester City would demand an enormous fee and the player appears more likely to favour Real Madrid if he ever returns to Spain. His family is from Madrid and his history with Atltico makes the possibility of eventually returning to the city difficult to ignore.Javi Guerra is another name that has regularly appeared in connection with Barcelona, but he has now renewed with Valencia and made it clear that he wants to remain there. His release clause currently stands at 40 million and is expected to rise to 60 million soon. Guerra is undoubtedly talented, but for that price Barcelona should be targeting someone who fits the clubs midfield identity more naturally. He is at his best when carrying the ball forward and operating as a dynamic box-to-box midfielder, rather than controlling possession and setting the rhythm of a match.Mikel Merino is not realistically available after Arsenal reached the Champions League Final and have little reason to weaken their midfield. Fabin Ruiz remains a very good player, but he turned 30 only a few months ago and would offer little resale value. Barcelonas recent success has been built around younger players who can grow together, making a significant investment in Fabin difficult to justify at this stage of his career.When the realistic alternatives are examined closely, Kees Smit begins to stand out.The Bara ArchetypeSmit possesses many of the qualities Barcelona traditionally look for in a midfielder. He is comfortable receiving the ball under pressure, can progress possession through both passing and carrying, and plays with a level of composure that is unusual for someone of his age. He is capable of combining quickly in tight areas, switching the play over longer distances and breaking through midfield lines without appearing rushed.He also contributes without the ball. Smit presses aggressively, anticipates passes well and positions himself intelligently when his team loses possession. He is not simply a creative midfielder who waits for the ball to reach him. He actively participates in recovering it and has the physical confidence to compete in midfield duels.Comparisons have been made to players such as Frenkie de Jong, Pedri, Tijjani Reijnders and Enzo Fernndez. Those comparisons should obviously be treated as stylistic rather than an indication that he has already reached their level, but they help explain why his profile is so attractive.He combines the press resistance and ball progression associated with Frenkie with the awareness and technical sharpness Barcelona require from their interior midfielders.Ronald Koeman has even described Smit as a mixture of Pedri and De Jong, while Arda Turan has praised his ability to control matches and predicted that he could become an important player for the Netherlands.Smit himself has spoken openly about his admiration for Barcelona, revealing that he watches the club regularly and grew up admiring players such as Andrs Iniesta and Lionel Messi.It does not guarantee that he would succeed, but everything about his footballing education and preferred style suggests that the adaptation would be more natural than it would be for many of the other midfielders available.Less Recognition, Better ValueSmit remains relatively untested at the highest level, and that will naturally create doubts over spending a significant fee on him. Transfermarkt values him at approximately 25 million, although AZ Alkmaar would reportedly demand closer to 40-45 million because of his potential and the interest from other major European clubs.That price may appear high for a player with limited experience, but it is also considerably lower than what Barcelona could be asked to pay a year from now. Smit has already won the UEFA Youth League with AZ, was named Player of the Tournament as the Netherlands won the European Under-19 Championship and was recognised as the Conference Leagues Revelation of the Season after recording five assists in ten appearances.He is still at the stage where Barcelona would be paying for what he could become rather than competing for a finished product at an inflated price. Waiting until he proves himself at a higher level may feel safer, but it would also allow wealthier clubs to enter the race and could push his value beyond 60 million.Barcelona experienced something similar with Raphinha. The opportunity was questioned at the time because the player was not yet viewed as an established superstar, but the club identified qualities that could translate to a higher level. Smit would represent the same type of forward-thinking recruitment: investing before the players reputation becomes larger than the opportunity itself.Dutch FootstepsBarcelona and Dutch football have always shared a special relationship. Johan Cruyff did not merely represent the club as a player and manager; he helped shape the footballing identity Barcelona still follows today. Ronald Koeman, Frank de Boer, Phillip Cocu and Frenkie de Jong are among the many Dutch players who have continued that connection across different generations.Smit should not be signed simply because he is Dutch, nor should he be burdened with comparisons to those who came before him. However, his understanding of positional football, his comfort in possession and his ability to control matches make him a natural continuation of that tradition.There would also be something fitting about Barcelona replacing one Dutch midfielder with another. Frenkies future has become increasingly uncertain, and even if he remains at the club, his latest injury has shown that Barcelona cannot continue depending on him without a long-term alternative.The Right MoveIf Casad leaves for 40 million, Barcelona should make Kees Smit one of their main priorities. The sale would provide the club with the financial room to act under the 1:1 rule, while Smit would fill an immediate squad need without compromising the long-term project.He would not arrive as a guaranteed starter ahead of Pedri, Gavi or Bernal. He would arrive to compete, provide depth and develop into a midfielder capable of eventually controlling Barcelonas midfield for years. At 20, he fits the age profile of the squad, and stylistically he appears far more suited to the club than most of the alternatives currently being discussed.The risk is that Barcelona would be signing him before he has fully proven himself. The greater risk may be waiting until everybody else knows exactly how good he is.