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Chelsea close to finalising a deal to sign LA Galaxys Vicente GarciaChelsea are closing in on signing LA Galaxy midfielder Vicente Garcia, according to The Athletic.The 16-year-old has agreed to join Chelsea once he turns 18 in the summer of 2028.The Blues are expected to pay around $3 million (2.25m) initially, plus potential add-ons.Sources familiar with the negotiations have indicated that the agreement is close to being finalised.Garcia will remain with LA Galaxy until he is old enough to make the move to Stamford Bridge.The teenager has already made a name for himself in the United States, having signed his first professional contract with Galaxy as a homegrown player in January 2025.At just 14 years and 198 days old, Garcia became the fifth-youngest player in MLS history to sign a professional deal.The incoming Chelsea star has continued to progress this season, making 16 appearances for Ventura County FC in MLS Next Pro and contributing three goals and four assists.Garcia was also included in LA Galaxys senior squad for the first time earlier this month, sitting on the bench for their goalless draw against FC Dallas.Internationally, he remains eligible for both the United States and Mexico, having represented both nations at youth level.He was most recently involved with the US Under-17 setup at a camp in June.Chelsea pursuing Garcia fits neatly into their increasingly aggressive approach to recruiting teenage prospects from around the world.The west London club have already agreed a similar arrangement for FC Dallas youngster Benji Flowers,It was the same way Chelsea handled deals for Kendry Paez, Caleb Wiley and Gaga Slonina.Garcia now looks set to become the latest addition to that long-term project, with Chelsea determined to secure the best young talent before the competition emerges.Chelsea have already signed Morgan Rogers, Marco Palestra, Maxence Lacroix, Jordan Henderson, and Danny Welbeck. Pep Chavarria is expected to join next.

Celtic in Europe On par or underachievement?Celtic in Europe On par or underachievement? Joebloggscity from The Celtic Wiki ponders the question and makes some interesting pointsUEFA Champions League branded microphones are seen on a desk prior to the UEFA Champions League 2024/25 League Knockout Play-off second leg match between FC Bayern Mnchen and Celtic FC at on February 18, 2025 in Munich, Germany. (Photo by Alex Grimm/Getty Images)A common but, in my opinion, highly misleading point often repeated in recent times is that Celtichave achieved nothing in Europe this century and have been an also-ran.Some have even added that Rangers have surpassed them by reaching two UEFA Cup finals. I, however, strongly disagree with that view and believe it needs qualification.Firstly, the current footballing environment is heavily stacked against clubs outside the majorleagues. I dont need to repeat the well-documented gulf between clubs from smaller countries andthose in the Premier League, La Liga, or the Bundesliga.Celtic players pose for a photo on pitch prior to the UEFA Champions League 2024/25 League Knockout Play-off second leg match between FC Bayern Mnchen and Celtic FC at Allianz Arena on February 18, 2025 in Munich, Germany. (Photo by Matthias Hangst/Getty Images)Celtics achievements are often unfairly measured against this uneven playing field. In reality,punching above their weight is now the best Celtic can hope for. Thats manageable in one-offmatches or even two-legged knockout ties, but over the gruelling course of a long competition, itsnext to impossible.Even Dutch sides, once a European powerhouse from the 1970s to the turn of the century, have struggled in Europe this century.So, what has Celtic achieved?Id argue that, in the current environment, their overall performance has been underwhelming but only marginally so. At the end of the day, if were measuring success, theres only one competition that truly matters: the Champions League.Celtic warm up prior to the UEFA Champions League 2024/25 League Knockout Play-off second leg match between FC Bayern Mnchen and Celtic FC at Allianz Arena on February 18, 2025 in Munich, Germany. (Photo by Matthias Hangst/Getty Images)With the current format, a single defeat can completely derail a campaign, as has often happened toCeltic, particularly in the qualifiers. In the group stages, Celtic have qualified for the knockoutphase four times in the first quarter of this centuryonce to the knockout phase play-offs ratherthan the Round of 16, but still a hard-earned achievement.Under Gordon Strachan, they managed this in two consecutive seasons, which is something to be proud of, especially as they took AC Milan to extra time in the knockout stages.Compare this to old giants like Ajax: apart from their incredible run to the semi-finals in 2018/19,theyve also found themselves stuck in the group stages for much of this century.The record across the rest of the clubs from smaller countries follows a similar pattern to Celtics. Using the Dutch as a benchmark, the last European trophy won by a Dutch side was the UEFA Cup back in 2002. Some sides from smaller nations have pushed further than Celtic, but these are generally one-offs.Nicolas Kohn of Celtic scores past Manuel Neuer of Bayern Munich during the UEFA Champions League 2024/25 League Knockout Play-off second leg match between FC Bayern Mnchen and Celtic FC at Allianz Arena on February 18, 2025 in Munich, Germany. (Photo by Matthias Hangst/Getty Images)On that basis, with the benefit of hindsight, I think Celtics European runs have been about as goodas could be expectednot that Im entirely happy, as I feel they could have achieved so muchmore.At times, theyve gone in naive or underprepared, but this requires good management andexperienceeffectively, time. Better management from the board would also help in this regard.Some might bring up the UEFA Cup, but its now an afterthought in Europe. The truth is that, formany clubs, the real and sole prize from winning the UEFA Cup is qualification for the ChampionsLeague the following season, not the competition itself.Even if its through gritted teeth for some of us, theres no denying Rangers achievement inreaching the UEFA Cup final twicethough they never won it.The abiding memory is more of Aaron Ramseys missed penalty and their fans drinking toilet water to stay hydrated. Thats about it.Brendan Rodgers, Manager of Celtic, applauds prior to the UEFA Champions League 2024/25 League Knockout Play-off second leg match between FC Bayern Mnchen and Celtic FC at Allianz Arena on February 18, 2025 in Munich, Germany. (Photo by Matthias Hangst/Getty Images)For any individual club, reaching a UEFA Cup final is an incredible achievement in its own right, aswas the case for Celtic in 2003. Yet even then, most of us were fully aware that it was just thatafinal.There was no scaling the heights of conquering Europe like the Lisbon Lions. For Porto, whodefeated Celtic, it was more of a springboard to winning the European Cup a year later, whichwholly overshadowed their UEFA Cup triumph.So, in light of all this, what should Celtic do?The fact is that competing in the Champions League is all that matters. Its where the prestige and finances lie. The crumbs thrown at the UEFA Cup and the much-derided Europa Conference League are just footnotes.A poor season in the Champions League is now more valuable to Celtic than a good season in the UEFA Cup. Its what attracts players, brings in money, and provides the club with its biggest audiences, both on and offline.Nicolas Kohn of Celtic celebrates scoring during the UEFA Champions League 2024/25 League Knockout Play-off second leg match between FC Bayern Mnchen and Celtic FC at Allianz Arena on February 18, 2025 in Munich, Germany. (Photo by Alex Grimm/Getty Images)We do regularly end up in the Europa League, and we should always make the most of it andcompete at our best. But we must simply keep persevering in the Champions League. It may oftenlead to painful results, but the rewards, when they come, are timeless and ensure our club remains inthe spotlight in football.Celtic in Europe On par or underachievementby joebloggscity 10 August 2026HAVE YOUR SAY Join the Celtic conversation in our comments section belowCeltic Shorts is the new home for the team from The Celtic StarSummer Sale now on! Both books for just 20 plus P&P. Order now at Celticstarbooks.comQuick Tip Add Celticshorts.com as your Preferred Source on Google News for quick access to the Celtic content you value the most. It takes just a few seconds and youll notice the difference straight away! Click HERE.Hail Hail!Click to join Celtic Pools

PITTSBURGH, PA - NOVEMBER 02: Indianapolis Colts linebacker Buddy Johnson (59) looks on during the NFL football game between the Indianapolis Colts and Pittsburgh Steelers on November 02, 2025 at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, PA. (Photo by Mark Alberti/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty ImagesThe Las Vegas Raiders signed veteran linebacker Buddy Johnson as a free agent recently.Lets take a closer look at Johnson:Size:6-1, 229 pounds.NFL experience:Johnson has played in 33 games in four NFL seasons with no starts. He played four games with the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2021. He spent time in the programs of the San Francisco 49ers, Houston Texans and Chicago Bears in 2022 and 23 before sticking on the Dallas Cowboys 53-man roster in 2023. He was with Dallas from 2023-25 and finished last season with the Indianapolis Colts.Drafted:Johnson was drafted in the fourth round in 2021 by the Pittsburgh Steelers.College:He went to Texas A&M. He played in 47 games for the Aggies spanning 2017-20.How he will fit in with Raiders:Johnson, 27, has experience and he should get a long look in training camp and in the preseason. He has a chance to make the 53-man roster as a depth piece or stick around the program on the practice squad.

At the moment, the NBA is still investigating the L.A. Clippers' potential salary cap circumvention with Kawhi Leonard. To many, it feels like there's no real finish line in sight. But not Leonard, who is, crucially, you know, the central person in the saga. He has a pending trade to the Toronto Raptors, one in which he expects to be finalized relatively soon (the Clippers undoubtedly agree). Oh, huh. That much is quite notable. According to Jake Fischer, Leonard believes the NBA's investigation into the Clippers and him will be completed in time for him to join the Raptors during their preseason training camp. That begins on Monday, September 28th, for the team's official media day. That timeline is all well and good, but it kind of buries the other assertion Leonard's thought process makes. The implication here is that whatever punishment, if any, that the Clippers and Leonard receive will be minimal enough to finalize a blockbuster trade the Raptors will ultimately still want to stamp through. Given Leonard's obvious proximity to this situation, it's no small development to hear about this well in advance. More from Jake Fischer:The [Toronto] Raptors made the decision on July 9th to press pause rather than complete the trade until the NBA announces a resolution to the long-running external investigation it has commissioned into allegations of salary-cap circumvention by the [L.A.] Clippers to pay [Kawhi] Leonard beyond his contract dating to 2021. Yet league sources tell The Stein Line that Leonard continues to operate under the belief that he will be able to join the Raptors for training camp.Of course, it should be noted that any possible punishment for Leonard and/or the Clippers could still come after Leonard reports to his new team. But that conversation feels fruitless. It seems we may be reaching an ending in this Leonard-Clippers-Aspiration saga soon enough. An anticlimactic ending, to be sure, but an ending nonetheless. What would the Clippers get in a finalized Kawhi Leonard trade?If this Clippers-Raptors trade is finalized, the Clippers would get Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick, two first-round draft picks, two second-round draft picks, and another future pick swap. This article originally appeared on For The Win: Kawhi Leonard thinks his Raptors trade will still go through (and maybe faster, too)

Although Hall of Fame receiver Larry Fitzgerald refuses to refer to himself as "retired," the only NFL team he ever played for will be retiring his jersey.The Cardinals have announced that Fitzgerald's No. 11 will be retired during the Week 7 home game against the Broncos. Fitzgerald also will be added to the team's Ring of Honor."No one who has ever worn a Cardinals uniform is more deserving of this honor," team owner Michael Bidwill said.Previously, the Cardinals have retired No. 8 for safety Larry Wilson, No. 40 for safety Pat Tillman, No. 77 for tackle Stan Mauldin, No. 88 for tight end J.V. Cain, and No. 99 for halfback Marshall Goldberg.Goldberg's number was briefly unretired for future Hall of Famer J.J. Watt, who played in 2021 and 2022 for the Cardinals.

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WEST LAFAYETTE Drew Brees stepped back during the pre-snap of a seven-on-seven drill at Purdue football practice on Monday, Aug. 10, reached in his pocket and dug out his phone.In this moment, it was like Brees was a recruit being wooed by the Boilermakers.With a cheesy smile on his face, Brees raised his phone as high as he could reach and started taking video.Fresh off Brees' Saturday induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, the former Purdue quarterback returned to campus, meeting with individuals during position meetings prior to Monday morning's practice."That was incredibly special," receiver Xavier Townsend said. "It's not often you get Hall of Famers being able to come pour into us and really talk to us. Seeing him get the gold jacket, everybody is striving for that in this profession. Hearing from him and what it really took for him to get there, you can't ask for nothing better."Us being able to see that and know we can do that from (Purdue), that was very special."Practice began with players taken a knee while Brees delivered a motivational speech, where he relayed his own underdog story from lightly recruited quarterback out of Texas to the Hall of Fame, the importance of hard work and capped with Brees breaking down the team with the phrase, "Proud to be a Boilermaker.""That was amazing. I didn't even know he was going to come in today," defensive tackle Curt Neal said. "Having a guy like that, an NFL Hall of Famer, it was awesome. You can't make that up. You can't make that energy up. He lived it. He's done it and he's done it at the highest of highs. That's the goal. One of the greatest QBs ever, to learn and get little nuggets like that from his speeches, I'm honored."It's the second Hall of Fame quarterback Purdue has tapped into ahead of this season.More: Boilermaker blueprint: How Purdue molded Drew Brees into a Hall of Fame quarterbackPeyton Manning visited in June and has struck up a friendship with Purdue starting quarterback Ryan Browne. Browne said last month at Big Ten Media Days he's relied on Manning for advice and tidbits to improve.And now, a more personal connection with Brees back in West Lafayette. His name is on the student-athlete academic center. His face hangs on a banner in Mollenkopf Athletic Center's practice football field. And he's just two days removed from receiving a gold jacket at Saturday's Hall of Fame.More: Memories of Purdue football's Rose Bowl trip stand out 25 years later"Unbelievable message from the greatest to do it," Purdue head coach Barry Odom said. "When he reached out and said he was going to come back after the ceremony this weekend, I am just thrilled he would take time out of his schedule and come join us. "I've said it a number of times, you go around the globe and when somebody talks about Purdue, it's, maybe not in this order, it's astronauts, it's a great academic institution and then immediately Drew Brees comes into the conversation."Sam King covers sports for the Journal & Courier. Email him at sking@jconline.com and follow him on X and Instagram @samueltking.This article originally appeared on Lafayette Journal & Courier: Fresh off Hall of Fame, Drew Brees brings message for Purdue football

Official: Former Freiburg attacker Kyereh joins OsnabrckVfL Osnabrck completed the free transfer of Daniel-Kofi Kyereh on Monday. The 30-year-old started his SC Freiburg spell strongly before successive injuries held him back from starring in the Bundesliga.After only seven appearances for Freiburg II in Regionalliga last season, the former Ghanaian international departed the club for whom he scored two goals in 12 Bundesliga appearances. He didnt play any games for more than two seasons prior to his return from multiple injury setbacks.Osnabrck put on a strong performance in their return to 2. Bundesliga as they scored three goals away at last seasons Bundesliga club Heidenheim (4-3 defeat). Kyereh scored 27 2. Bundesliga goals for Wehen Wiesbaden and St. Pauli before his move to Freiburg in 2022.The purple-whites evaluated him for some time as he regularly joined the team during this summer. The 2022 World Cup participant played under current Osnabrck coach Tim Schulz at St. Pauli.The past few years have been a very difficult time for me. I never lost faith in getting back on the pitch. VfL (Osnabrck) has dealt very intensively with me, my situation and my current status. That trust means a lot to me. I know Timo (Schulz) from our successful time together at FC St. Pauli and I know how he wants to play football. said Osnabrcks new number 7.I know from our cooperation what special qualities Kofi (Kyereh) possesses as a footballer and as a human being. The past few years have undoubtedly been an enormous challenge for him. I am all the more pleased that we are now working together again. Schulz commented on the transfer.