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Celtic have agreed a to a second appointment as a key condition in their deal to bring Columbus Crew mananger Wilfried Nancy to Parkhead.

The 48-year-old Frenchman has been head coach of Major League Soccer side Columbus Crew since December 2022. He began his managerial career with CF Montreal in March 2021 following the departure of Thierry Henry.

Celtic have been searching for a new permanent manager since Brendan Rodgers resigned, with Martin O’Neill, assisted by Shaun Maloney, overseeing the Scottish champions’ last five matches in an interim capacity.

Either Thursday’s trip to Feyenoord or the visit to Hibernian on Sunday will be the duo’s final game in charge however, as Fabrizio Romano revealed the only step left is to iron out the ‘final details’ before exchanging contracts.

The new manager may also have his first Celtic transfer target lined up too, with a move for Columbus Crew star Wessam Abou Ali in the offiing this winter.

And it appears Nancy’s deal with Celtic also includes the arrival of a new assistant manager, with Kwame Ampadu set to follow him from Ohio to Glasgow.

Celtic add Kwame Ampadu to Nancy's coaching staff

As reported by Pete O’Rourke shortly before Romano’s update, Nancy will be joined by Ampadu, who has been his assistant in Columbus since 2023.

The 54 year-old, who was born in Bradford but represented Republic of Ireland as a player, started his managerial career at a youth coach at Exeter City and Arsenal.

He is the father of Leeds United and Wales captain Ethan Ampadu, and has been alongside Nancy for their triumphs in the MLS Cup in 2023 and the Leagues Cup last year.

The pair have been praised for their tactical innovation, with Crew midfielder Aidan Morris explaning: “I think we play a style of soccer that’s very brave, and we’re not scared to try things.

Bad news for Kenny: Nancy set to make first Celtic move for "clinical" CF

Celtic are reportedly set to make a move for a striker Wilfried Nancy has already worked with in his career.

By
Dan Emery

Nov 26, 2025

“We’re always being pushed to try new things, tactically, technically, being pushed outside our comfort zone. Speaking for myself, I’ve had to grow so much since I stepped in with Wilfried.

“He’s asked me do to so many different things and I’ve had some games where I’ve struggled with it, but then the next game or the next few games I’m more comfortable with it.

“So it’s a constant evolution of the game, and he says it’s an infinite game, so he’s always pushing us to try new things, experiment.”

Manchester United dropped more valuable points at home as they squandered a second-half lead to draw 1-1 with West Ham, blowing the chance to move into the Premier League's top five. Diogo Dalot gave the underwhelming Red Devils the lead in the second half but they could not hold on to it, with Soungoutou Magassa levelling late in the game as United failed to properly defend a corner.

United made a sluggish start to the game and there were shades of the previous home game against 10-man Everton as West Ham made the better start. Casemiro did well to slide in and turn a Mateus Fernandes shot over the bar which was going in. It took 24 minutes for the Red Devils to win their first corner but they slowly grew more hungry and confident. Joshua Zirkzee saw a shot with his thigh cleared off the line by former United defender Aaron Wan-Bissaka and then Bruno Fernandes shaved the post on the rebound.

Amorim mercilessly took off Ayden Heaven at half-time after a shaky display from the 19-year-old, reinstating Leny Yoro after dropping him from the starting line-up. United continued to search for the first goal and found it through a stroke of luck and class. Casemiro's shot was going wide but it ended up at the feet of Dalot, who kept a cool head to finish from close range.

United were heading for fifth in the table but couldn't see out the win as weak defending from a corner allowed Magassa to pounce on the rebound in the 83rd minute. The hosts had enough time to conjure a winner but rarely looked like finding it, Fernandes blasting a desperate attempt wide deep in added time. So instead of sleeping in the Champions League spots, United were left in eighth, on course to miss out on European football once again.

GOAL rates United's players from Old Trafford…

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Goalkeeper & Defence

  Senne Lammens (6/10):

  Shanked one kick into the stands but he was cleaning up Heaven's mess. Didn't have to deal with very much but could be questioned for not showing more authority from the corner leading to the equaliser.

  Noussair Mazraoui (7/10):

  A very competent performance which makes the case for him to be the starting right-centre-back. Reacted quickly to snuff out danger and put out fires. Hacked a shot off the line before Magassa struck.

  Ayden Heaven (4/10):

  Had a real tough time in his first Premier League start of the season. Made a clumsy and late tackle on Bowen which earned him an early booking then a sloppy backpass forced Lammens to come out of his area. Brutally, but not undeservedly, hooked at half-time for Yoro.

  Luke Shaw (7/10):

  Showed his experience and put in a strong defensive display. Made a series of good blocks, including a brave one on Callum Wilson.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  Midfield

  Amad Diallo (7/10):

  Caused West Ham plenty of headaches with his twisting runs and had a good understanding with Mazraoui and Mbeumo.

  Bruno Fernandes (5/10):

  Licked the post with one effort which he should have scored from and overall struggled to provide the spark United needed against a mediocre opponent. As if to prove this point, he shanked a shot wide in added time.

  Casemiro (6/10):

  Made an important slide tackle on Mateus Fernandes but let West Ham have too much space and dominance in midfield. Played his part in the goal, albeit courtesy of a wayward shot which happened to land at Dalot's feet.

  Diogo Dalot (6/10):

  Didn't ask many questions of West Ham, again struggling to cause any damage on his weaker left side. But he popped up in the right place at the right time and when he left the pitch United were heading for victory.

• AFP
  

  Attack

  Bryan Mbeumo (6/10):

  Provided some excitement with the help of Amad but didn't have any clear openings.

  Joshua Zirkzee (5/10):

  Close to scoring with his thigh but overall he failed to provide a box threat or create any promising moves.

  Matheus Cunha (5/10):

  An underwhelming return to action after two games out. Having a bicycle kick blocked summed up the gap between his potential and what he is delivering.

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  Subs & Manager

  Leny Yoro (6/10):

  Gave the defence more stability after replacing Heaven.

  Patrick Dorgu (5/10):

  Brought on to bring more potency to the attack but lacked precision when he got down the flank.

  Mason Mount (5/10):

  Not much of an improvement on Zirkzee.

  Manuel Ugarte (5/10):

  Couldn't put any fear into West Ham after replacing Cunha.

  Lisandro Martinez (N/A):

  Got two minutes plus added time to continue his slow return to action after so long out.

  Ruben Amorim (5/10):

  Another huge opportunity missed at home. Deserves some credit for overseeing an improved performance as game progressed but equally has questions to answer about their lousy start and failure to see out their advantage.

In the history of baseball, 40 pitchers have struck out 2,500 batters—from Hall of Fame icons like Walter Johnson to very good compilers like A.J. Burnett.

No one has ever joined that club faster than Atlanta Braves pitcher Chris Sale.

Sale punched out Philadelphia Phillies third baseman Eduardo Sosa swinging with two outs in the sixth inning Thursday evening to register the 2,500th strikeout of his career. He did so in just 2,026 innings—the fewest needed to reach 2,500 strikeouts in the history of baseball.

A plausible candidate to one day reach the Hall of Fame, Sale ranks second only to Blake Snell on the all-time strikeouts per nine innings leaderboard.

The Lakeland, Fla. native was one of the best pitchers of the 2010s, stringing together seven straight All-Star appearances in that decade for the Chicago White Sox and Boston Red Sox from 2012 to '18.

In 2024, he made a thrilling, out-of-nowhere return to form with the Braves. He won the Triple Crown with 18 wins, 225 strikeouts and a 2.38 ERA—and finally won an elusive Cy Young award.

This year, Sale is 2-3 with a 3.36 ERA and 78 strikeouts in 61 2/3 innings pitched.

It’s safe to say it has been a topsy-turvy few weeks for Arsenal and Mikel Arteta.

A few weeks ago, the Gunners had played out an unbeaten week against Spurs, Bayern Munich and Chelsea.

Well, it would appear that the intense period has rather taken it out of them. The Gunners did beat Brentford but a defeat to Aston Villa on Saturday, their first loss in 18 games, has raised questions.

Arteta’s squad may be full of depth but any team would struggle with the number of injuries they have suffered this season.

Sadly, that trend is only continuing ahead of their Champions League clash with Club Brugge on Wednesday night.

The latest injury news from Arsenal

Arsenal headed to Villa Park last weekend without a number of key players. Kai Havertz was absent once again, while William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes were both unfit to play.

Arteta stressed over a week ago that Saliba’s injury was only a ‘matter of days’ but he is still missing from the squad ahead of Arsenal’s encounter with Brugge in midweek.

Given the club’s defensive frailties against Villa a few days ago, another missed match for Saliba is a hefty blow. Arsenal need to return to form and without their two defensive warriors, they are struggling.

Also missing from the squad to face Brugge will be Leandro Trossard. The Belgian has been one of Arsenal’s key men this term, scoring six goals and supplying five assists in 17 matches. It’s a huge blow, really. He’s been a clutch player for a long time but he’s been in the form of his life throughout 2025/26. Dare we say it, he may well be the club’s most important forward right now.

The Belgian returned to the squad following a small injury against Villa and did score, although he has now suffered another setback.

Speaking in his pre-match press conference, Arteta said: “Obviously when you are missing players, you are loading other players and there is a consequence to that, and it’s a really dangerous circle.

“You have to separate the kind of injuries. Some of them have been long-term, and some have been acute injuries. It’s something that we are constantly looking at. We have played a lot of games with a lot of players missing and that puts a lot of stress, and then you get more injuries.”

While setbacks for Trossard and Saliba are key blows, it’s also disappointing that Max Dowman has picked up a longer-term problem. The teenager was likely set to feature in the remaining league games of the Champions League but is unlikely to be seen again in 2025.

Commenting on that blow, the manager stated, “When you play in the position that he plays, when you play the manner that he plays, it was going to happen, and it has happened.

“It’s not ideal. He picked up weeks, it could have been worse, and we learn from that and now use this time to continue to improve in his education, in everything that is related to professional football, his habits, the way he needs to develop his physicality as well and the understanding of the game.”

That blow has, at least, allowed the club to replace Dowman with Gabriel Jesus in their Champions League squad. He could be in line to feature for the first time in nearly a year following an ACL injury.

Arsenal predicted lineup vs Brugge

With Saliba, Gabriel and summer signing Cristian Mosquera all missing through injury, the backline likely picks itself with Ben White featuring at right-back alongside a centre-back pairing of Jurrien Timber and Piero Hincapie.

Riccardo Calafiori is suspended for Arsenal’s clash with Wolves at the weekend and thus, Arteta may use this as an opportunity to get minutes into the legs of Myles Lewis-Skelly at left-back.

In midfield, Declan Rice will be missing with illness. Martin Zubimendi is also due a rest, meaning we could see a midfield three of Christian Norgaard, Martin Odegaard and Eberechi Eze.

In the forward line, Viktor Gyokeres could start for the first time since returning from injury, playing ahead of Mikel Merino. He is likely to be flanked by Noni Madueke and Gabriel Martinelli with Bukayo Saka handed a rest. Expect to see him feature from the bench.

Ethan Nwaneri and Kepa Arrizabalaga are set to be in contention for rare starts but it feels more likely that they will be among the subs again.

Arsenal star was playing like Saka, now he's being treated like Smith Rowe

The incredible Arsenal talent could end up following Smith Rowe’s trajectory instead of Saka’s.

3

By
Jack Salveson Holmes

5 days ago

Former Premier League boss Gus Poyet has quit his post at South Korean club Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors days after his assistant manager departed amid a racism scandal. Poyet, who guided Jeonbuk to both the K League 1 title and the Korea Cup this season, informed the club he wished to terminate his contract after Mauricio Taricco was handed a severe punishment for what league officials deemed a racist gesture towards referee Kim Woo-seong.

• Taricco incident sparks crisis of trust

  The storm erupted during a league match last month when, deep into stoppage time, Jeonbuk were leading 2-1 and protesting a handball not initially given by the referee. Tempers flared as VAR intervened and awarded a penalty, prompting Taricco to continue his protests after being booked. Moments later, he was shown a second yellow card, during which he placed his fingers near the corners of his eyes, a gesture the referee interpreted as a racial insult. Referee Kim immediately reported the act to league authorities. The K League’s disciplinary committee reviewed the footage and issued a damning verdict, declaring Taricco guilty of making a universally recognised “slanted-eye” gesture mocking people of Asian descent. In their statement, the panel emphasised that the gesture had been penalised multiple times by FIFA and was unequivocally regarded as ethnic mockery. Taricco was banned for five matches and fined 20 million won ($13,600).

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  Poyet's breaking point in Korea

  Rumours of a split between former Sunderland boss Poyet and the club surfaced at the K League Awards on December 1, where he hinted that Taricco’s departure might force his hand.

  "Touching my coaching staff is the same as touching me," Poyet allegedly said, as reported by

  Jeonbuk officials attempted to convince him to stay, offering reassurances about next season and support for Taricco, but the 58-year-old insisted he could not continue under the circumstances. According to sources, the episode created "psychological pressure" for Poyet, who was concerned that the depleted think tank would not be able to give the best results in the future. 

  In a message to fans, he said: “I’m sorry to leave without properly saying goodbye. The passion of our supporters will stay in my heart. I’ll keep cheering for Jeonbuk from afar and hope to return to Korea one day.”

• Taricco has defended himself

  In his response, Taricco said he had only intended to ask the referee whether he had clearly seen the disputed handball incident, claiming cultural context had been ignored.

  "I have worked with many people in many countries and have lived and socialised with them without any problems related to their culture or race, and I have considered this a blessing," he wrote in a statement. "However, I have now been branded a racist by ‘self-proclaimed’ authorities due to a single misunderstanding where the context, cultural expressions, and meanings of all situations I continuously explained were ignored. I merely covered my eyes to emphasise that the referee should have directly seen the handball foul.

  "My life, regardless of nationality and race, must continue in a place where there is safety, respect, peace, and equality before the law as a football person, so with a heavy heart, I have decided to leave this place after the end of this season. I would like to express my gratitude to the club and players with whom I could share success and history, and I am truly grateful to the fans who have given me unwavering support. I will not forget you."

  Jeonbuk also showed support for their assistant manager and wrote: "It would be unreasonable to view [Taricco’s behaviour] as an intention of racial discrimination. The club expects a more objective and balanced judgment to be made through the appeal process and will do its best until the end so that coach Tano [Taricco] can quickly get out of this dishonourable situation and his memory of the K League and Korean football does not remain as a bitter pain."

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  What comes next?

  Poyet’s departure marks a sudden and bittersweet ending to a campaign that had otherwise transformed Jeonbuk’s fortunes. He is expected to return to the UK in the coming days, drawing another chapter in a colourful career to a close. Before embarking on his coaching career, Poyet was a dynamic midfield presence in English football. He scored 45 goals in 145 games for Chelsea between 1997 and 2001, winning the Cup Winners’ Cup, the Super Cup and the FA Cup. His later spell at Tottenham was more controversial but equally memorable, featuring 18 goals in 82 appearances. As a manager, he guided Brighton to the Championship play-offs, kept Sunderland afloat in the Premier League and later served as head coach of Greece. 

Tottenham Hotspur now hold serious interest in signing a “relentless” Premier League star, who has been outscoring Richarlison.

Spurs keen on new striker despite Richarlison's resurgence

Richarlison has received plenty of criticism during his time at Tottenham, but the Brazilian has been impressive in front of goal so far this season, scoring seven goals in 25 matches across all competitions.

Thomas Frank has been left impressed by the striker, saying after the 3-0 victory against Burnley: “He deserves a lot of praise. He was very good against PSG and today he was exceptional, with his work-rate, driving the team, link-up play, hold-up play, just dominating and then the two finishes.”

That said, the 28-year-old hasn’t exactly been prolific during his time in north London, scoring 27 goals in 114 outings for Spurs, while Dominic Solanke has struggled injury-wise, being limited to just two Premier League appearances this season.

With that in mind, it could make sense to bring in a new striker in January, and Tottenham now hold serious interest in signing Brentford star Igor Thiago, but there could be competition for his signature, with Aston Villa and Newcastle United also keen.

Thiago has a price tag of around £70m, so Spurs may have to shell out a club-record fee to get a deal over the line, and Brentford are reluctant to sanction a January move, which could be an obstacle.

As such, a winter departure is unlikely to be on the cards for the Brazilian, but strong offers are expected next summer, and a move to the Tottenham Hotspur stadium could be tempting.

Frank is an admirer of "relentless" Thiago

Frank spent time working with the centre-forward during his time with the Bees, and the Dane made it clear he is a big admirer, saying: “Thiago is a very exciting striker who fits the role in our team. He is hard working and a very good pressing player. He is also a physical presence, very good in the box and can link the play.”

Since then, the 24-year-old has really kicked on, scoring 12 goals in 16 matches across all competitions this season, vastly outscoring Richarlison, and he received high praise from Sky Sports’ Dougie Critchley, who described the Brentford star as “relentless in his work rate.”

That work rate has been on display regularly over the past year, with the Gama-born striker exhibiting a real willingness to pitch in defensively.

Thiago has been fantastic so far this season, and Tottenham should monitor his performances between now and the end of the season, given Brentford’s reluctance to sanction a January move.

Lionel Messi has been caught on camera speaking English, quelling a long-standing rumor that he has not learned the language. The Argentine superstar has been plying his trade in the United States since 2023. He was captured putting his language skills to the test in footage obtained by the match referee during the 2025 MLS Cup final.

• Messi's career: From Barcelona to Miami via PSG

  Messi spent 21 years tied to La Liga giants Barcelona, having joined their academy ranks as a teenager. There were no language barriers to break down there, with the record books being rewritten in Catalunya by the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner.

  He headed to Paris Saint-Germain as a free agent in 2021, but spent only two years in the French capital and had no real need to communicate with locals. Having endured a tough time at Parc des Princes, the American dream was chased when accepting an offer from David Beckham and Co.

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• Watch Messi caught on ref cam speaking English

• Trophy No.48: Messi is the most decorated player of all-time

  Messi, alongside wife Antonela and their three sons, settled quickly in South Florida. He has enhanced his standing as the most decorated player of all-time. Having inspired Inter Miami to Leagues Cup and Supporters’ Shield triumphs, major trophy No.48 was obtained when savouring a historic MLS Cup success.

  As captain of the Herons, one of Messi’s responsibilities is to interact with match officials. There are plenty of teammates who are happy to do tthe alking for him, but the evergreen 38-year-old also wants to get his message across.

  Ref cam video from a cup final date with Vancouver proves that the World Cup-winning GOAT can express himself in basic English when required. He is seen debating one decision as he asks: “No foul?”

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  Three more years! Messi signed Inter Miami contract extension

  Messi is clearly not confident enough to carry out interviews in English, but he knows enough to get by. He also has several more years in Miami through which to widen his vocabulary.

  A contract extension with the reigning kings of American soccer is set to keep him in his current surroundings until 2028. More trophies will be chased down in that time, with the expectation being that the mercurial No.10 will form part of Argentina’s World Cup title defence in the United States, Canada and Mexico next summer.

Tempers flared late in the New York Yankees-Cincinnati Reds game on Tuesday night—or to be more exact, one player's temper got the best of him.

Yankees star Jazz Chisholm was thrown out of the contest for arguing a strike long after the controversial call, as he could be seen doggedly tailing an ump and yelling in his face while going out on defense.

Chisholm's frustrations were mostly fair—at the top of the ninth, he was visibly unhappy with a strike call on a 2-0 pitch that was clearly down:

But, what Chisholm did afterward might have been over the top. He didn't verbally lash out at the home plate ump too much in the moment, yet he could be seen complaining all the way back to the dugout. When he went on the field moments later for defensive duties, he then decided to give an earful to an ump and subsequently got tossed. Even Aaron Boone had to hold Chisholm back from escalating the situation:

Not a good look for Chisholm, who perhaps could work on his powers of restraint after yet another heated incident with the umps this season.

The Mets saw first baseman Pete Alonso walk in free agency as the five-time All-Star agreed to sign with the Orioles on a five-year, $155 million deal on Wednesday. This is the second key player the Mets have lost this week, after closer Edwin Díaz joined the Dodgers on a three-year, $69 million deal. Earlier this offseason, the Mets also traded longtime outfielder Brandon Nimmo for Marcus Semien.

Both Nimmo and Alonso were homegrown players that had spent their entire careers with the Mets prior to this offseason. Not only did the Mets let Alonso walk, but they did not even issue a formal offer to him once they saw that the years and dollars from other teams’ bids went beyond their “comfort zone.” This notably comes a year after they signed Juan Soto to a record-breaking 15-year, $765 million deal.

Read More: The Seven Ripple Effects of Pete Alonso’s Mega Deal With the Orioles

With three key players already leaving the team, the Mets are already seeing multiple significant shakeups take place, and a number of fans aren’t pleased with these moves.

Mets owner Steve Cohen, who apologized to his fanbase at the end of September after his team failed to make the postseason, acknowledged those concerns on Wednesday. He said in a text to Jon Heyman of the , “I totally understand the fans’ reaction. There is lots of offseason left to put a playoff team on the field.”

Read More: How Mets Can Replace Pete Alonso at First Base

Cohen’s message seems to indicate he is confident they have plenty of time to make the moves needed to compete. The pressure will certainly be on for Cohen and president of baseball operations David Stearns to make the moves necessary to replace those players and better the team for next season. The Mets began the season at 45–24, the best record in baseball, before falling off and failing to make the playoffs altogether. They’ll need better results next year to help appease the fanbase.

West Ham chiefs are already working to try and save Nuno Espírito Santo when the January window opens for business, with Brazil international defender Alexsandro now a key winter target.

According to recent reports, and amid the Hammers’ dire start to 2025/2026, David Sullivan, Karren Brady and the board are ready to back Nuno to the hilt with new additions mid-season.

Sky Sports reported last week that Nuno has got confirmation funds will be available to spend in January, and West Ham are actively targeting a new defender, midfielder and forward.

Much has been made of their glaring need for a new striker, with Real Madrid sensation Endrick rumoured to be on West Ham’s January shortlist as the east Londoners ponder a loan deal.

However, long-term injuries to Konstantinos Mavropanos and Ollie Scarles have left West Ham desperately short at the back too.

Mavropanos is expected to be out for up to six weeks after picking up a hamstring injury against Brentford, while Scarles was forced to undergo surgery on his collarbone and could be missing until 2026 (ExWHUemployee).

If West Ham’s desire for a star new defender to shore up their leaky backline wasn’t already there, it definitely is now.

So far, West Ham have conceded more goals than any other side in the Premier League, and it is crystal clear that Nuno needs to resolve this issue as soon as possible.

Bearing this in mind, Nuno has now got his eyes on Alexsandro.

The 26-year-old has been a mainstay for Lille and his impressive performances in France even attracted attention from Premier League title frontrunners Arsenal in the summer.

Before Mikel Arteta’s side eventually signed Piero Hincapie and Cristhian Mosquera as their central defensive additions, credible South American news outlet UOL reported that Arsenal held initial talks over Alexsandro, which eventually went nowhere.

This is good news for West Ham, as Nuno is believed to be extremely keen.

Alexsandro makes key demand to join West Ham in January

According to Hammers News, the Irons boss wants him in the first week of January after identifying Alexsandro as the club’s priority defender signing this winter.

A deal is described by one transfer source as having a “good” chance of happening, and early talks have already been held over the centre-back’s potential arrival.

However, Alexsandro has apparently set out a key condition to join West Ham.

It is believed the Ligue 1 star wants “assurances” that there will be a route out of the London Stadium if West Ham enter the doomsday scenario of relegation, so it appears he’s looking for a safety net before committing.

While Alexsandro has been excellent for Lille overall, as evident by the Gunners’ reported interest earlier this year, he has real disciplinary issues.

Last season, the player was handed a seismic 13 bookings in all competitions, picking up three yellow card suspensions in the French top flight alone.

Nuno would need to try and work this out of Alexsandro’s game if the defender moves to Rush Green at the start of next year, but according to ESPN, he could be available for just £26 million.

West Ham have also held talks to sign two more players from the same club