Presidente do Corinthians se reúne com representantes do Sevilla e conversa sobre Lamela

MatériaMais Notícias

O Corinthians segue interessado na contratação do meia Erik Lamela, mas se preocupa com a condição física do jogador, que possui histórico recente de lesões. Para buscar mais informações, o presidente corintiano Augusto Melo se reuniu na noite desta terça-feira (8) com José Maria del Nido Carrasco, presidente do Sevilla, clube no qual o atleta argentino tem contrato até junho deste ano e não irá permanecer.

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasCorinthiansPaulinho detalha oferta do Corinthians por renovaçãoCorinthians08/05/2024Fora de CampoMovimentação da esposa de Cássio na web agita torcedores do Corinthians; entendaFora de Campo08/05/2024CorinthiansAntónio Oliveira busca substituto no Corinthians para ‘jogador mais inteligente que treinou’Corinthians08/05/2024

➡️A boa do Lance! Betting: vamos dobrar seu primeiro depósito, até R$200! Basta abrir sua conta!

O encontro aconteceu em um restaurante na zona sul de São Paulo. O representante do clube espanhol está no Brasil nesta semana, onde, nos últimos dias, realizou uma visita à Federação Paulista de Futebol e palestrou no Sports Summit, feira de esportes que acontece na capital paulista.

➡️ Siga o Lance! Corinthians no WhatsApp e acompanhe todas as notícias do Timão

A ideia de Augusto também foi de estreitar relações com o dirigente do Sevilla. No entanto, o maior interesse foi obter mais informações sobre Lamela.

continua após a publicidade

O Timão está em contato com o estafe do jogador há algumas semanas e chegou até mesmo a oferecer um salário alto em relação a média do elenco, além de um contrato de três temporadas. Os representantes do argentino se mostraram satisfeitos com a oferta corintiana, mas deixaram claro que a preferência do jogador é permanecer na Europa.

➡️ Veja tabela com datas e horários de todos os jogos da Sul-Americana

Sem retorno nos dias seguintes ao contato inicial, a diretoria da equipe paulista recuou na possibilidade do negócio, até o encontro de Augusto Melo com o presidente do Sevilla, que foi motivado pelo interesse do dirigente do Corinthians em fazer um movimento de impacto no mercado. O presidente do clube alvinegro considera Lamela um atleta com essas credenciais e, também, capaz de elevar o nível técnico do elenco corintiano.

continua após a publicidade

Erik Lamela tem 32 anos e disputou duas Copas América pela seleção argentina. Ele foi revelado pelo River Plate, que também fez sondagens e está interessado no futebol do jogador. Na Europa desde 2011, o atleta tem passagens por: Roma, da Itália, e Tottenham, da Inglaterra, além do Sevilla, no Velho Continente.

Tudo sobre

Corinthians

غيابات مهمة عن برشلونة أمام ريال بيتيس في الدوري الإسباني

سيفتقد برشلونة لخدمات عنصرين مؤثرين في لقاء ريال بيتيس على ملعب لا كارتوخا في الدوري الإسباني، يوم السبت المقبل.

وبحسب “BARCA UNIVERSAL” فإن برشلونة سيغيب عنه مساعد هانز فليك ماركوس سورج ومدرب حراس المرمى خوسيه رامون دي لا فوينتي، ضد ريال بيتيس، بعد أن تعرضا للإيقاف لمباراتين من لجنة الانضباط التابعة للاتحاد الإسباني.

ويأتي هذا الإيقاف بسبب البطاقات الحمراء التي حصل عليها الثنائي خلال فوز برشلونة ضد ديبورتيفو ألافيس على ملعب كامب نو بثلاثية لهدف واحد.

اقرأ أيضاً.. أولمو يوجه رسالة لجماهيره وزملائه بعد تأكد غيابه حتى نهاية العام

وغاب ماركوس سورج ودي لا فوينتي عن فوز برشلونة أمام أتلتيكو مدريد أمس الثلاثاء، وسيغيبان أيضًا عن مواجهة الفريق الأندلسي الأسبوع المقبل.

وجاء في تقرير حكم مباراة برشلونة وألافيس، أن دي لا فوينتي تعرض للطرد في الدقيقة 65 لاحتجاجه الشديد على قرارات الحكم، بينما تعرض سورج للطرد، لمغادرته مقعد البدلاء في الدقائق الأخيرة والاحتجاج عليه.

MLB to Implement Challenge System for Balls and Strikes Ahead of 2026 Season

Some welcome news has come across Major League Baseball ahead of the postseason.

As announced by the league on Tuesday, MLB is set to officially implement an Automated Ball-Strike Challenge System (ABS) beginning next season. Each team will receive two challenges per game that they can use to dispute calls made by the home plate umpire.

ABS was used by MLB this past Spring Training and received rave reviews. The league will now carry it into the 2026 regular season with the same format, allowing pitchers, catchers, or batters to challenge a call after a pitch is made—with no help from the dugout or other players on the field allowed. If a challenge is ruled successful, the team will then keep said challenge.

While the rule change is likely not a direct correlation, Monday night's game between the Brewers and Padres—one with major playoff implications—saw home plate umpire Roberto Ortiz miss 25 calls as San Diego punched their ticket back to the postseason.

With ABS in place in 2026, we will no longer see such a travesty.

Rangers' £3.5m "colossus" can become the new Connor Goldson under Rohl

Rangers are heading into their most hectic period of the season with a depleted squad, making Danny Röhl’s already difficult task even more daunting.

During the international break, first-choice centre-back duo John Souttar and Derek Cornelius both suffered long-term injuries, while Mikey Moore and Youssef Chermiti also missed Saturday’s narrow 2-1 victory over Livingston.

On Thursday night, the Gers will welcome Braga to Ibrox in the Europa League, very much in need of a victory, considering they sit rock bottom of the gigantic table, without a point to their name.

Given all the injury issues, which “colossus” will be starting this pivotal European tie, hoping to replicate a recent Rangers legend?

Connor Goldson's Rangers career

Plenty of figures have been key to the success Rangers have enjoyed in the last decade.

Steven Gerrard delivered the only Premiership title since 2011, Giovanni van Bronckhorst led the Gers to the Europa League Final while, in terms of players, captain James Tavernier as well as Connor Goldson were central figures for many seasons.

When the then-26-year-old defender arrived in 2018, he was not very well-known and had hardly any top-level experience.

Goldson’s time at Brighton & Hove Albion was derailed by a heart defect detected during a routine screening, requiring preventative surgery, eliciting fears that he may never play again, thereby making just three Premier League appearances for the Seagulls.

Nevertheless, after making the move north of the border, he would become a rock at the heart of the Light Blues’ defence, representing the club 309 times, winning all three domestic trophies.

The centre-back scored plenty of crucial goals, bagging both during a 2-0 victory at Celtic Park towards the start of the title-winning campaign, before departing to join Aris Limassol in the summer of 2024.

Given that Wes Foderingham, Leon Balogun and Ross McCausland also now ply their trade at the Alphamega Stadium, whoever is Aris Limassol’s head of recruitment must enjoy watching Rangers season review DVDs.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

Fast-forward to the present day, Rangers have not had a dominant, reliable centre-half since Goldson’s move to Cyprus, but could that be about to change?

Rangers' new Connor Goldson

With Souttar and Cornelius sidelined until Christmas at least, this has presented opportunities for others, with forgotten man Emmanuel Fernandez at the front of the queue.

On Saturday, the man who joined from Peterborough United in the summer for a reported fee of £3.5m started for the first time since August, marking the occasion by breaking the deadlock inside nine minutes; his towering header did not give Livingston goalkeeper Jérôme Prior a chance.

Overall, Fernandez’s statistics at the weekend made for impressive reading.

Goals

1

1st

Accurate passes

80

2nd

Passing accuracy %

90%

3rd

Defensive actions

15

1st

Clearances

10

2nd

Blocks

2

1st

Interceptions

2

3rd

Duels contested

14

3rd

Duels won

9

1st

Aerial duels won

7

1st

Touches

110

3rd

SofaScore rating

8.3

1st

As the table documents, Fernandez put in a dominant display against Livingston, ranked first for defensive actions, blocks, duels won and aerial duels won, while only Nicolas Raskin completed more passes.

As already alluded to, this was just the centre-back’s third start for the club, scoring on debut against Alloa and then in the lineup at St Mirren the following weekend, but he had seen just a solitary minute of action since 24 August beforehand.

Nevertheless, he certainly staked a claim for more involvement in Röhl’s team and, well, considering the scarcity of alternatives, the German coach does not have much choice.

The Englishman was certainly popular at his former club, with Peterborough Chairman Darragh MacAnthony labelling him a “colossus” and a “gentle giant”, also adding that he is a “great organiser and talker”.

Like Goldson, the majority of Fernandez’s experience prior to arriving at Rangers has come in the EFL, even representing non-league clubs Sheppey United, Margate and Spalding United.

Thus, joining the Glasgow giants is the 24-year-old’s massive move, now looking to take a gigantic step forward in his career – just as Goldson did before him.

So, after seeing very limited opportunities up until this point, he will be thrust into the limelight, poised to make his European debut when Braga visit Govan on Thursday night.

Rohl's own Maeda: Rangers begin talks to sign "very pacy" sensation

With Rangers set to heavily invest in January, they have reportedly began talks to sign a “very pacy” star who would be Danny Röhl’s own Daizen Maeda.

ByBen Gray Nov 21, 2025

Arsenal's Piero Hincapie deserved red card for elbow on Trevor Chalobah that left Chelsea defender with a 'black eye', claims Enzo Maresca

Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca has said he thinks Piero Hincapie should have been dismissed for a challenge on Trevoh Chalobah during Sunday's Premier League draw at Stamford Bridge. The Bayer Leverkusen loanee's elbow struck the England international under the eye, just minutes after Blues midfielder Moises Caicedo was shown a straight red for his late challenge on Mikel Merino.

Hincapie let off following VAR check

Hincapie and Chalobah came together while competing for a header. The Ecuadorian defender entered the challenge with a raised arm, striking the 25-year-old under the eye with his elbow. Chalobah received treatment on the pitch immediately, with a large contusion on his cheekbone almost immediately visible on the broadcast. Hinacpie was shown a yellow card by on-field referee Anthony Taylor, with the incident checked by the VAR. 

Hincapie was adjudged to have had his eyes on the ball and not Chalobah, meaning the challenge was ruled to be reckless rather than dangerous or with excessive force, remaining a yellow card. 

Maresca took exception to the decision in his post-match press conference, suggesting the decision should have been upgraded to a red. The Italian admitted that while Caicedo was correctly dismissed for his tackle – a challenge that Merino described as "horrible" – he lamented inconsistencies against his side. Maresca referenced a decision not to dismiss Rodrigo Bentancur in a recent Premier League clash with Tottenham as a further example of his side's poor luck with the referees in the 2025-26 season. 

AdvertisementGetty Images SportMaresca: We struggle to understand refs' decisions

The Blues boss was asked to comment on post-match quotes by his captain Reece James, who suggested Hincapie should have been shown a red for the challenge. Maresca replied: “I think Reece is right. But they (officials) decide. I just said there, he asked me about Moises’ red card. It’s a red card, but why was Bentancur’s against Reece not a red card when we were at Spurs away? So us, as a manager, we struggle to understand why they judge in a different way.

“Moises’ is a red card, yes. Bentancur’s is a red card, yes. Why don’t they give him a red card? It’s just that we struggle to understand. The reality is that it’s a red card. But why do they judge it differently?

“And the Trevoh one, I asked the referee, he said to me that it was not an elbow. So, this is what they said. (He had a) black eye, with ice at half-time. But they judge in different way.”

Maresca proud of Chelsea players

Despite taking the blow, Chalobah was able to open the scoring for the Blues, in a massive London derby with implications for the title race. Following Caicedo's departure, it appeared the Blues were about to miss their chance to push their inter-city rivals for the Premier League crown. Chelsea took the lead shortly after the break, though, as Chalobah rose at the front post to glance James' in-swinging corner beyond David Raya in the Arsenal net. 

However, the west London club were unable to press home on their advantage, with Merino heading home a Bukayo Saka cross on the hour mark. 

Despite losing their lead, Maresca was proud of his side. He said: "The effort of the players (is what I’m most proud of). Arsenal, they are top of the Premier League, top of the Champions League, best defenders in the Premier League, probably best defenders in the Champions League. So, in this moment, they are the best team. And I think 11 vs 11, we were better than them. Then, with 10 players again, the dynamic changed. So, the effort from the players has been outstanding."

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

AFPWhat comes next?

The point keeps Chelsea six points adrift of Arsenal in their pursuit of the title. The Blues travel to Leeds on Wednesday, before heading down to the South Coast to take on Bournemouth on December 6. 

Wolves register interest in January loan deal for Real Madrid "goal machine"

Wolverhampton Wanderers have now registered their interest in signing Real Madrid forward Gonzalo Garcia on loan in the January transfer window, alongside a whole host of rival Premier League clubs.

Fosun would’ve been hoping Rob Edwards could breathe new life into a Wolves side that have massively disappointed so far this season, but the manager was on the receiving end of a defeat in his first match in charge, with Crystal Palace emerging as 2-0 winners at Molineux on Saturday.

Edwards’ side actually looked better from an attacking point of view, recording an xG of 1.79, compared to 1.27 from the Eagles, but they were unable to take their chances, with both Jhon Arias and Ladislav Krejci squandering big opportunities.

Things are looking bleak for the Old Gold, who are still searching for their first win of the Premier League season, and now sit nine points from safety, given that they have the worst attacking and defensive records in the top flight, scoring seven and conceding 27.

As such, if the Wanderers are to stand any chance of avoiding the drop, they may need to make major improvements at both ends of the pitch in the upcoming transfer window, and they have now made an approach for a new centre-forward.

Wolves make approach to sign Gonzalo Garcia on loan

According to journalist Pete O’Rourke, in a report for Football Insider, Wolves are one of a number of clubs in the race for Real Madrid forward Garcia this January, although it remains to be seen whether they will be willing to sanction a departure.

The Spanish side are concerned about a lack of attacking depth, which means they may not be willing to let the 21-year-old leave, despite several English sides queuing up to get a deal done, with O’Rourke saying: “If Real Madrid are willing to loan him out, I’m sure it’s more than just Leeds will be interested in him. I believe Brighton, Villa and Wolves have all registered interest.

“A lot will depend on Real Madrid. If there’s any injuries to their forwards then it might mean there’s no chance that Garcia goes out and loan.”

Hailed as a “goal machine” in the media, the youngster clearly has a lot of potential, having starred for Madrid at the Club World Cup in the summer, bagging four goals and an assist in six outings out in the USA.

Wolves are in dire need of a fresh injection of quality in attack, having failed to score in four out of their last five Premier League games, with Jorgen Strand Larsen failing to impress, finding the back of the net just once in 10 top-flight outings.

As such, a move for Garcia would make sense, but it will be strange if the Real Madrid ace is willing to move to a club in huge danger of relegation, given that there is likely to be plenty of other options on the table.

Wolves prioritising move for ex-Man City target as Edwards' first signing Wolves now prioritising move for ex-Man City target as Edwards' first signing

The Midlands side are ready to back their new manager.

ByTom Cunningham Nov 22, 2025

Gill must lay down the law after India lose the unlosable Test

They used one of their three trump cards and had almost everything with their four experienced batters go right for them

Sidharth Monga24-Jun-20254:09

Gambhir: We had opportunities on all five days

India’s big guns have all fired. Rishabh Pant has scored two creative centuries, the openers have each hit a classy one in each innings, the captain has notched up a regal one, their gun bowler has exhausted one of the three Tests he is going to play and has delivered a five-for. And yet they are down 1-0. They have lost the unlosable Test.Let’s get the obvious out of the way. Their last four aggregated nine runs in both innings put together, becoming parts of collapses of 7 for 41 and 6 for 31 in pretty flat conditions. They dropped more catches than any team in a Test in England in the last 20 years. Their third and fourth fast bowlers provided them neither control nor penetration. They could have batted England out on the second day; they didn’t. They could have secured a huge lead had they held their catches; they didn’t. They could have batted England out again on the fourth day; they didn’t.It was a proper baptism by fire for captain Shubman Gill, having to lead a transitioning bowling unit on one of the more idiosyncratic grounds of the world against a side that might not have the quality of some of India’s recent opponents but are intimidating frontrunners. A new slips cordon had to come to terms with fielding about a foot or two below the pitch level, bowlers needed to quickly adjust to running in up and down the slope, and their mistakes with the bat forced them to defend more than they could attack on a notoriously difficult-to-defend ground with pitches running all the way to the boundary. He also has to deal with his lead bowler playing only three Tests.Related

How creeping Crawley has become Bazball's straight man

Ben Duckett on the road to joining the best

Gambhir calls for patience as Bumrah's blunting leaves attack exposed

Duckett lays the foundation as England hunt down 371

Gill rues missed chances: 'We were looking at a target of around 435'

However, Gill will need to lay down the law here. It wasn’t long ago that the India tail used to dig in and fight for whatever runs they could claw out. On their last trip to England, India got the lead because of the runs the lower order scored. It’s not that Nos. 8 to 11 aggregated only nine runs in two innings. Dismissals can happen. Even to specialist batters. It was more the nature of the dismissals. They batted like millionaires without getting a feel for the conditions despite having a proper batter at the other end. They played Shardul Thakur precisely to provide them batting depth, but he was out playing expansive drives eighth ball and 12th balls.Gill just needs to imagine what would have happened if the tail had displayed such a casual attitude when Virat Kohli or Rohit Sharma was captain. Once, leave alone twice, in the same match. Gill will soon learn it is nice to have a great atmosphere and respect in the dressing room, but there needs to be some fear of the leaders as well.The lower-order flop is not the only reason why India lost the unlosable Test but it was a symptom of general drops in intensity that a captain needs to watch out against. Test cricket is more about playing good cricket for longer periods of time than flashes of brilliance. This is why an attack of four good fast bowlers is better than one world-beater, one good bowler and two bowling ordinarily. You need fitness, intensity, and ruthlessness to be up six hours a day, each day for five days, or however long it takes.3:26

Harmison: Not sure India believed they could get Duckett out

On the final day, when finally none of the big guns fired, India didn’t seem to have a plan on how to put together a consistent set of overs. Jasprit Bumrah should be allowed to have a day on which he is not bowling an unplayable delivery every over. The bowling choices need to be made based not just on numbers that day. Mohammed Siraj, the best bowler on display on the final day, wasn’t bowled from overs 42 to 80, a period of not just 39 overs but also two rain breaks. Ravindra Jadeja took a little too long to shift his line wider, into the rough, to challenge Ben Duckett’s reverse-sweeps. At one point Ben Duckett punched Jadeja towards mid-off, and he looked up to see there wasn’t one. Not short, not wide, not deep. Just no mid-off at all.In a Test that you make only one or two such mistakes, they can have only a trivial impact on the eventual outcome, but all these things add up.This was also collectively India’s worst fielding performance in a long time. Thakur misfielded because he slipped, but took forever to get back up and retrieve the ball. As Rishabh Pant could be heard saying on the stumps mic, “It is okay to misfield, but you need to recover.” It should have come from Gill. If you zoomed-out a little and looked at the whole field as events unfolded during the final day, it was hard to tell if Gill was in charge. At various times, Pant and KL Rahul set the fields and talked to the bowlers.1:59

Why were Indian seamers ineffective on day 5?

The most important job for Gill and Gautam Gambhir will be to lift the team after they have lost a Test in which they used one of the three trump cards given to them and had almost everything with their four experienced batters go right for them. As has been said in this space before, Gill’s real test will be if he plays Thakur as the bowling allrounder and it doesn’t work out. The ideal response will be to double down on the need to take 20 wickets and bring in a proper bowler – possibly Kuldeep Yadav – but their collapses have given them every reason to be conservative.A captaincy debut which started like a dream for Gill has ended up being a nightmare. This was only his sixth first-class match as captain. He needs to be cut some slack, but this is a job that comes with a lot of prestige and also responsibility. He has no option but to learn quickly on the job. There is no magic potion that can maintain the love and care but still instil fear and accountability.This is not to say the players are not hurting for this loss. They are hurting more than anyone on the outside can. They will all have to dust themselves off and do the good things again but also make sure their intensity doesn’t drop. The England bowling attack can be taken down. They just need their bowlers to be in the good areas more often than at Headingley, and then be switched on in the field.If there is any consolation, it has been done before. Kohli’s first Test as captain is remembered for his brilliant twin hundreds, but even that game featured ordinary selections and lower-order disasters. In his first series as the full-time captain, Kohli lost what seemed like the unlosable Test in Galle to start off with. You can quibble with other things, but it is hard to remember drops in intensity in the side after that.

Fewer touches than Vicario: Frank must drop 3/10 Spurs dud after Arsenal

Tottenham Hotspur endured their most embarrassing defeat of the campaign to date yesterday, but doing so against bitter rivals Arsenal at the Emirates.

Thomas Frank’s men suffered a 4-1 loss at the hands of Mikel Arteta’s side, with former transfer target Eberechi Eze netting a hat-trick during the one-sided contest.

Richarlison’s phenomenal long-range effort was overshadowed by the result, with the Dane having a huge task on his hands to prevent such a result from occurring in the near future.

Such a result was the Lilywhites’ first away defeat of the Premier League campaign, but the nature of the North London Derby will be the biggest concern to the supporters.

Numerous players also failed to make a positive impression against the Gunners, which could see their places in the starting eleven be at huge risk in the upcoming fixtures.

Spurs’ poor performers against Arsenal yesterday

Attacker Mohammed Kudus was missing for the last couple of Spurs outings through injury, but the Ghanaian was recalled to the starting eleven for the North London Derby.

However, the 25-year-old struggled to make the desired impact at the Emirates, with his performance one that ultimately failed to impress the fanbase.

He featured for 78 minutes of the contest and was only able to register 30 touches of the ball and ultimately was unable to notch a single effort on David Raya’s goal.

Kudus’ lack of impact will no doubt have been aided by the struggles of the midfield two, with Joao Palhinha and Rodrigo Bentancur operating at the base of Frank’s side.

The pair were far too ineffective during the defeat to Arteta’s men, subsequently only registering a single pass into the final third between them during the embarrassing display.

The Uruguayan international also lost 100% of the duels he entered against the Gunners, often being dominated by the opposition and being unable to have the desired impact on proceedings.

The Spurs star who had fewer touches than Vicario against Arsenal

Spurs’ display against Arsenal was nothing short of a disgrace, with Frank’s decision to switch to a back five massively restricting the side within forward areas of the pitch.

The defeat against the Gunners has now extended the Lilywhites’ dismal run away from home in such a fixture, with the club now only winning one away game out of their last 33 in the NLD.

Frank’s men only achieved a total xG of 0.07 during the 90 minutes at the Emirates, with Richarlison’s long-ranger goal just one of two shots on target during the contest.

The defensive setup led to the toothless showing yesterday, with the manager needing to take huge responsibility for making such a significant call in a vital clash.

He did hand Wilson Odobert the chance to impress from the off at the Emirates, but like many of his teammates, the Frenchman failed to deliver during the defeat.

The 20-year-old featured for a total of 66 minutes against the Gunners, but he only managed to achieve a total of 23 touches in the process – the lowest of any Lilywhites attacker.

His subsequent tally was lower than that of goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario, with the Italian racking up a total of 57 as he tried to prevent the onslaught from the hosts.

As for Odobert, his lack of quality within the final third was evident by his underlying figures, which further showcase his inability to impress during his rare league start.

The Frenchman failed to complete any of his two attempted crosses, whilst also failing to register a single effort on Raya’s goal – subsequently being unable to cause the opposition any trouble at all.

Minutes played

66

Touches

23

Passes completed

7

Crosses completed

0

Shots taken

0

Possession lost

9x

Aerials won

0

Match rating

3/10

Other numbers, such as zero aerials won and nine times possession lost, further highlight his struggles in North London, with the manager potentially wanting to drop the youngster after such a showing.

As a result of his lack of positive impact, Odobert was handed a measly 3/10 match rating by Football London’s Alasdair Gold – topping off a dismal afternoon for the attacker.

His lightweight nature ultimately wasn’t suitable for the Derby Day clash with Arsenal, subsequently highlighting another glaring error made by Frank at the Emirates.

Frank desperately needs to learn from such a selection mistake in the games ahead, otherwise, he could seriously find himself struggling to maintain his position as manager of Spurs.

Spurs flop who looks "non-league" level must never start for Frank again

Tottenham Hotspur fell to a humbling 4-1 defeat against Arsenal in the North Lodnon Derby this evening.

1 ByEthan Lamb Nov 23, 2025

Shane Watson ends coaching stint with San Francisco Unicorns

The former Australia allrounder was the franchise’s head coach in the first three seasons of the MLC

ESPNcricinfo staff22-Oct-2025

Shane Watson coached San Francisco Unicorns in the first three seasons of the MLC•Getty Images

Shane Watson, the former Australia allrounder, has parted ways with the San Francisco Unicorns after a three-year stint as head coach of the Major League Cricket (MLC) franchise.The Unicorns have not announced Watson’s successor yet. “In an effort to strengthen the Unicorns’ long-term strategy, the organization is shifting to a year-round coaching model,” the franchise said in a statement. “Watson’s ongoing commentary commitments and the rapid growth of his acclaimed performance coaching brand, BEON Performance, prevent him from taking on a full-time role with the Unicorns.”Under Watson, the Unicorns finished fifth out of six teams in the inaugural edition of the MLC in 2023 before reaching the playoffs in both 2024 and 2025; their best finish came in 2024 when they lost the final to Washington Freedom.”It has been a true privilege to lead the San Francisco Unicorns over the last three seasons,” Watson said. “I’m proud of what we accomplished, and am grateful for the opportunity to have worked with world-class stars and incredible young talent in Major League Cricket, which continues to be an exciting new frontier for the sport.”Apart from the Unicorns stint, Watson has also coached in other franchise leagues; he was assistant coach of Delhi Capitals in the 2022 and 2023 seasons of the Indian Premier League (IPL) and head coach of Quetta Gladiators in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) in 2024.”Shane was the natural choice to be our first Head Coach, and he played a key role in building the Unicorns from the ground up,” Unicorns CEO David White said. “We are eternally grateful for Shane’s dedication across his three seasons in charge, and the Unicorns wish him every success in his future endeavors.”

Wolves now in advanced talks to sign maestro who could be Edwards' first signing

Wolverhampton Wanderers are now in advanced talks to sign Independiente’s Patrik Mercado, with a deal for the midfielder, who is in line to become Rob Edwards’ first signing, almost done.

Wolves are looking to sign a new midfielder amid the uncertainty surrounding Joao Gomes’ future at Molineux, with it recently emerging the 24-year-old would be willing to make a move to Old Trafford.

The Old Gold really would be gambling with their Premier League status if they sanctioned Gomes’ departure next month, but they are already very much up against it, having taken just two points from their opening 11 matches.

Edwards will be looking to oversee a major turnaround, starting this weekend against Crystal Palace, and if the new manager is able to get his side within touching distance of 17th place by January, a few new additions could help propel them to safety.

Wolves now in advanced talks to sign Patrik Mercado

According to a report from El Diario (via Sport Witness), Wolves are now in advanced talks to sign Independiente midfielder Mercado, having emerged as frontrunners in the race for his signature, and the deal is almost done.

As such, the 22-year-old is in line to become Edwards’ first signing at Molineux, and the deal is likely to be relatively inexpensive, with a €5.96m (£5m) fee being touted.

Sevilla and a number of unnamed Portuguese clubs are also in the race for the maestro, but it is looking like he could be heading to Wolves, even though the Ecuadorian would be a risky signing, amid their struggles at the wrong end of the table.

The versatile midfielder, who is capable of playing in defensive and attacking midfield roles, is yet to prove himself outside his home country, and may take more time than Edwards’ side have available to adjust to life in the Premier League.

That’s not to say the Tena-born ace isn’t a future star, having remained a regular source of goals and assists for Independiente across the 2025 campaign, chipping in with 18 goal contributions.

Patrik Mercado’s attacking record in 2025

Appearances

Goal contributions

Liga Pro Serie A

28

11

Liga Pro Championship Round

4

2

Copa Sudamericana

7

4

Copa Libertadores

6

1

Given that a deal for Mercado would be relatively cheap, a deal is still worth pursuing, but having failed to win a single league game so far this season, Wolves may need to bring in more established players to stand any chance of avoiding relegation.

Wolves want deal for "world-class" Real Madrid player done quickly Wolves offer for "world-class" Real Madrid player, want deal done quickly

The Old Gold have submitted an offer for a new forward, who could be available for a bargain fee.

ByDominic Lund Nov 16, 2025

Game
Register
Service
Bonus