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Aston Villa midfielder Douglas Luiz is wanted by AS Roma, according to a report from the Daily Mail. 

The lowdown: Kamara in

Having secured the capture of Marseille starlet Boubacar Kamara on a free transfer earlier this week, Villa manager Steven Gerrard has wasted little time in kickstarting the summer transfer business.

The 22-year-old will arrive at Villa Park ahead of the 2022/23 campaign, and his arrival means that the midfield department is now well stocked, with John McGinn, Jacob Ramsey and Marvelous Nakamba, Morgan Sanson, Carney Chukwuemeka, Tim Iroegbunam and Luiz already in situ.

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However, at least one of those aforementioned first-team options could be heading away from the Midlands and is already attracting attention from a former Premier League manager…

The latest: Roma want Luiz

According to the Daily Mail, Serie A outfit Roma are ‘expected to step up’ their efforts to sign Luiz in the coming weeks.

It’s claimed that their manager Jose Mourinho has already ‘expressed interest’ in the five-cap Brazil international, with the Giallorossi set to step up their efforts to land the 24-yeer-old following tonight’s UEFA Europa Conference League final, in which they face Feyenoord in Tirana.

The report added that Villa owners NSWE are ‘likely to consider offers’ for the player who Ian Wright described as ‘underrated’ amidst previous transfer interest from Arsenal in 2020.

The verdict: Time could be up…

Unfortunately, it seems as though the end could be nigh for the 24-year-old’s time at Villa, having spent three years at the club after joining from Manchester City.

Luiz scored twice and provided three assists in 34 Premier League outings this season, contributing 1.7 tackles, one interception and winning 4.4 duels per game, earning a 6.89 Sofascore rating in the process.

Despite that impressive form, the Brazilian is heading towards the final year of his contract with the club, and therefore he could feasibly be sold this summer in order for Villa to avoid losing a £31.5m-rated asset for nothing in 12 months’ time.

In other news: NSWE now eyeing another defender; Villa chiefs sent to club after Gerrard approves

Reliable journalist Alan Nixon has shared some potentially massive news for Derby County supporters as they anxiously await confirmation of Chris Kirchner’s takeover.

The Lowdown: Kirchner deal close

The American has this week tweeted from his personal account that the deal is done, but his ownership of the Rams is still dependant on the ownership of Pride Park.

The 34 year-old now has until May 31 to complete the finer details of the takeover after being granted conditional approval by the EFL this week.

However, a new fear emerged away from the dealings in the boardroom recently, as a report suggested the Rams could lose 15 points next term due to outstanding debts.

Nixon himself has also revealed a possible additional three-point hit next season if they fail to pay the playing staff’s wages for the month of May.

The Latest: Nixon shares good news

Nixon, sharing an update on that potentially horrific start to League One life, has now claimed the club will not be deducted the 15 points if Kirchner’s deal goes through.

“The offer should mean that’s avoided… if the deal is done,” Nixon tweeted in response to a fan question about the points hit.

The Verdict: Catastrophe avoided

Failure to sort the pay issue could still cost Wayne Rooney’s side an immediate three-point deduction at the start of the 2022/23 campaign, but 15 more could have followed due to the looming issues with debts.

Given the impact the separate points deductions had this term – the Rams would have done more than enough to stay up without them – it would have been a pretty catastrophic way to make the step down to the third tier.

Now, with Kirchner seemingly ironing out the last details before the end of May, this could be a massive month in the history of Derby County football club, and hopefully for all the right reasons.

Liverpool defender Joe Gomez is attracting serious interest from Anfield icon and Aston Villa manager Steven Gerrard, according to Darren Lewis of The Daily Mirror.

The lowdown

Gomez currently finds himself fourth in Jurgen Klopp’s centre-back pecking order. He’s actually played the majority of his football this season a right-back, providing cover for Trent Alexander-Arnold.

The Englishman has only started three Premier League matches all season, as well as two Champions League games.

His £75,000-per-week contract is due to expire in just over two years’ time, but the Liverpool Echo’s Theo Squires has recently reported from club sources that Julian Ward has been tasked with extending his deal.

The former Charlton Athletic man has made 141 appearances for the club, failing to score in that time but registering five assists and racking up multiple trophies.

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The latest

Lewis, an assistant editor at The Mirror, says that Gerrard wants a new centre-half to help prepare his squad for a European push.

He believes that Villa’s ‘poor defensive record’ has held them back during his first season at the helm and he’s identified Gomez as the man to sort that out, so could thwart the plans of Liverpool and Ward to extend the player’s deal.

The verdict

Gomez knows that he’s good enough to be playing regularly for most sides in the Premier League.

After all, this is a player who started 22 matches for the side that won the title with 99 points in the 2019/20 season.

Klopp regards him as a ‘world-class’ centre-back and an ‘exceptional talent’, but hasn’t been able to find room for him for the most part this term.

With Liverpool seemingly inclined to keep hold of him rather than listen to offers, it could come down to what the player decides.

And he may view a move as his best bet of securing the opportunities he needs to earn a place in Gareth Southgate’s World Cup squad.

In other news, a major development in the race to sign Tchouameni. 

It has looked like Australia have a mental stranglehold over New Zealand, but Henry has suffered no such affliction

Alex Malcolm09-Mar-2024Matt Henry has a 10cm titanium cable and two screws in his spine since a career-saving surgery in 2012.New Zealand should be grateful his spine is made of steel. He has carried his country on his back and dragged them back into the second Test with a sensational seven-wicket haul, before Tom Latham and Kane Williamson shared a critical century stand to erase a first-innings deficit and give the hosts a chance of setting Australia a tricky fourth-innings chase.Henry’s contribution was mighty. There were times when he looked like a one-man attack as runs flowed with ease from the other end. Australia’s batters looked under little threat at one end, yet when they faced Henry at the other, the Hagley Oval pitch looked like a minefield and he was near-on unplayable.Related

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“An incredible effort. Outstanding performance really,” Williamson said. “His style of bowling on surfaces that have offered a little bit makes life quite difficult. It moves late and certainly the Australian bowlers do it very well as well. It was great for Matt to make such a valuable contribution. It’s important we try and back that up.”Henry spoke on the first night of copying Josh Hazlewood’s day-one blueprint on his way to bagging three of Australia’s top four.He doubled down on day two with some impeccable bowling. He forced a mistake from nightwatcher Nathan Lyon to have him caught at slip. He then pinned Mitchell Marsh lbw for a duck with one that nipped back in a touch. Later, as Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins clubbed boundaries at the other end to push Australia’s lead towards 100, he was able to prise them both out. He had Starc caught behind with one angling in and nipping away before trapping Cummins with a clever yorker as he walked down the pitch at him.The help he got from the other end was mainly from Australia. Alex Carey gifted his wicket to Glenn Phillips again before the latter turned to Superman flying high to his right at gully to snare a one-handed screamer to dismiss Marnus Labuschagne after he’d lashed a cut shot off Tim Southee.

“He got some great rewards and has been bowling beautifully, not just in Test cricket but all formats. So it’s great to see all the opportunities that he’s getting, and he’s certainly maximising those”Kane Williamson on Matt Henry

Henry richly deserved his seven-wicket haul given all that he has been through. Beyond the surgery early in his career, he has been plagued by other injuries over the last decade. Then, when he has been fit, he has had limited opportunities with Southee, Trent Boult, Neil Wagner and Kyle Jamieson all ahead of him at various times.”He’s spent a lot of time carrying the drinks and being in and around the group without actually getting a lot of opportunity,” Williamson said. “He’s a real leader with the ball and has had a couple of fantastic performances already in this series. If there’s something in the wicket, he’s certainly a guy that’s going maximise that.”He bowls such a great length and moves it both ways. A similar nature I suppose, a slightly different trajectory, to the Aussie bowlers in terms of their skill sets and moving the ball off the seam both ways.”He got some great rewards and has been bowling beautifully, not just in Test cricket but all formats. So it’s great to see all the opportunities that he’s getting, and he’s certainly maximising those.”Matt Henry was breathing fire with the ball as well as in his celebrations•AFP/Getty ImagesHenry now has 15 wickets for the series and has caught Australia’s batters off guard. They would not have viewed him as a major threat given his previous returns against them. In three Test matches against Australia before the series, he had figures of 4 for 440 from 127 overs. His previous outing against them in Christchurch had yielded 0 for 134 from 41 overs.But he now wishes he could take this Hagley Oval pitch with him wherever he goes, having taken 28 wickets at 15.85 including two seven-wicket hauls in his last four outings.There has been a fear during this series that Australia have a mental stranglehold over the Black Caps and that repeated past failures have spooked them despite their opponents being vulnerable.Henry has suffered no such affliction. His steel spine and his steely resolve have given New Zealand hope.

He lifted Australia out of a deep mire on Thursday against Pakistan, but fell agonisingly short of his century

Alex Malcolm28-Dec-2023Five years ago, Mitchell Marsh was booed by the MCG crowd when he came on to bowl for Australia in a Boxing Day Test match. Five years on, there were similar-sounding groans. But these were groans of despair for Australia’s cult hero, who fell four agonising runs short of a richly deserved century, having pulled his side out of a deep mire.If you had asked those booing him five years ago who they would want walking out to bat at 16 for 4 with a Boxing Day Test hanging in the balance, or at 85 for 4 on day one of an away Ashes Test, or at No. 3 in a T20 World Cup final or in an ODI World Cup final, the answer would have been, “anyone but Mitch Marsh”.But time and again, especially in 2023, he has delivered under pressure, in the big moments. There was a time when he had said, “Most of Australia hates me.” Australia loves him now. “He should be getting the receptions that he’s starting to get now,” Pat Cummins said yesterday. “He’s a champion.”Related

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Marsh's 96 gives Australia edge as Pakistan left to rue dropped catch

Marsh’s 96 was not quite as good as his Headingley hundred. But it was a counterattack of equal importance from a perilous position, and it saved Australia’s blushes.Australia were 16 for 4 in their second innings, with a lead of just 70, when Marsh walked in to face Mir Hamza on a hat-trick. Australia had not lost four wickets for so few runs on home soil since they were bowled out for 85 by South Africa in 2016. Hamza and Shaheen Shah Afridi had the Kookaburra ball swinging around corners under overcast skies. One more wicket and Pakistan were looking at Australia’s last five batters, who had contributed scores of 4, 9, 13, 8 and 5 in the first innings.Marsh calmly let the hat-trick ball pass through to the keeper. A younger version, the version that was booed, might have committed to play no matter what. He was far from perfect early on and he freely admitted it to Fox Cricket when he spoke to their flying mic during the final drinks break: “I was a cat on a hot tin roof and I felt like I had a defence like Swiss cheese in my first 20 balls.”He took 14 balls to get off the mark but did so with an emphatic drive down the ground. He was beaten time and again by Hasan Ali. But he got three short and wide gifts from Aamer Jamal in the same over to break the shackles. Then a moment of huge fortune. Just as Joe Root had dropped him at first slip at Headingley when he was on 12, Abdullah Shafique grassed the simplest of chances with Marsh on 20.

“Shaun got run-out for 99, and Dad [Geoff] got 86 here. I guess a little bit history for us. Hopefully I get one more crack at it”Mitchell Marsh on missing out on a Boxing Day Test century at MCG

It wasn’t his only piece of fortune. Just 14 balls later, having added only six runs, he shouldered arms to a ball from Hasan that nipped back sharply. Hasan and Pakistan pleaded with umpire Michael Gough to give it out. The finger stayed down. The review showed the ball clipping off stump, but not enough to overturn the decision.But they say you make your own luck. And Marsh has made his own luck this year by being brave.Marsh had talked after his first-innings 90 in Perth about how he couldn’t defend and survive like Steven Smith does. He spoke about how he had to be “true to himself”, to show positive intent and put pressure back on the bowlers, and not go into his shell like he might have done in the past.Marsh revealed after play that his new mantra was put to the test in this innings.Mitchell Marsh leaves to a standing ovation at the MCG•Getty Images and Cricket Australia”There’s a lot of voices inside your head at 4 for 16,” Marsh said. “It was I guess a big moment for me personally to, in that moment, just have a little think about how I wanted to go about it and be true to myself. I’ve said that on record. So, I guess I had to stay true to myself. It felt really hard work. The ball was swinging around.”It was a matter of trying to get through but also making sure I put the bad balls away. And I was able to do that. So I still felt even on 96 that I could nick one, and I did. There’s still plenty in the wicket.”Under enormous pressure, surviving several close calls, he stayed true to his mantra and played with immense bravery to carry his team on his broad shoulders. He benefitted from Smith’s obduracy and calmness at the other end, but if Marsh didn’t score, the lead was not going anywhere given Smith took 100 balls to find the boundary and scored his 50 off 176 balls.It was Marsh who carried the scoring responsibility in what might end up being a match-winning 154-run stand with Smith – it was unthinkable to write those words about a Test partnership between Marsh and Smith just over six months ago.Pakistan could not contain him because he did not allow them to settle. Marsh 2.0, in his last five Tests, has been prepared to walk down the pitch at fast bowlers to disrupt their lengths. While it doesn’t always yield the drive balls that he’s looking for, it creates a lot of shorter lengths. He latched onto those time and again during this innings, taking the pitch and swing out of the equation to thump cut shots galore to the long square boundaries.Five Boxing Days ago, not many people would have bet on Mitchell Marsh being Australia’s hero against Pakistan•Getty ImagesIt was a tactic he only developed in his last Sheffield Shield match earlier this year when he made a century against Tasmania at the WACA ground.”I guess part of it is trying to impose myself,” Marsh said. “I want to hit down the ground. I also back myself to pick up the length and get the short ones as well. So it’s really just become part of my game, I feel really comfortable doing that.”He deserved a century and cut a heartbreaking figure as he trudged off to a wonderful ovation. His father Geoff and brother Shaun, who were in the crowd, were gutted for him and knew exactly how he felt.”Shaun got run out for 99 and Dad got 86 here,” Marsh said. “I guess a little bit history for us. Hopefully I get one more crack at it.”After not wanting him five years ago, Australian fans will want him to play many more Boxing Day Tests in the future.

Jean-Philippe Mateta’s long-term future at Crystal Palace remains unclear with negotiations over a new contract believed to have stalled. The France international has become one of the best strikers in the Premier League under the stewardship of manager Oliver Glasner, whose own future remains uncertain as his current terms expire at the end of the season.

Mateta has thrived under Glasner's guidance at Palace

After initially joining Palace on an 18-month loan deal from Bundesliga side Mainz in January 2021, Mateta has flourished following Glasner’s arrival three years later. In his first two seasons under the guidance of the former Frankfurt and Wolfsburg boss, the forward scored 36 goals in all competitions, playing a significant role in the club winning the FA Cup in 2024-25.

And Mateta has picked up from where he left off in the last two seasons, scoring nine goals in all competitions so far this term. The 28-year-old has netted seven times in the league, making him the joint-third top goalscorer behind Manchester City striker Erling Haaland (14) and Brentford forward Igor Thiago (11), with Brighton attacker Danny Welbeck having also found the back of the net on seven occasions.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportReport claims France striker is in no rush to sign new deal

However, while Mateta continues to sparkle in south London, he is also being linked with a move away as he gets ever-closer to the end of his current contract, which runs out in 2027. And according to the talks between the former Lyon hitman and Palace have reportedly hit the buffers.

The report states while promising discussions first took place earlier this year, Mateta is now in no rush to commit his long-term future to Palace. Having broken into the France squad ahead of the 2026 World Cup, it is understood Palace’s No. 14 wants to assess his options after next summer’s showpiece in North America.

While negotiations are believed to be ongoing, the report concludes by saying a number of European clubs have shown an interest in signing Mateta, including Serie A side Atalanta, who are competing in this season’s Champions League. Raffaele Palladino’s side are currently 11th in the Italian top flight, while they are also 10th in the league phase of Europe's premier club competition.

Getty Images SportGlasner angered by Palace's lack of summer investment

The news comes after Palace head coach Glasner – whose own contract expires at the end of 2025-26 – criticised the club’s lack of investment in the summer following Sunday’s 2-1 defeat against Manchester United.

After losing star man Eberechi Eze to Arsenal, Palace made six permanent signings and one loan acquisition ahead of their maiden European campaign in this season’s Conference League.

“If you play European football for the first time in your history, you should invest and not save,” Glasner said after the loss to United. “I think January is too late [to add]. We will have played more than 50 percent of our games.

“Everything was pretty clear and I didn't say anything but today I think it is also time to speak about it that we missed the chance to play an even better season in the summer.

“We are still in very good positions but the chance to play an even better season we threw away in the summer.”

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Getty Images SportPalace boss has confirmed Guehi will leave in the summer

While Palace were able to keep hold of captain Marc Guehi in the summer, Glasner revealed in October that the defender has told the club he will leave on a free transfer when his contract expires in 2026. The England international was on the verge of joining Liverpool on transfer deadline day, only for the move to be called off.

"I think Marc has already told us that he doesn't sign a new contract, so he will leave next year," said Glasner. "The club wanted [him to stay]. They offered Marc a new contract. But he said, 'no, I want to make something different'. And that's normal. 

"And for us, it's how we can deal with this situation? [What] is the best way to get this next step done? And that's all about how we are talking together.”

Both Mateta and Guehi are expected to start when Palace take on strugglers Burnley in the league on Wednesday. Glasner’s charges are currently ninth in the top flight, while they also sit 18th in the Conference League standings.

The Chicago White Sox had a chance to tie the game against the Cleveland Guardians during the ninth inning of Wednesday's game, but an incredibly unfortunate occurrence saw them fall just short in heartbreaking fashion.

Trailing 3–1 with two outs and the bases loaded, Miguel Vargas came to the plate for Chicago and sent a ground ball past Cleveland's shortstop and into the outfield grass. One run came into score and Mike Tauchman was waved home with a chance to even the score from second base.

As he rounded third base and prepared to head for home plate, Tauchman could be seen pulling up, appearing to have suffered a hamstring injury while trying to tie up the game. He was unable to complete his dash to the plate, getting tagged out a few feet from home in devastating fashion.

Have a look:

Tauchman looked absolutely defeated while hobbling down the line towards the plate. After the tag was applied, he slammed his helmet on the dirt and crumpled to the ground in pain.

A truly unfortunate way for the White Sox to go down.

Franco Mastantuono has admitted that Lamine Yamal is currently winning the battle of the Clasico teenagers, but warns he is still developing following his arrival from River Plate in the summer. The Argentine has now spoken openly about his struggles with the pubalgia injury that has disrupted him in recent weeks and has also been troubling Barcelona’s Yamal.

Mastantuono’s promising start halted by early-season injury

The Argentine arrived at Real Madrid this summer in a €45 million ($53m/£39m) move from River Plate. At just 18, he was seen as one of the most promising South American talents of his generation. Madrid moved quickly for him, convinced his profile and style fit perfectly with manager Xabi Alonso's structure. He made his debut on the opening weekend of the season against Osasuna and settled in quicker than expected. While he has contributed only one goal and one assist in his 12 appearances so far, the Madrid boss was more impressed with his overall play and his ability to find spaces, which made him a regular starter in the absence of Jude Bellingham and Eduardo Camavinga.

However, Mastantuono has struggled with discomfort as Real Madrid confirmed signs of pubalgia, a groin and lower abdominal injury known for being unpredictable. 

AdvertisementGetty Images SportMastantuono reveals the issue began before his Madrid move

Speaking on , Mastantuono opened up about the injury and how the pain developed. He said the issue didn’t appear overnight but grew slowly until it reached a point he couldn’t ignore.

"I'm working hard to recover and be back on the pitch, which is the best part. I'm feeling much better now," the Argentine said. "It was a pain I'd been dealing with for a while. It was time to slow down and recover properly so I could be at 100%. This club demands it. I'll be back playing soon."

He revealed the pain actually began while he was still at River Plate. "It started in the second game of the Club World Cup with River and it bothered me more and more until I had to stop because of the pain."

Mastantuono opens up on growing Yamal rivalry

The young winger also opened up about his comparison with Yamal, and how their rivalry could possibly define the next decade of El Clasico. The 18-year-old said he does not enjoy direct comparisons, but he understands why the discussion exists. "I don't like comparisons, but it's always nice to have rivals of Lamine's caliber, from Barcelona, from Spain. It motivates you to be even better. I hope it can stay this way for a long time, until the end of my career." 

When asked who is better right now, he was straightforward. "Today, Lamine. He's showing an incredible level, but I've just arrived at Real Madrid, I'm in an adaptation process that I hope will be quick so I can get up to speed in Europe and at Real Madrid. I hope it's a long story to tell, with many matches like the last one we played, which was incredible."

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Getty Images SportThe rise of pubalgia issues in young players

Pubalgia, often called a sports hernia, is one of the toughest injuries for players who depend on agility and explosive movement. It affects the connection between the abdominal and adductor muscles, and recovery can vary from week to week. Wingers and attacking players who twist and sprint repeatedly are especially vulnerable.

It is also an injury that cannot be rushed. If a player returns too soon, the pain usually comes back even stronger. Yamal is dealing with the same issue at Barcelona and has been in and out of the squad this season due to the injury. Athletic Club's Nico Williams has managed it recently, and Chelsea’s Cole Palmer has also faced similar problems this season.

Mastantuono's progress has been steady, but Los Blancos are taking a cautious approach and have not yet set a timeline for his return. According to reports, there is quite optimism he could return towards the end of December. Still, the club won't rush him. Alonso wants him fully fit for a demanding January schedule, where Madrid will need depth on the wings.

Swansea City have now held talks with Vitor Matos as a replacement for Alan Sheehan, with Kim Hellberg now being targeted by a different Championship club.

Hellberg travelled to London to hold talks with Swansea last week, but there has been a twist, with the 37-year-old now of interest to Middlesbrough, following Rob Edwards’ departure to Wolverhampton Wanderers earlier this month.

As such, the Jacks may need to move on to alternative options to replace Sheehan, who was dismissed from his post last week, with his side making a poor start to the campaign, currently sitting in 18th place after taking just 17 points from their opening 15 Championship games.

Michael Carrick has been named as a potential target, with the Welsh club’s hierarchy said to be big fans of the former Boro boss, but a different, more left-field option is also of interest…

Swansea hold talks with Vitor Matos now 'leading contender'

As reported by the BBC, Swansea have held talks with several managers since parting ways with Sheehan, including Maritimo manager Matos, courtesy of the job he has done in the Portuguese second tier. TalkSPORT add that the young coach is now the ‘new leading contender’.

At just 37-years-old, the Maritimo boss is relatively inexperienced, having only started his current role back in June, but he does have experience working under Jurgen Klopp, working as an elite development coach at Liverpool from 2019 – 2024.

During that time, the former Liverpool coach received high praise from ex-Reds assistant Pepijn Lijnders, who is now at Man City: “He is a talented coach, a very intelligent coach.

“Having one really intelligent, talented coach for young players, he can inspire eight or nine of them – it’s really important to have the right people in front of them – he connects, he influences the boys on the pitch and trains with them.”

Much like Klopp, the Portuguese manager favours a forward-thinking style of play, with an attacking 4-3-3 formation his preferred system, and he has made a solid start to life at Maritimo since arriving in the summer.

Games

11

Wins

6

Draws

2

Losses

3

Points per game

1.82

That said, it would be a risk to appoint Matos, given his lack of experience, with the aforementioned BBC report also making it clear that Russell Martin is open to a return to Swansea, after leaving Rangers earlier this season.

Despite becoming the shortest-serving manager in the Gers’ history, Martin could be a solid appointment for the Swans, given his experience in the Championship, most impressively guiding Southampton to promotion with a play-off final victory against Leeds United in the 2023-24 campaign.

Russell Martin open to replacing Alan Sheehan as Swansea City boss Manager who called Swansea City fans "fantastic" open to replacing Sheehan

He’s out of work currently.

ByCharlie Smith Nov 13, 2025

Justin Verlander is headed to The Bay for his 20th season in MLB, having agreed to a one-year deal with the San Francisco Giants. He's yet to make his final decision regarding what jersey number he'll wear, though it seems his usual No. 35 is still on the table despite a franchise great having worn it throughout much of their career.

Verlander told reporters that Giants president of baseball operations Buster Posey reached out to the team's former longtime shortstop Brandon Crawford regarding the availability of the No. 35 uniform, per Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports. Crawford gave Verlander his blessing to wear the digits, should he so desire, though he's ultimately yet to decide whether he intends to wear the number or not.

Crawford, who retired after the 2024 season, spent 13 of his 14 years in MLB in San Francisco. He was a three-time All-Star, four-time Gold Glove winner and a two-time World Series champion. He wore the No. 35 throughout his time with the Giants, and also wore it during his one-year stint with the St. Louis Cardinals.

Verlander has also worn No. 35 throughout his career with the Detroit Tigers, New York Mets and Houston Astros. Whether he intends to continue wearing it in San Francisco remains to be seen, though Crawford classily gave the veteran right-hander his blessing to do so.