Franck Kessie revealed he is excited to get to work at Barcelona, after the Spanish club confirmed his signing earlier this week.

On Monday, the Blaugrana announced the signings of both Kessie and Andreas Christensen, with their contracts expiring at Milan and Chelsea respectively this off-season.

It has nevertheless been a busy period for Barcelona as they look to balance their books, with reports linking Frenkie de Jong and Ousmane Dembele to moves away in the event they do not lower their wages.

After helping the Rossoneri secure the Serie A title last season, Kessie insists he is looking forward to working under Xavi, despite uncertainty over where he will actually play in midfield.

"When Xavi calls you, you see that all your efforts have been worth it," he said upon arriving in Barcelona. "I can't wait to start working with him and my colleagues.

"It is a great opportunity. Barca is a great team, and I am very happy. I really want to start and give my best. I am a player who works hard on a day-to-day basis to end up winning things.

"Where I play, the coach will decide. He will know where I can best help the team."

The 25-year-old played in a variety of positions under Stefano Pioli in Milan, even spending parts of last season as an attacking midfielder.

He was a dependable figure last season as well, only missing three league games, with the exception of international duty during January's African Cup of Nations.

The Ivorian also revealed he hopes to emulate the feats of his compatriot and "idol" Yaya Toure, who won his lone Champions League with Barcelona in 2009.

"My idol is Yaya Toure," Kessie said. "He is a great player and an Ivorian, like me. I have been lucky enough to play with him and I want to have a career as good as his."

Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Chris Taylor has revealed he will be sidelined indefinitely due to a left foot fracture.

The 2021 All-Star underwent scans which revealed the fracture after he exited Monday's 5-3 win over the Colorado Rapids in the sixth inning with left ankle swelling.

The 31-year-old 2020 World Series champion said it was a "small fracture" but didn’t know the timeframe for recovery and return to play.

"We really haven't even gotten to that point where we discussed a timeframe yet," Taylor told Spectrum SportsNet LA.

"Right now we're taking it step by step and I don't think we've put an exact date on when a possible return will be."

Taylor, who signed a four-year contract worth $60 million in December, is hitting at .237 with six home runs and 27 RBIs this season.

Reigning National League MVP Bryce Harper has vowed to return this season but declined to commit to a timeframe following a thumb injury.

The Philadelphia Phillies star was ruled out indefinitely late last month after fracturing his left thumb against the San Diego Padres when struck by a 97mph fastball from pitcher Blake Snell.

Harper, 29, has since had three pins put in the thumb, with his hand in a cast.

"I don't want to give anybody a timetable because I don't know," Harper told reporters on Tuesday.

"If I knew a specific date that I'd be back, I'd tell you. I just don't think it's fair to anybody.

"I'll be back when I'm ready to go."

There is hope that Harper can return as a designated hitter for the Phillies, who are currently 43-38 in the NL East.

"I don't want to hope or think about anything," Harper said.

"I just want to go day by day and be back when I can, whenever I feel healthy, whenever that is to help this team win.

"Granted, if we're out of it, I'm going to come back and play no matter what, just so I know that I can go out there and play the game. I don't want that to be my last day playing this year.

"No matter what the outcome, I'm going to come back and I'll be playing."

Harper is hitting .318 with 15 home runs, 48 RBIs and a .984 OPS this season.

Corinthians progressed to the quarter-finals of the Copa Libertadores on Tuesday without the injured Willian, going through 6-5 on penalties after two goalless legs.

After Boca scraped a draw in the first leg in Sao Paulo, they were given a chance to take the early lead from the spot, after a VAR intervention penalised Raul Gustavo's errant elbow.

Despite sending Cassio the wrong way, Dario Benedetto smacked his effort against the frame of the goal, critically maintaining parity in the tie.

The 32-year-old had the best chance of the second half for Boca as well, but his chip in transition floated just over when put through by Sebastian Villa.

In the shoot-out, back-to-back penalty saves from Agustin Rossi were not able to save Benedetto, who skied his second penalty before Gil eventually put the Timao through.

Hulk sends CAM through

Atletico Mineiro left it late but secured their progression to the quarter-finals, defeating Emelec 1-0 in Belo Horizonte to go through 2-1 on aggregate.

Antonio Mohamed's side struggled for significant portions of the first leg but dominated possession and territory in the return, with 21 shots to six on the night 

Hulk's 79th-minute penalty ultimately proved the difference, calmly slotting past Pedro Ortiz.

Romulo salvages draw and progression for Athletico-PR

Athletico Paranaense snatched a late 1-1 draw in Asuncion, advancing to the quarter-finals by winning 3-2 on aggregate.

The Paraguayan champions forced themselves level on aggregate through veteran Roque Santa Cruz in the fourth minute of first-half injury time, scoring via a wonderful solo dribble and finish.  

When the tie looked set for penalties, Romulo dramatically secured passage for Luiz Felipe Scolari's side, picking up the rebound from his own header to score in the 90th minute.

The Memphis Grizzlies and rookie Kennedy Chandler have agreed to a four-year, $7.1million contract with $4.94m in guarantees, The Athletic reported Tuesday.

Chandler’s deal contains the most guaranteed money ever given to an American-born second-round rookie.

The Grizzlies selected Chandler 38th overall in last month’s NBA Draft, with a pick that originally belonged to the San Antonio Spurs.

A guard out of Tennessee, Chandler averaged 13.9 points and 4.7 assists as a freshman while helping the Volunteers to a SEC Tournament championship and third seed in the NCAA Tournament.

"Kennedy was very high on our board going into the night, someone we felt very strongly about," Grizzlies general manager Zach Kleiman said.

"[Chandler] easily could have been a first-round pick of ours...absolutely shocked that Kennedy was there given how we felt about him.

"So we were very excited to extend that one beyond the amount of picks we had coming into the night because we felt really strongly about adding Kennedy to this group."

Kleiman was busy on draft night, orchestrating two other trades. The Grizzlies sent De’Anthony Melton to the Philadelphia 76ers for veteran swingman Danny Green and the No. 23 overall pick, David Roddy.

Memphis also sent picks 22 and 29, Walker Kessler and TyTy Washington, to the Minnesota Timberwolves for the 19th pick, Jake LaRavia.

Rory McIlroy believes players who have joined the LIV Golf Invitational Series should not be "having their cake and eating it" by being eligible to compete on other tours.

On Monday, Ian Poulter was informed he could play at this week's Scottish Open after an appeal against his ban was upheld, despite the DP World Tour barring him from playing.

Poulter was also one of several high-profile players to have been indefinitely suspended by the PGA Tour by signing up with LIV Golf.

One of the more vocal supporters of the PGA Tour, McIlroy insisted players should have to live with the consequences of choices to earn more money if they do sign with the breakaway competition.

"I think at this stage, if you go over and play on a different tour, then go over and play on a different tour," he said.

"You're sort of basically leaving all your peers behind to go make more money, which is fine. But just go over there. Don't try and come back and play over here again.

"This whole having your cake and eating it type thing is what the resentment [stems from] within the membership."

McIlroy's comments follow Branden Grace taking out LIV Golf Portland last weekend, with Billy Horschel also saving harsh criticism in the lead up to the Scottish Open, which will be an important preparation for the Open Championship.

Fronted by former world number one Greg Norman, Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund is the majority shareholder of LIV Golf Investments, allowing for substantially larger prize money and an eased schedule.

Horschel, who won the Memorial Tournament in June, believes it is hypocritical of defectors to cite a lighter schedule and then play on multiple tours.

"They shouldn’t be coming back over here to play the DP World Tour or the PGA Tour, he said. "To say that they wanted to also support this tour or the DP or PGA Tour going forward, while playing the LIV Tour, is completely asinine in my opinion.

"To play the PGA Tour, you’ve got to play 15 events and their [LIV] schedule is eight events, [planned to be] 14. So to say they are going to play 29 events a year and still hold membership on the PGA Tour is ridiculous. They decided to go play on a tour and they should go play that tour.

"The last week’s events I’ve been really frustrated by because there are a lot of guys who are hypocrites that are not telling the truth and lying about some things."

Athletic Club's Inaki Williams announced he will opt to represent Ghana in international football on Tuesday, having previously played for Spain.

Born in Bilbao to Ghanaian parents, Williams has made one appearance for La Roja at senior international level but in a friendly, coming on as a substitute against Bosnia and Herzegovina in 2016.

Also part of Spain's run to the Under-21 Euro 2017 final, Williams' ability to switch allegiance falls under FIFA's eligibility rules change of 2003, when Tim Cahill opted to play for Australia after representing Western Samoa at junior level.

Posting on social media, the 28-year-old striker believes it is an opportunity to cultivate a deeper connection to his origins.

"Every step we take forward has its own meaning - a glance into the future which leaves a trace itself," he said. "A legacy. My parents have raised me with values based on humility, respect and love.

"That's why I feel the moment has come for me to find my origins within myself and with Africa and Ghana which means so much to me and my family."

At club level, Williams holds the LaLiga record for consecutive appearances at 233 games, after breaking the previous mark of 202 in October.

Ghana Football Association president Kurt Okraku also tweeted Tariq Lamptey, Stephan Ambrosius, Patric Pfeiffer and Ransford Yeboah are all set to confirm their allegiance to the Black Stars.

All five diaspora members could bolster Ghana's prospects at this year's World Cup, where they have been grouped with Portugal, Uruguay and South Korea.

The chairwoman of both the NFL's Seattle Seahawks and the NBA's Portland Trail Blazers, Jody Allen, said in a statement on Tuesday that the teams are not for sale at this time. 

There had been reports that an offer was made to buy the Trail Blazers, but Allen's statement dispels any rumours a sale is imminent. 

''As chair of both the Portland Trail Blazers and Seattle Seahawks, my long-term focus is building championship teams that our communities are proud of,'' said Allen, who has overseen both teams since her brother Paul died in 2018.

''Like my brother Paul, I trust and expect our leaders and coaches to build winning teams that deliver results on and off the court and field. As we've stated before, neither of the teams is for sale and there are no sales discussions happening.'' 

Paul Allen's will called for both teams to be sold and the proceeds be given to philanthropic efforts, and Jody acknowledged she plans to honour his wishes, though not at this time.

''A time will come when that changes given Paul's plans to dedicate the vast majority of his wealth to philanthropy, but estates of this size and complexity can take 10 to 20 years to wind down. There is no pre-ordained timeline by which the teams must be sold,'' Jody said. 

Paul Allen purchased the Trail Blazers in 1988 and bought the Seahawks nine years later. Jody Allen has been the trustee for her brother’s estate since the Microsoft co-founder's death.

Wimbledon semi-finalist Cameron Norrie has pledged to take the fight to Novak Djokovic in their last-four tie.

Norrie defeated world number 58 David Goffin 3-6 7-5 2-6 6-3 7-5 on Tuesday to seal his progression to a maiden grand slam semi-final.

He is the first British man in the Open Era to reach the semi-finals of Wimbledon after Roger Taylor, Tim Henman and Andy Murray.

The world number 12's reward is a tie against top seed and reigning Wimbledon champion Novak Djokovic, who is in the hunt for a 21st grand slam title. Yet that daunting challenge is not dampening Norrie's enthusiasm.

"It's great to get this now but it's only going to get tougher," said Norrie in his on-court interview.

"I'm going to take it to Novak and hopefully you guys can get behind me and I'm sure you will."

Jannik Sinner became the first player to win two sets against Djokovic at Wimbledon since Roger Federer did so in an epic final in 2019, but the Serbian hit back to win 5-7 2-6 6-3 6-2 6-2 on Centre Court.

Djokovic has now won 84 singles matches at Wimbledon in the main draw, a tally that trails only Federer (105).

Norrie has won two titles on the ATP Tour this year, but acknowledged it was hard to get an immediate grip of what he has achieved so far at Wimbledon.

"I think just winning a match like this, I'm in shock. I don't know what to say now," the 26-year-old said.

"I have flashbacks of all the hard work and all the sacrifices I have had to make and it's definitely paid off – and it feels pretty good."

The San Jose Sharks have named former NHL forward Mike Grier as their general manager, making him the first black GM in league history.

San Jose announced the historic hire on Tuesday.

The 47-year-old Grier, who spent three of his 14 seasons playing for the Sharks from 2006-09, replaces Doug Wilson after he stepped down in April following 19 seasons at the helm for health reasons.

"I am extremely proud and grateful to be given the opportunity to be the general manager of the San Jose Sharks," said Grier.

"Along with my staff, I look forward to the challenge of building a fast, competitive, and hardworking team that Sharks fans will enjoy watching and be proud of.”

His first order of business as GM will be hiring a coach. The Sharks are the only team without one after firing Bob Boughner.

San Jose finished in sixth place in the Pacific Division this past season, missing the playoffs for a third year in a row after qualifying in 14 of the previous 15 seasons.

"Really excited to work and to be back in the Bay Area," Grier said. "I know there's been lots of ups and downs but I'm ready to work hard and get at it and get this thing back on the tracks. We're going to start winning some games in the Shark Tank and get it going again."

In addition to his time with the Sharks as a player, Grier also suited up for the Edmonton Oilers, Washington Capitals and Buffalo Sabres.

Since retiring from the NHL as a player in 2011, Grier served as an assistant coach with the New Jersey Devils and a scout with the Chicago Blackhawks before spending this past season as hockey operations advisor for the New York Rangers.

Mauricio Pochettino expressed his pride at ending his Paris Saint-Germain tenure as a Ligue 1 champion after his departure was confirmed.

PSG confirmed Pochettino's long-expected exit on Tuesday, appointing former Lille and Nice coach Christophe Galtier as his replacement on a two-year contract.

Despite PSG winning their 10th Ligue 1 title in dominant fashion last season, the writing appeared to be on the wall for Pochettino since a spectacular collapse in a 3-2 aggregate Champions League defeat to Real Madrid in March.

That represented PSG's fourth last-16 Champions League elimination in the last six seasons, while the former Tottenham boss also missed out on the Ligue 1 title to Lille – coached by Galtier – in his first half-season in France.

Since Qatar Sports Investments (QSI) acquired the club in 2011, meanwhile, only Carlo Ancelotti (63.6) has recorded a lower win percentage as PSG boss than Pochettino (65.5).

But writing on Instagram, Pochettino chose to focus on his successes and expressed his gratitude at being given the chance to lead the club, for whom he made 95 appearances as a player.

"I want to wish everyone at PSG the very best for the future – the owners, the board, the players, all the staff and the supporters," Pochettino wrote.

"To Nasser [Al-Khelaifi, PSG president] – I want to say thank you for giving me the opportunity to be part of the PSG family again.

"We enjoyed some amazing moments and big wins all together and, as a coaching staff, with every experience we always take learnings to advance our evolution for the future.

"We are proud to finish as league champions at a club that has meant so much to me and my family, from my time here as a player and a captain, and now as a coach."

Wout Weghorst has joined Turkish giants Besiktas on a season-long loan just six months after joining Burnley, in the aftermath of the club's relegation from the Premier League.

The striker, who has scored three goals in 14 international appearances for the Netherlands, joined Burnley from Wolfsburg in a reported £12million (€14.4m) move in January, as the Clarets battled relegation from the top flight.

That fight ultimately ended in failure, with Weghorst scoring just twice in 20 appearances for the club.

While Manchester City legend Vincent Kompany is hoping to lead Burnley to an immediate Premier League return, he will have to do so without the services of Weghorst, who joins a side which finished a disappointing sixth in the Turkish Super Lig last term.

Burnley confirmed his departure via their social media accounts on Tuesday, wishing the 29-year-old luck at his new club.

Weghorst will be hoping his move to Istanbul allows him to rediscover his Wolfsburg form: In the 2020-21 season, he scored 20 Bundesliga goals, a tally only bettered by Erling Haaland (27), Andre Silva (28) and Robert Lewandowski (41).