Edu is delighted that Arsenal managed to sign first-choice transfer targets Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko despite missing out on Champions League football last term.

However, the club's technical director also revealed Raphinha was never close to moving to the Emirates Stadium, with the now-Barcelona winger having always prioritised a move to Camp Nou.

Arsenal have been active in the transfer market after a late-season collapse saw rivals Tottenham secure a top-four Premier League finish at their expense in May, outspending every other side in the top flight do far.

Alongside former Manchester City duo Jesus and Zinchenko, Mikel Arteta's side have recruited Porto's Fabio Vieira, New England Revolution goalkeeper Matt Turner, and young Sao Paulo winger Marquinhos, and Edu revealed Arsenal's lack of Champions League football has not been too inhibitive in securing their foremost targets. 

"[We signed] almost 100 per cent of them," he told Sky Sports. "I understand sometimes players want to play Champions League football, but I think we can offer something very special for the players as well.

"It's not only Champions League, but you can be part of a group of players which can achieve something very special for this football club. And then I always ask them if they want to be part of the project we've been building.

"I'm sure we will do something very special for this football club and then when I explain to the players, they really understand [it] and that's why they're here."

Zinchenko made just 10 Premier League starts for City last season, playing a total of 1,044 minutes in the competition, but Edu is delighted with the signing of the Ukraine star after targeting him for six months.

"We are so excited to have Zinchenko with us here because he's a player that we really targeted," he added.

"It's a player that we really believe has the characteristics and the qualities that are going to increase our level in the squad for sure. [The transfer] was planned like six months ago, to feed that position in the best way possible in the way which Mikel really wants to play.

"Mikel of course knows him more than anyone because they worked together [at City] but all the information around the player is top."

Edu also revealed the signing of Jesus was the culmination of another drawn-out process, adding: "I think we as a club have to be proud to have a player like Gabriel Jesus here.

"This process really, I think, takes like seven months in terms of understanding each other and talking to each other, because also he had a lot of other opportunities and then he chooses because he understands who we are."

Raphinha was another player linked with Arsenal after scoring 11 goals in 35 Premier League appearances for Leeds United last season.

However, he made a big-money move to Barcelona earlier this month, and while Arsenal did speak to the winger's agent Deco, Edu revealed his heart was set on a move to Camp Nou.

"People think we went in too deep about Raphinha, because Raphinha was everywhere," Edu said. "It's fair, we did have some conversations with Deco because Deco is his agent and I have a good relationship [with him] - we are friends.

"I just said to Deco, 'can you explain to me the situation with Raphinha?' and he was clear, 'Edu, we have a good relationship but I'm not going to lie to you, his idea is to go to Barcelona because he's dreaming to go to Barcelona, and we've been talking to Barcelona since a long time ago'.

"[I said] 'okay, thank you very much, if something happens then just let me know because I can explore and understand the situation'. If not, no problem and we carry on with our relationship."

The Boston Celtics have emerged as a possible trade destination for Kevin Durant, according to reports.

The 12-time All-Star forward rocked the Brooklyn Nets by requesting a trade last month, having joined the franchise in 2019.

Having won back-to-back NBA titles in 2017 and 2018 during his time with the Golden State Warriors, being named the finals' MVP on both occasions, Durant has reportedly shown signs of discontent with the Nets' failure to compete for a first-ever NBA title.

The Nets' 2022 playoff campaign was halted by a first-round defeat to the Celtics, who now appear to be in the hunt for Durant's signature.

According to a report from ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, the Celtics' ability to include 2021 All-star forward Jaylen Brown in any deal makes them a strong contender to acquire Durant, who is under contract until 2026.

Durant is expected to command a huge trade package, and ESPN claim Boston could offer as many as three unprotected first-round picks and two pick swaps alongside Brown's services.

The Miami Heat, the Phoenix Suns and the Toronto Raptors have also been credited with an interest in Durant, who led the Nets with an average of 29.9 points per game across his 2021-22 regular-season campaign, posting a 36-19 record in his 55 outings.

Sassuolo have agreed to sell Italy striker Gianluca Scamacca to West Ham, according to the Serie A club's chief executive Giovanni Carnevali.

The 23-year-old forward has been strongly linked with a move away from Sassuolo throughout the transfer window, with Paris Saint-Germain reportedly among the clubs interested.

Carnevali insisted earlier this month that Sassuolo were in no rush to sell their prized asset, adamant they would only let him leave on their terms.

And despite the apparent interest of PSG, West Ham are seemingly close to securing the striker's arrival.

Speaking to Corriere dello Sport, Carnevali said: "€36million plus €6m in bonuses and 10 per cent on any resale for Scamacca. A good deal, isn't it? Also, because West Ham is a selling club.

"Scamacca is the present and future of Italy, a complete striker. He's improved a lot in the last year, and he still has unexpressed potential.

"He has physical and technical strengths – he has to learn to play more with his team-mates, [but] he's an exceptional lad, very good."

Scamacca enjoyed a breakout campaign last season, scoring 16 goals in 36 appearances in Serie A.

His tally was only bettered by five players – Giovanni Simeone, Tammy Abraham (both 17), Lautaro Martinez (21), Dusan Vlahovic (24) and Ciro Immobile (27) – in the Italian top flight.

Meanwhile, Erling Haaland, Vinicius Junior and Vlahovic were the only players younger than Scamacca to score 15 or more goals in Europe's top five leagues.

Scamacca will expect to play a prominent role at West Ham should the deal go through, as the club lack depth in his position, with Michail Antonio the only recognised striker in their squad following last year's sale of Sebastien Haller.

Irina-Camelia Begu ended her five-year wait for another WTA title by beating home favourite Lucia Bronzetti to claim the Palermo Open crown.

The Romanian captured her fifth trophy on the tour – and a first since triumphing in her native Bucharest in 2017 – as she prevailed 6-2 6-2 in one hour and 33 minutes on Sunday.

This was Begu's ninth career final and her experience showed against Bronzetti, who was appearing in her maiden championship match.

The 31-year-old Begu broke her opponent's serve six times on the way to becoming the second Romanian to triumph on the WTA Tour this year, after Simona Halep captured a title in Melbourne in January.

Nerves were evident early on as the opening three games went against serve, before Begu held in the fourth to take command.

The sixth seed had been on court for over three hours as she overcame fourth seed Sara Sorribes Tormo in a thrilling late-night semi-final on Saturday.

She was well on top against Bronzetti, though, breaking again and winning 80 per cent of points when landing her first serve as she took the opening set.

World number 78 Bronzetti had taken out France's Caroline Garcia and Italian compatriot Jasmine Paolini to reach her maiden WTA final.

However, she had little answer to Begu, who broke twice early in the second set to establish a commanding 3-0 advantage.

Bronzetti broke back to reduce the deficit to 3-2, but the world number 45 pulled away again before a thumping ace sealed the deal.

Richie Ramsay secured his first DP World Tour/European Tour success in seven years as a late surge saw him win the English Open at the Hillside Golf Club.

Ramsay's playing partner Julien Guerrier had appeared the likely winner for much of Sunday, finding himself two shots to the good thanks to three birdies as he began the back nine.

But the Frenchman's six pars and three bogeys thereafter left him at even par for the day, and Ramsay – who ended the weekend at 14 under – took full advantage.

Birdies on 14, 15 and 17 gave Ramsay a one-shot lead on the final hole, and he held his nerve with an immense par putt to seal his first Tour success since March 2015, when he won the Trophee Hassan II in Morocco.

It was a moment of redemption for the Scot, who saw his chance for British Masters success at The Belfry in May vanish when he closed out with a double bogey.

Given that disappointment and the fact he had not won a tournament in seven years, Ramsay was understandably emotional at the conclusion.

"The biggest thing for me was I made a promise to my daughter, and I don't break promises to her. I said I would get her a trophy and this one's for her," Ramsay said.

"It just feels unbelievable. The belief. I've had some bad times over the last couple of years, but I kept believing, I knew my game was good.

"I know about what happened at The Belfry, but it's links golf and I feel like I've always got an advantage when I play links golf.

"Obviously I got a bit emotional there at the end, but I haven't won since my daughter was born and that's six years.

"That one's for Olivia [his daughter]. Hopefully she's watching. Angela's [Ramsay's wife] been brilliant. She's never given up on me, sent me a message this morning telling me that she was really proud of me in whatever I accomplish.

"It's just hours and hours of practice and it comes down to one shot and I managed to do it under the gun. It doesn't matter what happens now, I'll remember that for the rest of my life."

Guerrier's sloppy finish ultimately saw him finish in a five-way tie for third on 12 under for the tournament – that group included Marcus Kinhult, whose five-under 67 was the best round of the day.

Paul Waring was the other player to capitalise on Guerrier's difficult back nine, as the local favourite's 70 ensured he ended the competition outright second on 13 under.

Jonas Vingegaard says life could not be any better after securing his first Tour de France title in Paris on Sunday.

The Jumbo-Visma rider crossed the line on stage 21 in unison with his team-mates at the end of a largely processional finale in the French capital.

Vingegaard had a lead of more than three-and-a-half minutes on back-to-back champion Tadej Pogacar heading into the 116-kilometre stretch, and his triumph was never in doubt.

He is the second Dane to win Le Tour, after Bjarne Riis in 1996, while it is the first time in 30 years the winner of the race has been a native of the country where the race started.

Saluting his victory on the Champs-Elysees, an emotional Vingegaard said: "It's just incredible. I have finally won the Tour. Nothing can go wrong anymore. 

"I'm sat with my daughter. It is just incredible. It is the biggest cycling race of the year, the biggest one you can win, and now I have done it. Nobody can take this away from me."

Vingegaard finished in the chasing bunch on the final stage, which was won by Jasper Philipsen, to retain the yellow jersey that he had been in possession of since stage 11.

Pogacar's hopes of a third title in a row were effectively ended on Thursday when Vingegaard increased his GC lead after the final mountain stage in the Pyrenees.

 

"I always had the feeling that at least I could fight for the win," Vingegaard added. "But I think in the end, when I really started believing was after the stage. 

"I always believed in the victory, but I was thinking something really has to go wrong after Hautacam."

Asked how he plans to celebrate, Vingegaard said: "Tuesday, I go to Holland, Wednesday in Copenhagen, Thursday in the town I live in, and Friday, I'll be on the couch for a week!

"Of course, I'm super happy about my victory now. Of course, now I want to celebrate, relax, but then I also want more, yes."

Vingegaard was also crowned King of the Mountains, while team-mate Wout van Aert came out on top in the Points Classification.

Jumbo-Visma are the first team to win the yellow, polka dot and green jerseys at the same edition of the race since Faema managed the feat in 1969, thanks to Eddy Merckx.

Jonas Vingegaard sealed a maiden Tour de France title in Paris after finishing safely in the chasing bunch on the final stage, which was won by Jasper Philipsen.

Team Jumbo-Visma rider Vingegaard led back-to-back champion Tadej Pogacar by more than three and a half minutes heading into the largely processional finale on Sunday.

The Dane saw out the job in a stress-free manner – even enjoying some champagne during the 116-kilometre stretch – to end Pogacar's spell of General Classification dominance.

A few packs of riders tried to break free of the bunch on the Champs-Elysees, setting up a frantic late sprint that saw Belgium's Philipsen earn his second stage win of this year's race.

Vingegaard crossed over moments later, in unison with his Jumbo-Visma team after retaining the yellow jersey, which he had been in possession of since stage 11.

He was also crowned King of the Mountains, while team-mate Wout van Aert joined the celebrations in his green jersey after another solid outing.

Jumbo-Visma are the first team to win the yellow, polka dot and green jerseys at the same edition of the race since Faema managed the feat in 1969, thanks to Eddy Merckx.

Pogacar never came within two minutes and 18 seconds of Vingegaard in the GC, once the Danish rider had the lead.

The Slovenian therefore had to settle for the consolation prize of the white jersey for a third year running, with that award given to the best-placed rider under the age of 26.

Jonas Vingegaard went into the final weekend of the Tour de France with his yellow jersey all but assured.

It is the mountain stages that so typically settle the general classification in Grand Tours, and this edition of Le Tour proved no different.

A dominant ride on stage 18 saw Vingegaard, with admirable support from Sepp Kuss and Wout van Aert, drop two-time defending champion Tadej Pogacar on the final ascent in the Pyrenees.

Vingegaard powered away on that last climb, leaving Pogacar in his wake, and well over three minutes behind overall in the hunt for the yellow jersey, as the Dane collected just a second Grand Tour stage win of his career, the first having come on July 13 to put him in command of the race.

That left Vingegaard merely needing to safely negotiate the final three stages – two sprint finishes and a time trial – and he did just that, parading into Paris on Sunday with his grip on the yellow jersey firmly intact. Now he is the champion, a remarkable feat considering where he has come from.

Pogacar's Slovenian compatriot Primoz Roglic has previously been Jumbo-Visma's main hope, but an exceptional team ride has also represented a passing of the baton to Vingegaard, the 25-year-old who four years ago was working at a fish factory to supplement his income. Vingegaard was recruited by the team based on a remarkable time up a daunting climb in Spain, which was subsequently posted to the popular training application Strava.

Jumbo-Visma have turned in a team performance for the ages. Their plan, and subsequent execution, has been near-perfect. Even the loss of Roglic, whose attention will now turn to winning yet another Vuelta a Espana title, could not derail this powerhouse unit heading into the final week.

 

Vingegaard's first win, on stage 11 up the Col du Granon, came as a result of Jumbo-Visma attacking early, luring Pogacar into responding, and draining the Slovenian's energy as the 23-year-old was proven to be a mere mortal after all.

Even when stacked up against the days of when Team Sky (now INEOS Grenadiers) dominated Le Tour, Jumbo-Visma's performance this time around has been something special. As a result, they are the first team to win the yellow, polka dot (Vingegaard) and green (Van Aert) jerseys at the same edition of the race since Faema managed the feat in 1969, thanks to the great Eddy Merckx.

Vingegaard is the second Dane to win the Tour de France after Bjarne Riis in 1996, and it is the first time since 1992 that the winner of the race has been a native of the country where it started, with the first three stages of this Tour having taken place across Denmark.

Not since 2006 (Michael Rasmussen) has a Dane won the polka jot jersey, though it is the third successive edition of Le Tour that the GC leader has also claimed the King of the Mountains classification, with Pogacar having done so in 2020 and 2021. Before 2020, it had happened only three times across the previous 50 races – Merckx in 1970, Carlos Sastre in 2008 and Chris Froome in 2015.

Van Aert, meanwhile, is another star. The 27-year-old finished in second place in the opening three stages before finally claiming victory at the fourth time of asking, and his decisive attack on Hautacam gave Vingegaard the platform he needed to end Pogacar's hopes.

A sprinter by trade but a brilliant climber to boot, Van Aert never looked likely to relinquish the green jersey, easily fending off Jasper Philipsen and Pogacar for that prize. He is the first Belgian rider to win the points classification of the Tour de France since Tom Boonen in 2007.

As for Pogacar, three in a row proved one triumph too many, but when you contrast the talents of UAE Team Emirates with Jumbo-Visma, his achievements so far must be considered even more remarkable.

The white jersey, which Pogacar won in each of the last two years for the best young rider, was retained. He has been leading the youth classification over each of the last 51 racedays in the Tour de France (from stage 13 in 2020 to stage 21 in 2022), which is the longest run of consecutive racedays in the first place of a specific classification.

 

Pogacar will surely be back out to regain his crown in 2023 and along with Vingegaard could dominate for years to come, though do not count out Tom Pidcock from one day contesting for a jersey.

On his Grand Tour debut, the 22-year-old Briton has mightily impressed. His triumph on the famous Alpe d'Huez will go down in the record books. He not only broke the 100km/h mark on a descent, but became the youngest stage winner on the mountain in Le Tour history, breaking a 38-year record held by Lucho Herrera.

Pidcock, who won gold on the mountain bike at the Tokyo Olympics, is the 15th British rider to win a Tour de France stage, but just the second to do so on the Alpe d'Huez after Geraint Thomas, who at 36 has battled to a brilliant third-place finish overall.

It might well be the 2018 champion's swan song at Le Tour, while another veteran campaigner, Nairo Quintana, came in sixth in the general classification. That is Quintana's first top-10 Grand Tour finish since the 2019 Vuelta a Espana, and his best performance in this race since 2016.

The St Louis Cardinals will not have All-Stars Paul Goldschmidt and Nolan Arenado available to play in Toronto this week as they have not received the COVID-19 vaccination.

Canada requires all travellers to the country to be fully vaccinated, so Goldschmidt and Arenado will miss the Cardinals' two games against the Blue Jays on Tuesday and Wednesday, as confirmed by president of baseball operations John Mozeliak to reporters on Sunday.

St Louis entered Sunday's MLB action trailing the Milwaukee Brewers by 1.5 games for first place in the NL Central, and with a one-game lead on the Philadelphia Phillies for the third and final wild-card berth in the NL.

Goldschmidt and Arenado have played a major part in that success.

Goldschmidt is batting .333 with 22 home runs and 74 RBIs in 92 games, while Arenado is hitting .299 with 18 homers and 59 RBIs in 90 contests.

They were both selected to their seventh All-Star Game this season. Goldschmidt homered in the NL's 3-2 loss to the AL last Tuesday, but Arenado sat the game out due to tightness in his lower back.

Lorenzo Musetti won the first ATP Tour title of his career as he defeated fellow up-and-comer Carlos Alcaraz in Sunday's Hamburg European Open final.

Top seed Alcaraz ensured he would become the youngest player in the top five of the ATP rankings since Rafael Nadal in 2005 with his semi-final victory over Alex Molcan.

But the 19-year-old paid the price for an error-strewn display on Sunday, as Musetti, 20, took the crown 6-4 6-7 (6-8) 6-4.

Alcaraz was guilty of a slow start on the clay, with four wild unforced errors helping Musetti go a break up after the very first game. Although the Spaniard instantly hit back, his opponent gobbled up his next break point to take a 4-3 lead en route to winning the set.

Musetti then took charge early on in the second to go 2-0 ahead, but Alcaraz showed admirable resolve to see off a couple of match points and level the set at 5-5, before remarkably tying the contest in a tie-break that saw three more championship points squandered.

The deciding set was evenly contested almost throughout, until Musetti broke serve to make it 6-4 and take the match on his sixth championship point as Alcaraz hit a backhand long.

On a momentous day for the Italian, his jubilation was plain to see as he spoke afterwards.

"I have no words because it was a rollercoaster until the end," Musetti said on court. "I had so many match points. Carlos was so good on the match points, [I had] so many chances.

"But I think the key of the match was to keep calm and [have] all the patience [with] myself because it was really not easy.

"Carlos was putting so much effort in the match points when he was down, so it was not easy to find the energy to come back.

"But I cannot describe what I am feeling right now. I think I am still dreaming."

On the subject of the five match points he surrendered, Musetti added: "Of course I was really upset, but I tried to not show my opponent my reaction.

"I tried to forgive [myself for] all the match points and all the points [when] I couldn't do it. I think that was the most [important] thing, even for me, because I didn't expect the win after all this rollercoaster, so I'm super happy to be here and to be the champion."

Musetti and Alcaraz could end up meeting again in the coming week in Umag, where the latter is the defending champion and top seed.

Forecasting which players will break out in a given NFL season is a difficult exercise.

New stars can come from anywhere. Highly drafted rookies can swiftly justify their selection, while others who have endured a less linear path to the highest level often emerge from the wilderness to become well-known names.

But, for those players who have already had the benefit of experience in the league, Stats Perform can look at the data to judge who is in a spot to potentially make the jump to stardom.

Such ascents are regularly a product of situation. Here we look at three offensive players and three defenders who find themselves in spots conducive to a possible breakout year in 2022.

Jalen Hurts - Philadelphia Eagles

Hurts making the leap in his third season in the league is largely contingent on how his skill set is utilised by the Eagles.

Playing behind an excellent offensive line that ranked fifth in pass-block win rate last season and with a host of playmakers now including A.J. Brown, Hurts looks set up for success in 2022.

But for that success to be realised, the Eagles must tailor their offense to what he does well. In 2021, where Hurts clearly excelled was in the play-action game. Hurts produced a well-thrown ball on 80.4 per cent of play-action pass attempts, averaging 16.78 air yards on those throws.

Though they averaged 9.2 yards per play when they ran play-action, the Eagles did so on only 13.07% of their passing plays. By contrast, they ran straight dropback pass plays on 39.21% of snaps but averaged just 7.35 yards per play. Philadelphia went to the quick game on 21.57% of snaps with an average of 5.31 yards per play.

Having acquired Brown, who thrived playing in a heavy play-action offense with the Tennessee Titans, the Eagles must lean more into the play-action looks to give Hurts the best chance of improving on a quietly efficient 2022.

It would not be a seismic shift in their offensive approach, but with the talent level on their roster, it is one that could propel the Eagles to a deep playoff run and allow Hurts to end questions about his legitimacy as the long-term starter.

Brandon Aiyuk - San Francisco 49ers

Drafted from the star-studded receiver class of 2020, Aiyuk has not produced at the same level of Justin Jefferson, CeeDee Lamb and Tee Higgins.

That is partly a product of the many mouths there are to feed in the San Francisco offense and partly a result of him falling out of favour with head coach Kyle Shanahan early last season.

However, Aiyuk worked his way back to being a focal point of the Niners offense down the stretch in 2021, producing a string of key plays during their surge into the postseason.

Aiyuk produced a big play on 40.8% of his 98 targets last season – fourth among wide receivers with at least 50 targets in 2021. Delivering a burn, which is when a receiver wins his matchup with a defender on a play where he is targeted, on 65.3% of his targets, his 16 receptions of 20 yards or more were tied for 12th in the NFL.

His numbers in that regard appear likely to improve as the 49ers transition from Jimmy Garoppolo to Trey Lance at quarterback. Only one quarterback with a minimum of 50 attempts last season – Drew Lock (10.20) – averaged more air yards per attempt than Lance (10.10). Garoppolo’s 7.38 per attempt was below the league average of 7.99.

Aiyuk is an excellent route runner who brings yards-after-the-catch upside and has already shown signs of building a rapport with Lance, catching four passes for 94 yards in the 2021 third overall pick’s second start against the Houston Texans. 

If that rapport is furthered with a quarterback who should greatly improve the downfield threat posed by the San Francisco passing attack, 2022 could be the season in which Aiyuk establishes himself as another gem from a receiver class that has already emphatically lived up to its billing.

David Njoku - Cleveland Browns

The Browns have been waiting for an Njoku breakout since drafting him in the first round in 2017, and they are seemingly banking on it coming in the near future.

Cleveland signed Njoku to a four-year, $56.75 million extension this offseason having initially placed the franchise tag on the former Miami Hurricanes tight end. Those moves were made despite Njoku having a career-high in receiving yards of 639, which was in 2018.

Njoku has struggled with injuries – never starting more than 14 games in a season – but there’s evidence to suggest this will be the year he puts it all together. Last season, Njoku had a mediocre burn rate of 57.7%, but Rob Gronkowski (12.87) and Dallas Goedert (12.39) were the only tight ends with at least 25 targets to average more burn yards per target.

He was tied for 10th in burn yards per route (2.3) and 14th in big play rate (29.9%) and, assuming he stays healthy, will likely be the number two target behind Amari Cooper for the Browns in 2022.

The Browns' offense has recently been built around the running ability of Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt, but Deshaun Watson (if and when he is allowed to play) offers the passing game a significantly higher ceiling.

With the Browns’ wide receiver options beyond Cooper lacking in experience, Njoku stands to benefit greatly from that additional upside through an increased target share and the efficiency numbers from 2021 paint the picture of a player who will take advantage of his extra opportunities.

Christian Barmore - New England Patriots

New England suffered a self-inflicted talent drain in the secondary, but the impact of the loss of J.C. Jackson and Co. may be minimised if the Patriots can get more from the defensive front.

The Patriots were seventh in pass-rush win rate last year, so it is fair to question how much more of a jump they can make in that regard. But Barmore is the one who may fuel such a leap.

New England's second-round pick from 2021 had just 1.5 sacks last season. However, he ranked eighth among defensive tackles with at least 100 one-on-one pass rush matchups with a stunt-adjusted win rate of 38.34%.

He achieved a top-10 finish in that metric despite being double-team blocked 127 times. Only seven defenders were double teamed more often. 

Converting those pass-rush wins into sacks will be the aim in 2022 and, if he continues to dominate his matchups in his second year and the Patriots get the consistency from edge rushers Matthew Judon and Josh Uche to reduce the number of double teams, Barmore's production should see a significant improvement.

Pete Werner - New Orleans Saints

Off-ball linebackers might not move the needle like they once did, but Werner is set to step into a starting role alongside Demario Davis on a Saints defense that is still expected to be among the best in the NFL.

Werner allowed a burn on 13 of his 27 targets in coverage, and his ratio of 48.1% was above the league average for linebackers with at least 25 targets (50.8).

His burn yards per target allowed average of 8.08 yards was 18th for the players at his position to meet that threshold. Werner allowed a big play on 17.4% of his targets, also putting him comfortably on the right side of the ledger for that metric (the average was 19.8%).

On top of that, his run disruption rate of 12.1% was eighth for all linebackers with a minimum of 50 run defense snaps.

In a hugely encouraging rookie year, Werner proved he is ready to step up to the starting role.

Playing on a defense stacked with talent on the front and in the secondary, he is in a situation to make a massive impact for a unit that may have to carry the load if the Saints are to return to the playoffs in 2022.

Rashad Fenton - Kansas City Chiefs

The Chiefs suffered an underrated loss in free agency as cornerback Charvarius Ward departed for San Francisco. Ward allowed a burn on just 39.8% of targets in 2021 – the fourth-best rate among corners with at least 50 targets.

His departure will likely see Fenton and L'Jarius Sneed start at corner this season, though the Chiefs did add Trent McDuffie to their secondary in the draft.

The numbers indicate Fenton will rise to the challenge. He was second in burn yards per target (7.71) and third in burn yards per snap (1.22) allowed last year (min. 50 targets).

He gave up a big play on just 15.2% of targets – the third-best ratio in the league for the position. Fenton's consistency in producing tight coverage should fuel optimism he can ensure Ward's exit is not one that will cause the secondary to struggle.

Fenton has only two interceptions and 18 pass breakups to his name in three seasons. Another year of stingy coverage combined with more on-ball production for a Chiefs team likely to go deep into January again would raise the profile of an under-the-radar but very talented corner.

Lionel Messi could return to Barcelona one day, according to club president Joan Laporta, who feels "indebted" to the seven-time Ballon d'Or winner.

Messi's 21-year association with Barcelona, 16 of those spent as part of the senior squad, came to an end last August when he signed for PSG as a free agent.

The Argentina international won every trophy available with Barca and departed as the club's all-time record scorer with 672 goals across 778 appearances.

Last year's departure came as a huge shock at the time, with the Catalan giants' financial situation meaning they could not agree fresh terms that adhered to LaLiga's salary cap rules.

Messi has another year to run on his PSG deal, which will take him through to the age of 36, though that contract contains the option of a third season in Paris.

But Laporta, who was re-elected as president in March 2021, has opened the door for the club great to return to Catalonia one day.

"For Barca, he has possibly been the best player in history, the most efficient, only comparable to Johan Cruyff in the history of Barca," Laporta told ESPN.

"But it had to happen one day. We had to make a decision as a consequence of the legacy we had received, the institution is above players and coaches.

"I don't believe Messi's chapter at Barcelona is over. And I believe it is our responsibility to make sure that chapter is still open, that it hasn't closed.

"To have a moment to do it how it should have been done so that he may have a much more splendid ending than what he had."

 

Messi was directly involved in 937 goals for Barcelona, with his most prolific season coming in 2011-12 when scoring 73 goals in all competitions and assisting a further 28.

That is in stark contrast to the 11 goals and 14 assists managed in 34 games across all competitions during his first season at the Parc des Princes.

As the poster boy of the most successful period in Barca's history, Laporta feels a sense of gratitude towards the superstar forward.

"Do I feel indebted to him? Yes. Morally, as president of Barca, I did what I had to do," Laporta said. "But also as president of Barca and on a personal level, I think I owe him."

Erling Haaland declared "it's going to be fun" working with Pep Guardiola after he scored his first goal in a Manchester City shirt.

Haaland netted the only goal of the game as City beat Bayern Munich 1-0 at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin on Saturday.

Stormy weather conditions disrupted the friendly contest, but that did not stop the former Borussia Dortmund striker from getting on the end of a Jack Grealish cross in the 12th minute to tap in.

Speaking after the win, Haaland said: "As you probably all know, I've been watching a lot of City games in the last years, and in the last years it has been without a striker, so of course I've been seeing myself in these situations today, so I'm not surprised."

The Norwegian scored 86 goals in 89 appearances across all competitions during two and a half years at Dortmund, with only Robert Lewandowski (123 in 108 games) and Kylian Mbappe (93 in 111 games) from Europe's top five leagues scoring more in that time.

On his new manager, Haaland added: "Guardiola is a bit crazy and I like that, so it's going to be fun. It's one week so I cannot tell too much, but I've been training good and I'm ready for what's next."

Haaland's debut goal in the United States came courtesy of neat passes from Kevin De Bruyne and Grealish, and the 22-year-old is looking forward to playing with the England international.

"[Grealish is] good. He has to get better, I have to get better, but [it's a] good link. I like the vibe around him, so it's going to be fun."

Guardiola was pleased with the first sighting of his new number nine, saying after the game: "He scored a goal, which is important. These type of goals in front of keeper – always he's there. 

"The first minutes, he needs more rhythm and time but already he had 45 minutes which is good for him.

"We'll see how he reacts to the niggles that he had in the previous weeks. After we come back we have long weeks to prepare every weekend game. In those two or three weeks we will get the best form."

David Bakhtairi's hopes of being ready for the start of the 2022 season appear in jeopardy after he was placed on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list by the Green Bay Packers.

The Packers open their training camp on Wednesday as they prepare to make another push for a Super Bowl title after suffering more playoff disappointment last season.

But Bakhtiari will not be on the practice field as he continues a prolonged recovery from a torn anterior cruciate ligament and meniscus damage suffered in December 2020.

Players added to the PUP list may be activated at any time before Week 1 but cannot practice before then. 

Five-time All-Pro Bakhtiari played in just one game in 2021, featuring for 27 snaps against the Detroit Lions in Week 18.

However, he was absent as the Packers suffered a 13-10 defeat to the San Francisco 49ers in the Divisional Round of the NFC playoffs.

In 2020, Bakhtiari allowed a pressure rate of just 2.8 per cent, tied for the best in the NFL among left tackles with Andrew Whitworth, per Stats Perform data.

Should he be able unable to line up for the Packers' Week 1 clash with the Minnesota Vikings, Yosh Nijman – who started eight games in 2021 – would likely step into the breach

Irina-Camelia Begu came from a set down to defeat Sara Sorribes Tormo 3-6 6-3 6-4 to set up a final against Lucia Bronzetti at the Palermo Ladies Open.

A contest that lasted three hours and 12 minutes, finishing just 20 minutes shy of 2am local time, began well for Sorribes Tormo, with the fourth seed taking the opening set.

The Romanian came storming back in the second though and was forcing her opponent all the way back to the advertising curtain with a series of deep shots, while also impressing on her own serve, getting 90 per cent of her first serves in across the set.

Begu ultimately served out to take it 6-3 as the local time went past midnight, but there was plenty more to come as a third set that moved at a glacial pace in the early hours of Sunday morning kept the more dedicated fans in the stands away from their beds.

An hour after the second set had concluded, the score in the third was just 3-2 to Begu after the sixth seed forced a break against Sorribes Tormo, who was warned with a time violation during the game.

That seemed to be a turning point as one break became two, before the Spaniard broke back to initially frustrate Begu, only for the Romanian to serve out victory at the second time of asking.

She will face Bronzetti in Sunday's final after the world number 78 also came from behind to win her semi-final with compatriot Jasmine Paolini.

It was a remarkable turnaround considering Paolini won the opening set 6-0, with Bronzetti only winning 33 per cent of points on her own first serve compared to Paolini's 79 per cent on hers.

However, Bronzetti found several more gears in the second set, winning 83 per cent on her first serve this time, and she carried that form into the third, recovering brilliantly to take the match 0-6 6-3 6-3.

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