data-mm-id=”_fm423fy6t”>The Phoenix Suns made a big boy move on Wednesday night, acquiring Kevin Durant from the Brooklyn Nets. New owner Mat Ishbia put his stamp on the team immediately and made the Suns the NBA's new power team. The Nets are trading Kevin Durant to the Phoenix Suns for a package including Mikal Bridges, Cam Johnson, four first-round picks and additional draft compensation, league sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium. https://t.co/fJoFHv3i7M— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 9, 2023The Suns are sending Mikal Bridges, Cam Johnson, Jae Crowder, four first-round picks and a 2028 pick swap to the Nets for Kevin Durant and T.J. Warren. It is a franchise-altering deal as Durant will team with Devin Booker, Chris Paul and Deandre Ayton to form a foursome no one in the NBA can match on paper. Make no mistake, the Suns are surrendering a lot in this trade. Bridges and Johnson are key role players, and four first-round picks is a lot for a 34-year-old Durant who has three years and more than $153 million left on his contract. Durant is averaging 29.7 points per game this season and remains a top-tier scorer in the league, but injuries have begun to creep up on him. It's clear the Suns are going all-in over the next few years with the Durant-Booker-Paul trio. Phoenix now possesses more offensive firepower than anyone in the NBA and should be the title favorites right now. The Suns currently sit fifth in the Western Conference 8.5 games behind the first-place Denver Nuggets, but they should climb up the standings over the next few weeks. The balance of power has shifted dramatically. Credit Ishbia and his team for getting this deal done quickly. As stated, Phoenix is giving up a ton in this trade and getting considerably older as a result. But the Suns are getting an all-time great in return. It's reminiscent of the Los Angeles Lakers going all-in to get Anthony Davis in 2019. That move resulted in a champion. That's the model Phoenix is following. The Suns pulled off a league-altering trade Wednesday night. If everyone stays healthy Phoenix is the new team to be feared in the NBA. READ NEXT: 30 Best SportsCenter Anchors of All-Time
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After a difficult 2021-22 campaign, Rashford started this season strongly, and has carried that form into the World Cup with England in Qatar, where he has hit three goals.
The 25-year-old scored just five times in 32 Premier League games last season for United, but already has eight goals in 19 appearances in 2022-23.
Hannibal – who is spending the season on loan at Championship club Birmingham City – had also been playing at the World Cup with Tunisia, who were eliminated in the group stage.
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Ralf Rangnick has been in interim charge at Old Trafford since Ole Gunnar Solskjaer s dismissal in November.
English powerhouse United have failed to win any silverware since 2017
TOP STORY MAN UTD CONFIDENT ON LANDING POCHETTINO
Manchester United have renewed confidence that they will land Paris Saint-Germain head coach Pochettino as their new boss, claims The Mirror.
The Argentine is understood to be United s number one candidate for the permanent role.
Footmercato claims Pochettino is tired of the constant criticism he has received at PSG and will not stay beyond this season.
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Thomas Tuchel concedes Edinson Cavani has lost confidence this season, but is adamant he wants to keep the striker at Paris Saint-Germain.
Cavani, who is struggling with a groin problem, has handed in a transfer request at PSG, whose sporting director Leonardo has confirmed was the subject of a rejected bid from Atletico Madrid.
Premier League clubs Chelsea and Tottenham have also been linked with Cavani, who has been restricted to just nine Ligue 1 appearances this term due to injuries and the form of Mauro Icardi.
Tuchel understands Cavani s frustrations but insists the Uruguay forward is still a key part of his squad.
For now he is on the bench and lacking game time. He is lacking rhythm and confidence, Tuchel said ahead of Wednesday s Coupe de l…
Atletico Madrid head coach Diego Simeone hopes to cause Manchester United vertigo when his team travel to Old Trafford for the second leg of their Champions League round of 16 tie on Tuesday.
The first leg at the Wanda Metropolitano three weeks ago ended 1-1 after a late equaliser from substitute Anthony Elanga cancelled out Joao Felix s first-half header.
Atletico have lost their last two away trips to face English sides in the Champions League, losing at Chelsea in 2020-21 and Liverpool this season without scoring a goal in either.
They have also not kept a clean sheet in any of their eight away games against English teams in the competition, conceding 14 goals overall, but Simeone believes United could struggle as the home team.
We will press high…
Best Odds: 2/3
Bookmaker:
Looking to gain some perfect momentum heading into the summer, Switzerland will welcome the USA to St. Gallen on Sunday night for a friendly showdown.
Switzerland
Starting with the hosts, while Switzerland might have endured a nightmare two-month run of form between October and November of last year, The Reds have bounced back in some style. Looking to keep the mood in their camp at a real high before they open this summer s European Championships against Wales on June 12th, Rossocrociati will fancy their chances of potentially causing an upset on foreign soil. Only continuing to build off of that deserved 1-1 draw against former world champions Spain last year, Vladimir Petković s side have won each of their last four matchups across…
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Any one of Inter, their hosts and Lazio could have clinched the runner-up spot behind champions Juventus on Saturday, but the Nerazzurri – who were second going into the final round of fixtures – produced a professional and clinical display away to an Atalanta side that were nowhere near their exhilarating best.
Just 50 seconds had elapsed before Danilo D Ambrosio gave Inter the lead from a pinpoint Young delivery, before the former Manchester United captain scored a gorgeous goal to put Inter in complete control.
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The Oranje reached the quarter-finals of the World Cup in Qatar under Van Gaal, but criticisms were directed to a style of football that was perceived to be negative.
A five-man defensive line proved to be miserly, conceding just twice in the first four matches of the tournament, but fans wanted more creative output from a side that boasted the likes of Memphis Depay and Cody Gakpo.
The Netherlands venture in Qatar came to an end against Argentina in a shoot-out defeat, having fought back from a two-goal deficit in a game that marked the final stand of Van Gaal s third spell at the helm.
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Atletico Madrid centre-back Stefan Savic has signed a new deal with the Spanish champions, agreeing to extend his stay with the club until June 2024.
Montenegro international Savic has spent the past six seasons with Atletico and played a big part in last term s LaLiga title triumph.
The defender featured 42 times in all competitions in 2020-21 and started 33 of Atleti s 38 league games as Diego Simeone s squad won the title for the second time in seven years.
Atletico kept a clean sheet in 16 of those matches and won 24 of them for a win rate of 72.7 per cent, compared to 40 per cent in the five games Savic did not play a part in.
Since making his LaLiga debut in August 2015, no defender has helped their side to more clean sheets in the division than t…
Bayern Munich are interested in signing Chelsea central defender Andreas Christensen in the summer transfer window, according to . Christensen is out of contract at defending European champions Chelsea at the end of the season, and German and European giants Bayern are among the clubs interested in securing the services of the 25-year-old Denmark international centre-back on a free transfer.
Julian Nagelsmann, the head coach of Bayern, is reportedly a big fan of Christensen, and believes that the Chelsea central defender would make his team much better and stronger at the back. The defending German champions have already made offers to Christensen, who is now free to agree a pre-contract with any team outside England.
Christensen is one of the best central defenders in …
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Koeman, who was previously Oranje coach between 2018 and 2020, replaced Louis van Gaal following last year s World Cup in Qatar.
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