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Curtis Jones: Inter Milan close in on £30m deal for Liverpool midfielder

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Inter Milan are closing in on a deal worth 35m euros (£30m) for Liverpool midfielder Curtis Jones.

In June, Liverpool rejected a verbal offer of 25m euros (£21.7m) from Italian champions Inter, with Liverpool valuing the 25-year-old, who has one year left on his current contract, at about £35m.

The understanding now is that a deal worth £30m will likely see an agreement between the clubs. Sources in Italy believe that a verbal agreement is in place but both clubs say that further details need discussion.

Liverpool are open to selling Jones and want something in line with the £30m package that Inter paid Tottenham for Djed Spence.

The Serie A side were interested in Jones in January and proposed a loan with a view to a transfer but that was turned down by Liverpool.

Jones has made 228 appearances for Liverpool since making his debut under Jurgen Klopp in 2019. Last season, he played 49 times in all competitions but only made 18 starts in the Premier League and struggled to secure a regular starting spot in midfield under Arne Slot.

Jones, who joined Liverpool‘s academy at the age of nine, is understood to be keen on pursuing a new challenge and would become the third English player to join the Italian champions this summer, after John Stones and Spence.

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Nick Kyrgios: Controversial tennis player’s career could be over after positive cocaine test

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In 2023, Kyrgios admitted assaulting ex-girlfriend Chiara Passari by pushing her on the pavement during a row in Canberra. The magistrate called the incident “a single act of stupidity or frustration” when sparing him a criminal record.

Then two years ago he publicly distanced himself from controversial influencer Andrew Tate, who is currently fighting extradition to the UK on charges including rape and offences related to sex trafficking.

Kyrgios told the BBC he had “deleted posts, unfollowed him and gone to all lengths to distance” himself from Tate.

The current world number 919 will now step away from public life for the next 28 days to “do the work and come back better.”

The legal process will take many months – and Kyrgios is no fan of tennis’ anti-doping system.

Describing the system as “awful,” he made repeatedly clear his opinion that both Jannik Sinner and Iga Swiatek received overly lenient bans after their recent high-profile doping cases.

“Sad day for tennis. Fairness in tennis does not exist,” Kyrgios wrote after Sinner accepted a three-month ban for testing positive for clostebol.

But if he does decide he wants to continue his career into his thirties, much will rest on the process of which Kyrgios has been so critical.

If you, or someone you know, have been affected by any issues raised in this article, support and information is available at BBC Action Line. You can also contact the Samaritans on a free helpline at 116 123, or visit the website., external

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Leon Baptiste: ‘Missing’ athletics coach serving prison sentence in Morocco

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An English athletics coach and former gold medallist said by media reports to be missing is serving a prison sentence in Morocco, BBC Sport can reveal.

Leon Baptiste, who was coaching a clutch of top British track athletes in the run-up to this summer’s Commonwealth Games and European Championships, suddenly went off the grid more than three months ago.

Neither UK Athletics, for whom he worked as a consultant sprinting coach, nor the sprinters he coached knew why he was out of contact.

In May, Baptiste sent the group of athletes he coached a short message saying he would be absent from training “for a while”. They have been given no further explanation.

Over the weekend, he was reported in the media as being “missing” and was said to have disappeared in Morocco.

On Tuesday, a brief email was sent to the people coached by Baptiste – the 200m gold medallist at the 2010 Commonwealth Games – in which he resigned from the position, citing unspecified ill health.

A source at the Moroccan Ministry of Justice confirmed to BBC Sport that Baptiste was arrested in Marrakech in May, has subsequently been convicted and is now serving a custodial sentence in Al-Oudaya prison.

“In relation to the reports concerning the alleged ‘disappearance of Leon Baptiste’ – an English athletics coach reportedly missing in Morocco for more than two months under questionable circumstances – please note that the information published in this regard is inaccurate and does not reflect the facts of the case,” said the source.

“The foreign national concerned had not lost contact with his surroundings and was not subject to any disappearance or unexplained absence.

“He is currently being held at the local prison in Marrakech, where he is serving a custodial sentence following his conviction by the competent judicial authorities in connection with a misdemeanour case.”

They added Baptiste, 41, was “in good health”.

No details of what he was convicted of, or the length of his sentence, were provided.

The MMJ source said that was not uncommon in the Moroccan judicial system.

A spokesperson for the Morocco Public Prosecution Office confirmed: “The British national is currently being held at the local prison in Marrakech, where he is serving a custodial sentence following a court judgment against him in connection with his involvement in a criminal case.”

Asked directly about Baptiste, a UK Foreign Office spokesperson said: “We are supporting a British national who is detained in Morocco and are in contact with the authorities.”

Sources told BBC Sport that Baptiste travelled to Marrakech with three other British former athletes, who have all since returned to the UK.

BBC Sport has made attempts to contact the athletes but had no reply.

Baptiste’s family are understood to be aware of his imprisonment.

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How to watch Marlins vs. Phillies: TV channel and streaming options for August 19

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The Philadelphia Phillies aim to continue their five-game win streak when they meet the Miami Marlins on Wednesday at 6:05 p.m. ET, at Citizens Bank Park. Aaron Nola (4-9, 5.33 ERA) gets the start for the Phillies, who are 69-58 this season and second in the NL East. Sandy Alcantara (13-7, 3.43 ERA) is expected to start for the Marlins, who are 64-63 and third in the NL East.

How to watch Miami Marlins vs. Philadelphia Phillies

Marlins vs. Phillies odds

  • Favorite Moneyline: Phillies -125
  • Underdog Moneyline: Marlins +105
  • Total: 8.5
  • Total Over Odds: -110
  • Total Under Odds: -110

Injury reports

Phillies

Rafael Marchan: 10 Day IL (Knee), Caleb Kilian: 15 Day IL (Oblique), Johan Rojas: 60 Day IL (Elbow), Brad Keller: 60 Day IL (Elbow), Adolis Garcia: 60 Day IL (Lat), Tanner Banks: 60 Day IL (Forearm)

Marlins

Kyle Stowers: 10 Day IL (Hamstring), Max Meyer: 15 Day IL (Neck), William Kempner: 15 Day IL (Elbow), Anthony Bender: 15 Day IL (Shin), Adam Mazur: 60 Day IL (Elbow), Andrew Nardi: 60 Day IL (Ribs), Robby Snelling: 60 Day IL (Elbow), Ronny Henriquez: 60 Day IL (Elbow), Joe Mack: day-to-day (Shoulder)

Stats to know

  • Bryce Harper is hitting for a .259 BA, .380 OBP and .493 SLG with a 20.7% strikeout rate and a 16.6% walk rate. His OPS is .873, which ranks 13th in MLB, and he has scored 79 runs. In 542 plate appearances, he has hit 25 home runs (18th in MLB) and driven in 72 runs. Harper has been crafty on the base paths, recording seven steals on 12 attempts.
  • In 529 plate appearances, Luis Arraez is hitting .317/.352/.434 with a .785 OPS and 10 steals on 10 attempts. He has hit five long balls, driven in 52 runs and scored 59 times.
  • Otto Lopez has hit nine home runs this season. He has also tallied 54 RBIs and has scored 75 runs. In 534 plate appearances, he has recorded a .308 BA, .343 OBP and .449 SLG with a 5.1% walk rate and a 12.9% strikeout rate. He has been effective on the base paths, recording 24 steals on 28 attempts.
  • In 533 plate appearances, Xavier Edwards has slashed .286/.366/.385 this season. He has hit six long balls and driven in 47 runs with a strikeout rate of 13.5% and a walk rate of 11.6%. He has stolen 19 bases on 24 attempts and has scored 59 runs.

This watch guide was created using technology provided by Data Skrive.

Betting/odds, ticketing and streaming links in this article are provided by partners of The Athletic. Restrictions may apply. The Athletic maintains full editorial independence. Partners have no control over or input into the reporting or editing process and do not review stories before publication.

Photo: Jamie Squire, Ishika Samant, Scott Taetsch, Alika Jenner / Getty Images

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