Sports

LONDON (AP) — Aston Villa has reached an agreement to sign Colombia striker Jhon Durán from Major League Soccer team Chicago Fire for a reported $18 million. The 19-year-old Durán scored eight goals in 22 appearances for the Fire last season and has played three times for Colombia. Villa says the deal is subject to

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — The Minnesota Wild have signed forward Matt Boldy to a seven-year, $49 million contract extension. Boldy will count $7 million against the salary cap through 2029-30. The deal kicks in next season. He was eligible to become a restricted free agent this summer. Minnesota paid up for Boldy before he

SALERNO, Italy (AP) — Serie A club Salernitana has fired coach Davide Nicola a day after the team lost 8-2 at Atalanta. The result was Salernitana’s fourth loss in its past five matches. That run that has sent the team plummeting down the Serie A table to 16th. Nicola was appointed Salernitana coach last February

By DOUG FEINBERG AP Basketball Writer Maya Moore has decided to retire officially from playing basketball. The Minnesota Lynx great stepped away from the WNBA in 2019 to help her now-husband Jonathan Irons win his release from prison by getting his 50-year sentence overturned in 2020. Irons married Moore soon after getting released and the

By STEVE DOUGLAS AP Sports Writer Liverpool is regressing at a pace few could ever have imagined a season after the team came close to winning an unprecedented quadruple of major trophies. The Reds’ 3-0 loss at Brighton on Saturday was a new low this season and led manager Jurgen Klopp to ask forgiveness from

LAUSANNE, Switzerland (AP) — European state broadcasters have been brought back into the heart of Olympic business with the IOC announcing a rights deal through 2032 with the European Broadcasting Union. Rights covering 49 countries for four Olympics from 2026-2032 were awarded to both the EBU and Warner Bros. Discovery. The previous European deal signed

By TALES AZZONI AP Sports Writer MADRID (AP) — Barcelona is hoping the tough times are finally over. The Spanish club got back to celebrating and to feeling good about its future again with a big victory over its main rival on Sunday. The 3-1 win against Real Madrid in the final of the Spanish

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Top-ranked Iga Swiatek has swept the last four games to beat Jule Niemeier 6-4, 7-5 in the first round of the Australian Open. Swiatek is bidding for her fourth career Grand Slam title. One of those previous ones came at least year’s U.S. Open, where she needed to come back from

DORTMUND, Germany (AP) — Borussia Dortmund has told 18-year-old striker Youssoufa Moukoko to make a decision about his future this month as one of the most sought-after young talents in world soccer weighs up whether to sign a new contract or become a free agent. Moukoko became the youngest player ever to represent Germany at

By HOWARD FENDRICH AP Tennis Writer MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Rafael Nadal has started the defense of his Australian Open title with a bit of a struggle along the way to a four-set victory over a cramping Jack Draper. Nadal was not in peak form but did manage to beat Draper 7-5, 2-6, 6-4, 6-1

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Novak Djokovic is set to make his return to action at the Australian Open after being banned a year ago because he was not vaccinated against COVID-19. He has won 30 of his past 31 tournament matches dating to the end of last season. He is after his 22nd Grand Slam

By MITCH STACY AP Sports Writer CINCINNATI (AP) — The Baltimore Ravens’ season ended with Lamar Jackson not in uniform, not on the bench — not even in Cincinnati with the team. An argument could be made their season ended on Dec. 4, when the star quarterback suffered a knee injury that ultimately sidelined him

By HOWARD FENDRICH AP Tennis Writer MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Bianca Andreescu has defeated the 25th-seeded Marie Bouzkova at the Australian Open. Andreescu traces the path that brought her back to the tennis tour after a mental health break to what she calls “an ‘Aha’ moment” on a beach in Costa Rica during a spiritual