Luka Jovic labelled Cristiano Ronaldo as "the greatest of all time" and hopes to emulate the Portugal forward's achievements in Italy after leaving Real Madrid for Fiorentina.

Ronaldo ended a nine-year spell with Madrid in 2018 to join Juventus, where he won two Serie A titles in three seasons before returning to Manchester United ahead of the 2021-22 campaign.

Jovic has followed a similar path, leaving the Spanish capital to move to Fiorentina on a two-year deal as part of a free transfer that will see Madrid take half of any future fee the Viola receive.

While Ronaldo left having taken LaLiga by storm with Los Blancos, Jovic departs after a largely unsuccessful spell in which he scored just three goals in 36 league games.

Madrid paid €60million in 2019 for the Serbia international after he impressed for Eintracht Frankfurt, but Jovic is aiming to put the past behind him as he referenced Ronaldo as one of his idols.

"I am inspired by Cristiano, he is the greatest of all time and I hope I can do what he did in Italy," Jovic told reporters on Thursday.

Jovic will wear Ronaldo's iconic number seven shirt, though the Fiorentina signing insists it was "the only one available that I liked", and believes a different system with the Viola will help him thrive.

"I've never played in this competition, but I have experience in Europe and I think we have the qualities to go far," he added.

"I always played better with two strikers, but in Frankfurt we played with three and in Madrid also with one. I'm just saying that I have to help, the rest is the coach's job.

"I've been training all summer and I think I've come here fit – I just have a little calf problem that doesn't bother me."

Jovic will not be the only Serbia striker operating in Serie A, with international team-mate and former Fiorentina forward Dusan Vlahovic playing up top for Juve.

Vlahovic and Dejan Stankovic share the record for the most goal scored by a Serbian in Serie A (51), but Jovic insists he will put international friendships aside with the Juve attacker now becoming a rival.

"Dusan did great in Italy and I will try to do the same," he continued. "In the national team we are team-mates and here rivals. He spoke to me greatly about the championship and about this club."

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp remains "completely convinced" by Darwin Nunez after the club-record signing was criticised for his performance against Manchester United.

Nunez joined Liverpool from Benfica in a deal potentially worth up to £85million (€100.5m) last month and made his first appearance in Tuesday's 4-0 loss in Bangkok.

The Uruguay international played the final half an hour of the contest and missed a glorious opportunity to open his account for the club when blazing over the bar late on.

That led to many already questioning the big-money signing, with footage of his miss shared widely on social media platforms.

But Klopp has no doubt that Nunez, signed effectively as a replacement for Sadio Mane after he joined Bayern Munich, will have a big impact in Liverpool's star-studded forward line.

"I'm not worried at all," he said at a news conference on Thursday ahead of facing Crystal Palace in Singapore.

"The general judgement [on Nunez] is absolutely nil interest [to us]. It will be like this and we all know it.

"It's kind of a game or a joke for some people to pick out some situations where a player's not doing well. That's only a game from [fans of] other clubs, which is normal.

"Our fans probably do [the same] with signings of Manchester United. We cannot take this seriously."

Nunez scored 48 goals in 85 games for Benfica in all competitions and averaged 1.2 goals every 90 minutes in the Portuguese Primeira Liga last season.

When only factoring in non-penalty goals, Nunez averaged exactly a goal a game in the Portuguese top flight – the best return of any player to have played at least 1,000 minutes across the Primeira Liga, LaLiga, Serie A, the Bundesliga and Premier League last season.

He also had the highest conversion rate of all players with 55+ non-penalty shots in the 2021-22 campaign (27.2 per cent). 

That explains why Liverpool spent so big to sign the 23-year-old, but Klopp does not want supporters to focus too much on his price tag.

"The only real important thing is how I judge the situation for the player and I couldn't be more calm – completely convinced about his potential," the German said.

"And actually, what our people – all Liverpool supporters in the whole world – should know is that new players need time and get time.

"We should be the first ones to delete the fee we paid [from our thinking]. Just delete it – it's not important.

"It's like this with strikers. He missed a chance and then there are some nervous people going, 'oh my god, he missed a chance' – I can promise you it will not be the last."

Nunez is expected to make his second Liverpool appearance in Friday's friendly with fellow Premier League side Palace.

Klopp added: "We do absolutely everything to not only see the things we saw from him at Benfica – from there, we go [further].

"Again, it is my responsibility to help Darwin fulfil his full potential and I'm completely calm. I think, with half a football brain, you don't doubt the potential of Darwin Nunez."

Ousmane Dembele believes Barcelona can challenge to win the Champions League after the France winger signed his new two-year contract.

Former Borussia Dortmund star Dembele looked to be heading out of Barcelona in January when acrimonious wrangling over his future led to him being ordered to find a new club.

At the time, Dembele had refused an extension to his deal, which ran through to the end of June, and Barcelona wanted to recoup some of his value rather than see him leave on a free transfer.

Yet it was all hugs and good will on Thursday as 25-year-old Dembele completed the formalities of the contract that will keep him at Barcelona until the end of the 2023-24 season.

Hampered by hamstring and knee trouble during his first five years at the club, Dembele hopes better times lie ahead.

He said: "It's a very happy day. Barca have been my club since I was little, and I hope to help them.

"These have been very difficult years due to injuries, but now it is another time. Staying was always my first option. I told this to the president and coach. It has taken a long time, but we are all happy. I'm looking forward to the season starting.

"The goal is to win titles, the dream is the Champions League, and I'm going to give everything to win this title. I'm going to work hard, and I hope it's a very good year for me and for Barca."

Dembele believes Barcelona are well placed, with Xavi as head coach and Joan Laporta pulling the strings as president, to bring the glory days back to Camp Nou.

He said there were "many people who have helped me a lot" at Barcelona, adding: "Now I have the confidence of everyone, and I am much better."

Laporta will be hoping Dembele delivers on his word as he looks to put the promise into practice, having been a key performer over the second half of last season.

Dembele has made 150 appearances for Barca and came to the fore when setting up 13 goals in the 2021-22 LaLiga campaign – more than any other player in the Spanish top flight.

He was particularly impressive after Xavi summoned him to help the team once it was clear he would not be moving on. Across the LaLiga campaign he made just 15 starts, plus six substitute appearances, so Dembele will be looking to play a fuller role in future.

Laporta, who hopes to close out the signing of Raphinha from Leeds United this week, said the signing of Dembele to new terms marked "a very important day for Barca".

"He has always wanted to stay and the truth is that he has made an effort to enter the new salary scale," Laporta said.

"Dembele has an incomparable talent, very specific. He brings us a lot. Xavi has loved him from the first moment.

"This year is very important, we have to win trophies. I am convinced that we will achieve it. Today is a very emotional day for me. The coach loves you, but so does the club."

Dan Biggar and Dillon Lewis have been passed fit to start Wales' series decider with South Africa in Cape Town on Saturday.

Wales skipper Biggar and tight-head prop Lewis left the field in last weekend's 13-12 victory in Bloemfontein with shoulder and arm injuries respectively.

However, both players were named in Wales' starting XV on Thursday, with head coach Wayne Pivac making just one enforced change.

With wing Alex Cuthbert having already been ruled out, Josh Adams – who scored Wales' late try last time out – comes into the side for the crunch clash.

It means the tourists will go with the same side that started the series opener two weeks ago, which ended in a dramatic 32-29 defeat in Pretoria.

George North will also start, seeing him overtake Stephen Jones as Wales' most-capped men's international back of all time with 105 appearances.

South Africa named their squad on Tuesday, with Jacques Nienaber making 11 changes to the hosts' line-up.

Eben Etzebeth will become the seventh Springboks player to win 100 Test caps, while Bongi Mbonambi reaches the half-century mark.

The Boks, gearing up for next month's Rugby Championship, are out to avoid successive home defeats for the first time since losing three in a row between July 2015 and June 2016.

South Africa: Willemse, Kolbe, Lukhanyo Am, De Allende, Mapimpi, Pollard, Hendrikse; Nyakane, Mbonambi, Malherbe, Etzebeth, De Jager, Kolisi, Du Toit, Wiese.
Replacements: Marx, Kitshoff, Koch, Mostert, Smith, Louw, De Klerk, Le Roux.

Wales: L Williams; Rees-Zammit, North, Tompkins, Adams; Biggar (c), Hardy; G Thomas, Elias, D Lewis, Rowlands, Beard, Lydiate, Reffell, Faletau.
Replacements: Lake, W Jones, S Wainwright, Alun Wyn Jones, Navidi, T Williams, Anscombe, Watkin.

Barcelona have confirmed that Ousmane Dembele has agreed a new two-year contract to stay at Camp Nou.

The five-year contract that Dembele signed when he joined Barca from Borussia Dortmund in 2017 expired at the end of June.

Talks have continued over a new deal and the France international has now agreed terms on a fresh contract, keeping him at Barca until the end of the 2023-24 season.

That Dembele remains a Barca player at all is a complete turnaround from the situation in January, when the club insisted the winger would be sold or leave on a free transfer at the end of the campaign after the 25-year-old turned down a contract offer.

Yet Barca on Thursday confirmed Dembele will remain with the Catalan giants.

The LaLiga club revealed he will sign his new deal at the Ciutat Esportiva Joan Gamper on Thursday afternoon.

Barca president Joan Laporta had revealed on Wednesday that Dembele's new contract will be confirmed this week.

Dembele has made 150 appearances for Barca and came to the fore last season, setting up 13 goals in LaLiga - more than any other player in the Spanish top flight.

The Blaugrana also reached an agreement to sign Brazil winger Raphinha from Leeds United for a reported fee of €67million (£56.57m).

Raphinha arrived in Spain for a medical on Wednesday.

Barcelona have confirmed that Ousmane Dembele has agreed a new two-year contract to stay at Camp Nou.

The five-year contract that Dembele signed after joining Barca from Borussia Dortmund in 2017 expired at the end of June.

Talks have continued over a new deal and the France international has now agreed terms on a fresh contract, keeping him at Barca until the end of the 2023-24 season.

That Dembele remains a Barca player at all is a complete turnaround from the situation in January, when the club insisted the winger would be sold or leave on a free transfer at the end of the campaign after the 25-year-old turned down a contract offer.

Yet Barca on Thursday confirmed Dembele will remain with the Catalan giants.

Leicester second-rower Ollie Chessum will make his first start and Danny Care returns to Eddie Jones' XV for England in the deciding third Test against Australia.

The tourists have made minimal changes to the side that delivered a major victory in Brisbane last Saturday, to force their three-game series to a decider against the Wallabies.

After overcoming the frustrations of an opening loss to their hosts in Perth despite a man advantage for most of the game, coach Jones rung the changes in a bid to stave off a second defeat in as many games.

That delivered a crucial 25-17 victory at Suncorp Stadium to take the series through to its final match, at Sydney Cricket Ground this weekend.

Chessum comes into the side as part of an enforced change, taking the spot of Maro Itoje, while Lewis Ludlum also steps up after Sam Underhill was ruled out with concussion.

Care meanwhile is the lone tactical change made by Jones to his backline, with the Harlequins scrum-half given the nod over Jack van Poortvliet, having been dropped for the latter in Queensland.

Australia meanwhile make four changes to the side that were downed in the Sunshine State, with two-time NRL premier and cross-code recruit Suliasi Vunivalu in line for a debut off the bench.

The ex-Melbourne Storm flyer switched codes to play for the Reds in 2021, and is the unfamiliar face among the newcomers, with Reece Hodge and Harry Wilson in for their first Tests of the year.

Nick Frost meanwhile gets a start in the second row and James Slipper moves back to the traditional spot of loosehead prop.

Australia team: Hodge, Wright, Paisami, Kerevi, Koroibete, Lolesio, White; Slipper, Porecki, Tupou, Frost, Philip, Wilson, Hooper, Valetini.

Replacements: Faingaa, Bell, Alaalatoa, Leota, Samu, McDermott, Ikitau, Vunivalu.

England team: Steward, Nowell, Porter, Farrell, Freeman, Smith, Care; Genge, George, Stuart, Chessum, Hill, Lawes, Ludlam, Vunipola.

Replacements: Cowan-Dickie, Vunipola, Heyes, Isiekwe, Willis, Van Poortvliet, Joseph, Arundell.

New Manchester United signing Tyrell Malacia has set his sights on dislodging Luke Shaw as Erik ten Hag's first-choice left-back.

Malacia became the long-awaited first signing of the Ten Hag era, joining from Feyenoord for a reported upfront fee of £13million (€15.1m), with £2m in add-ons.

The 22-year-old is expected to pose an attacking threat down the left flank, having laid on four assists in the 2021-22 season, while his 6.0 expected assists (xA) was bettered by only four Eredivisie defenders.

Shaw, Alex Telles, Diogo Dalot and Brandon Williams are among the other left-back options for United, who opened their pre-season campaign with a 4-0 thumping of Liverpool in Bangkok on Tuesday.

Malacia appeared as part of Ten Hag's second-half team, with both sides heavily rotating throughout the friendly, and he hopes to soon make the spot in United's starting XI his own.

"There are some good left-backs here – Telles, Brandon, Luke, me, so you have to work hard and prove ourselves in training and in the end the coach will make a decision," Malacia said.

"Of course [I am] always [confident]. It's everybody's aim. You always want to play, so you have to work hard for it."

Ten Hag was lauded for his free-flowing attacking football that saw Ajax lift the Eredivisie title three times in the coach's four full seasons at the helm.

Malacia, who impressed in the Europa Conference League final despite defeat to Roma, believes the tactics of the new United coach will suit his game.

"My defence is good, my attacking, my technique is good, so I'm looking forward to playing," he added.

"Of course I like to attack, I think that's one of the reasons why [Ten Hag] brought me here, so I have to prove to everyone why I’m here.

"He wants to attack with the left-back and right-back. I'm happy that I made my debut and that we got the win. I already feel like I'm home, they made me feel like I'm home already, so I'm happy.

"Of course it's a big difference playing for United against Liverpool. I wanted this all my life, I worked hard for it, so I have to work harder now."

Netherlands coach and former United manager Louis van Gaal warned Ajax's Jurrien Timber his place may be under threat should he join Ten Hag at Old Trafford.

As Van Gaal and Netherlands look towards the World Cup in November, Malacia assures he is yet to receive such a message from the national team's coach.

"No, I didn't speak to him,” Malacia added. "In the end the coach will make the decision, so we will see."

Casper Ruud was a surprise second-round loser as the Swedish Open defending champion fell to Francisco Cerundolo, while the favourites battled through at the Hall of Fame Open.

Ruud, a French Open finalist and defending champion in Bastad , lacked his usual composure as world number 39 Cerundolo broke him three times to win 6-4 3-6 7-5 on Wednesday.

That marked a first top-10 career victory for Cerundolo after defeating world number five Ruud, guiding him to his first quarter-final appearance at the tournament.

"I'm feeling amazing, I'm really happy," said Cerundolo, whose previous best result was beating world number 24 Gael Monfils. "It's amazing getting my first Top 10 win. It's been the best year so far in my career.

"He's a French Open finalist and was the defending champion here, so it was a big challenge for me and I'm happy to go through."

Aslan Karatsev awaits in the quarter-finals Cerundolo after downing Frenchman Hugo Gaston 6-2 6-4.

Fifth seed Pablo Carreno Busta survived a first-set scare to defeat 2016 champion Albert Ramos-Vinolas 4-6 7-6 (7-5) 7-5.

The victory was Carreno Busta's 250th tour-level triumph and he will next face third favourite Diego Schwartzman, who overcame Elias Ymer in straight sets.

Third seed Alexander Bublik was made to work for a 6-3 3-6 6-2 second-round victory over Jack Sock in Newport and Andy Murray edged past Wimbledon doubles champion Max Purcell.

Murray needed almost two-and-a-half hours to get the better of Purcell, eventually triumphing 4-6 6-2 6-1 to tee up a last-eight meeting with Bublik.

Fourth favourite Maxime Cressy had little trouble in beating fellow American Mitchell Krueger 6-3 6-4 and will next face Steve Johnson, who progressed past seventh seed Jiri Vesely with a walkover.

Benjamin Bonzi, ranked as fifth seed in the United States, eased past Christopher Eubanks in straight sets, while James Duckworth triumphed 7-5 3-6 6-2 over Quentin Halys.

John Isner joined the list of favourites who made the third round in routine fashion, beating Peter Gojowczyk in straight sets 6-3 7-6 (8-6), before top seed Felix Auger-Aliassime faced some adversity against Jason Kubler following the Australian's strong run into the fourth round of Wimbledon.

Auger-Aliassime has a slight advantage, leading 6-4 3-6 6-5 before play was suspended due to poor light. When play resumes, Kubler will serve with a chance to force a third-set tiebreak.

Mason Mount labelled new Chelsea signing Raheem Sterling as a "winner" and "experienced" pro, who can fill a leadership void and help the Blues compete for trophies on all fronts.

Sterling arrived from Manchester City for a reported fee in the region of £45million on Wednesday, as Chelsea announced their first signing since Todd Boehly's consortium acquired the club.

The England international joins his new Chelsea team-mates in the United States on their pre-season tour, having signed a five-year deal with Thomas Tuchel's side.

Only Riyad Mahrez (24) and Kevin De Bruyne (19) scored mores times in all competitions than Sterling (17) last season for City, but Mount says it is not just the forward's ability that will be vital for Chelsea.

"He's a top guy, such an experienced player, top class pro," Mount told Sky Sports.

"I've obviously been lucky to play with him over the last couple of years with England where he has captained the team at times, and he is someone who has been there for a very long time.

"When did he make his debut, 17, 18? So, he's a top player and I've learnt a lot from him over the last few years.

"For him to be joining us it is only going to bring our levels higher, he's definitely someone who strives for high levels to win and that's what we want.

"We want those players around this group and I'm very excited to see him and for him to be here."

Andreas Christensen and Antonio Rudiger head the outgoings at Chelsea this transfer window, with Romelu Lukaku joining Inter on loan and Barcelona reportedly interested in Cesar Azpilicueta.

With numerous key figures departing Stamford Bridge, Mount believes Sterling can take a leadership role for Tuchel's side as they chase domestic and European glory.

"I think obviously we have lost a few that are leaders, and I think he is coming in and he will be someone that is going to lead, be a big presence," Mount added.

"He'll be a big personality, that's what he's like but he's only going to make us better so I'm very excited.

"He's a winner and us as a team, we want to keep striving for that so hopefully we can win some things together."

Sterling may get his first action in a Chelsea shirt against Club America on Sunday before follow-up fixtures against Charlotte FC and rivals Arsenal.

Tuchel's side then conclude their pre-season preparations with a clash against Udinese, before their Premier League opener at Everton on August 6.

Antonio Conte heaped praise on the versatility and quality of Tottenham signing Richarlison after his first appearance for the Premier League side.

Spurs are in South Korea to start their pre-season, where they defeated a select XI from the K-League 6-3 on Wednesday.

Conte has already made five new additions to his side for the upcoming campaign, though Richarlison was the only one of those to feature at the Seoul World Cup Stadium.

The Brazil international played 77 minutes before his removal, with attacking partners Harry Kane and home favourite Son Heung-min stealing the show with two goals each.

Richarlison, who scored (10) and assisted (five) more Premier League goals than any other Everton player in the 2021-22 season, operated across the front three in his first showing.

Dejan Kulusevski, Bryan Gil and Lucas Moura are all competing with Richarlison for the final spot in attack for Conte, who hailed numerous features of his new arrival's debut.

"Today I have seen a lot of positive things about Richy," Conte told reporters.

"In the first half he played as a number nine and in the second half he played on the right and in behind the striker. He can play in all three positions.

"I think he is strong physically and a good personality, good character, good quality. For Richy he is working and we are working on the tactical aspects with him because he has to go into our idea.

"At the same time we have to work on the physical aspects for him to be fit. But for sure he is a player that gives me important positions up front.

"He's a player that is a good player, strong and very good to protect the ball and attack the space. I'm very happy that we signed him."

Fellow arrivals Yves Bissouma and back-up goalkeeper Fraser Forster missed the pre-season opener due to COVID-19, while Clement Lenglet has not travelled and Ivan Perisic is yet to be fit enough.

Conte assures former Inter star Perisic will soon be available, though, and explained regular starters Kulusevski and Ben Davies were absent as they build-up their fitness.

"For Ben it was the second training session and he needed to recover and run and do the same training as the players did in the last two days. It was the same for Kulusevski," the Italian added.

"We had a problem with COVID, with Bissouma and Fraser because the test was positive. For this reason they weren't here with us. Yes, [they are isolating].

"Perisic is working very well. He's very close. I think tomorrow he could have a part of the training session with us.

"Honestly we are satisfied because his recovery is going very fast and we are happy about this and when we come back in London he will start to have some of the training session with us."

Tottenham face Sevilla at the Suwon World Cup Stadium on Saturday before clashing with Rangers and Roma ahead of their Premier League opener at home to Southampton on August 6.

Lesia Tsurenko prevailed at the Hungarian Grand Prix in the longest match on the WTA Tour this year.

Tsurenko progressed to the quarter-finals in Budapest with a three-set victory over Kamilla Rakhimova.

It took three hours and 54 minutes for the Ukrainian to complete the 6-7 (1-7) 6-4 7-5 triumph, the match breaking the previous 2022 WTA record for duration, set in February when Daria Saville beat Emma Raducanu, the US Open champion retiring after three hours and 34 minutes in Guadalajara.

Martina Trevisan and Anna Bondar join Tsurenko as the first players through to the last eight.

Second seed Trevisan beat Natalia Szabanin and ninth seed Bondar overcame Despina Papamichail.

Sixth seed Zhang Shuai won her first-round match but top seed and 2021 French Open champion Barbora Krejcikova fell at the first hurdle to Wang Xiyu, losing in straight sets.

Fourth seed Anna Kalinina retired from her match with Katerina Siniakova and fifth seed Aliaksandra Sasnovich was defeated by Bernarda Pera.

At the Ladies Open Lausanne, Simona Waltert followed up her shock win over top seed Danielle Collins by beating Cristina Bucsa 6-1 5-7 6-4.

Third seed Irina-Camelia Begu lost to Anastasia Potapova, but fourth seed Sara Sorribes Tormo came through against Clara Burel.

Wimbledon semi-finalist Tatjana Maria withdrew from her match against Leolia Jeanjean.

Raheem Sterling has completed his move to Chelsea from Premier League rivals Manchester City, the Blues have confirmed.

The England forward moves for a reported fee in the region of £45million and is Chelsea's first major signing since Todd Boehly's consortium acquired the club.

Sterling – who had just one year remaining on his contract at the Etihad Stadium – has signed a five-year deal with Chelsea.

The 27-year-old scored 17 goals in all competitions for Pep Guardiola's team last season, a tally only bettered by Riyad Mahrez (24) and Kevin De Bruyne (19), as they conducted a successful defence of their title.

But an exit for the England star always looked possible after City signed Borussia Dortmund star Erling Haaland, with fellow attacker Gabriel Jesus also being allowed to join a Premier League rival in Arsenal earlier this month.

Now, Sterling will link up with Thomas Tuchel's side for their pre-season tour of the United States, as they look to build on a third-placed finish last season.

"First and foremost, it's a pleasure to be here," Sterling told Chelsea's official website.

"I've obviously achieved a lot in my career so far, but there is still so much more to achieve and I'm really looking forward to doing that in a Chelsea shirt, under Thomas's management.

"London is my home and where it all started for me, and it's amazing I now have the opportunity to play in front of friends and family week in, week out at Stamford Bridge. I'm really looking forward to meeting the fans there soon.

"I do want to take the opportunity to thank Todd, Behdad, the ownership group, Thomas, and all involved in the process of getting me here.

"I can't wait to get going now and continue to do my talking on the pitch."

Sterling's move will see him return to London, where he grew up and spent time in QPR's youth system before joining Liverpool as a 15-year-old.

The forward, a key part of the England side that reached the 2018 World Cup semi-finals and the Euro 2020 final, will hope a move to Stamford Bridge provides a guarantee of first-team football ahead of the World Cup in Qatar after he started just 23 of City's 38 league games last season.

Sterling won four Premier League titles, one FA Cup and four EFL Cups in Manchester after joining from Liverpool in 2015.

The Toronto Blue Jays fired manager Charlie Montoyo on Wednesday, despite sitting in a playoff position in the American League

Toronto entered the day with a 46-42 record and a half-game lead on the Seattle Mariners for the third and final wild-card spot in the AL. Bench coach John Schneider has been named the interim manager for the rest of the season. 

The Blue Jays gave Montoyo his first MLB managerial job after John Gibbons was let go following the 2018 season. Toronto went 67-95 under Montoyo in 2019, then reached the wild-card round in 2020 after going 32-28 during the pandemic-shortened season. 

Montoyo finished third in AL Manager of the Year voting in 2020, then guided the Blue Jays to a 91-71 record last season – the team's most wins since 2015. However, Toronto missed an AL wild-card spot by just one game. 

The Blue Jays signed Montoyo to a contract extension through 2023 days before this season started, but seeing their wild-card chances dwindling due to a current 2-9 stretch that has coincided with an eight-game winning streak for Seattle led to his departure on Wednesday. 

The 56-year-old Montoyo finished with a 236-236 record in the regular season with Toronto. 

Evander Kane re-signed with the Edmonton Oilers on a four-year, $20.5 million contract shortly before the start of NHL free agency, having resurrected a career in the midst of turmoil after joining the team midway through the 2021-22 season.

Kane, who totalled 35 goals in 58 games with Edmonton when including the playoffs, announced his decision in a Twitter post late on Tuesday.

The 13-year veteran forward signed with the Oilers in January following an ugly departure from the San Jose Sharks, who terminated his contract earlier that month for violating COVID-19 protocols while playing in the American Hockey League.

Kane did not play a game for the Sharks last season due to a handful of off-field issues. The 30-year-old began the campaign away from the team as the NHL investigated accusations from his ex-wife that he assaulted her and wagered on league games, and he also served a 21-game suspension for submitting a fake COVID-19 vaccine card to the Sharks and the NHL.

The NHL announced in October that it could not corroborate the domestic assault claims and said it found no evidence that Kane gambled on league games.

"Throughout the last 12 months, there have been lots of road blocks, tons of adversity and many tough days," Kane wrote. "I'm grateful for the tremendous amount of support from family, friends, team-mates and others who have helped me stay strong through these difficult times.

"I want to thank the Edmonton Oilers for giving me the opportunity to REMIND people who I am as a player and person."

A two-time 30-goal scorer, Kane rediscovered his touch by producing 22 goals and 17 assists in 43 regular-season games with Edmonton. He was even better in the postseason, tallying 13 goals and four assists in 15 games to help the Oilers advance to their first Western Conference final since 2006.

"A big part of my decision to stay in Edmonton was because of the opportunity given to me only seven months ago but also the chance to be a part of a championship team," he said.

"I want to win, and I believe after signing this deal we will be able to add the right pieces along with myself to accomplish that goal, a championship."

Selected by the Atlanta Thrashers with the fourth overall pick of the 2009 draft, Kane has compiled 286 goals and 259 assists in 812 career regular-season games. The Vancouver native is one of seven players to have scored 20 or more goals in each of the past seven seasons.