The summer transfer window is open! Transfer Talk brings you all the latest buzz on rumours, comings, goings and, of course, done deals!

TOP STORY: If Man United offload Wan-Bissaka, then Mazraoui, De Ligt or Dumfries could arrive

Manchester United and Inter Milan have been offered a swap deal through intermediaries that would see Inter winger Denzel Dumfries join the English side as right-back Aaron Wan-Bissaka would go to Milan, Fabrizio Romano reports. AS Monaco's Vanderson could also be used in a swap deal instead.

If such a deal does take place, Man United are expected to push on with their attempt to sign Bayern Munich right-back Noussair Mazraoui, per the report.

Following Mazraoui's reported unwillingness to move to West Ham, Man United have emerged as clear favourites to sign him. His agent, Rafaela Pimenta, is also in talks with United over another Bayern star: center-back Matthijs de Ligt.

De Ligt's move to Old Trafford looked to have been put on hold after the club signed Leny Yoro, but with talks seemingly ongoing, all hope is not lost for United manager Erik ten Hag in his bid to be reunited with his former Ajax captain.

PAPER GOSSIP

- West Ham have also turned their attention towards Wan-Bissaka after the club failed to agree a deal with Mazraoui, according to Florian Plettenberg. While no agreement has been reached between the two clubs, fresh talks are expected to take place over the next 48 hours.

- Chelsea remain in talks with Villarreal over signing of goalkeeper Filip Jörgensen, according to Sky Sports News. He is now Chelsea's main target as they look for a new shot-stopper to compete with Robert Sánchez, leaving Djordje Petrovic's future uncertain. Leicester City goalkeeper Mads Hermansen was Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca's top target, but the newly-promoted Leicester's $51 million valuation priced Chelsea out of a move.

- Celtic have rejected a third offer from Atalanta for midfielder Matt O'Riley, according to Gianluca DiMarzio. The Danish midfielder enjoyed an impressive 2023-24 campaign for the Scottish champions, scoring 18 goals in 37 league games. As such, Atalanta have been pushing to try and sign the 23-year-old, but the club's third offer of 17 million ($18.5m) still wasn't enough to convince Celtic. It remains unclear whether Atalanta will return with a fourth bid for O'Riley.

- Talks between Nice and Juventus over the transfer of Jean-Clair Todibo are set to enter "key stages" over the weekend, per Fabrizio Romano. Juve will offer a loan with an option to make the deal permanent (almost guaranteed to be mandatory), while Nice will insist on inserting a move-on clause. Barcelona, the 24-year-old's former club, are set to receive 20% of any future transfer fee.

- Feyenoord and Brighton are discussing the possibility of Argentine midfielder Facundo Buonanotte joining the Dutch side on loan, as per Dutch outlet 1908.nl. The Eredivisie club have been in intense talks with the Seagulls over the past few days, with the proposed loan deal also including a clause to make the move permanent. The idea of playing Champions League football has reportedly convinced the 19-year-old to sign with Feyenoord for the upcoming season.

GREEN BAY, Wis. -- By late last season, the Green Bay Packers' major decision-makers had publicly stated that they believed they had their long-term starting quarterback.

Now, they've put their money behind him.

The Packers on Friday agreed to terms with Jordan Love on a four-year, $220 million contract, sources told ESPN's Adam Schefter. The $55 million average per year matches the Jacksonville Jaguars' Trevor Lawrence and the Cincinnati Bengals' Joe Burrow ($55 million) for highest in league history.

The deal, negotiated by David Mulugheta and Andrew Kessler of Athletes First, also includes a record $75 million signing bonus and $155 million in new full guarantees.

Love, 25, is now contractually tied to Green Bay through the 2028 season and is scheduled to become a free agent again at age 30.

While Love reported for training camp with the rest of the team this week, he staged a hold-in -- not practicing until the contract was done. He did attend practice and participated in everything the team did off the field, including meetings and film sessions.

Love could see the field as soon as Saturday, when the team goes in pads for the first time.

The earliest possible date the Packers could have signed him was May 3 -- one year after his previous extension. NFL rules say an extension cannot be extended within the first 12 months. His previous deal added one year, the 2024 season, to his rookie contract. It was in lieu of the team picking up the fifth-year option on that deal. At the time, they gave Love a $8,788,655 signing bonus. His base salary for last season was $1.01 million. It also included escalators that would have added $5 million to a $5.5 million base salary for 2024 had the two sides not agreed to this new deal.

Love threw for 4,159 yards with 32 touchdowns and 11 interceptions in the 2023 regular season. He was one of four quarterbacks last season to rank in the top 10 in passing touchdowns (second behind Dak Prescott), passing yards (seventh) and touchdown-to-interception ratio (seventh).

Love did something neither Aaron Rodgers nor Brett Favre did in their first seasons as the starter in Green Bay: make the playoffs. He started all 17 games and, after a 2-5 start, the Packers finished 9-8 to make the playoffs. Love led them to a wild-card win over the Dallas Cowboys in which he threw three touchdowns and no interceptions before the divisional round loss at the San Francisco 49ers, which ended with a Love interception on the final drive.

It was on that late-season march to the playoffs when Love became convincing. Over the final eight games, he had 18 touchdown passes against just one interception while completing 70.3% of his passes for 2,150 yards.

"To go through the tough stretch in October and to see him so steady through all that, and just really lead our team to get better week in and week out, and to see the rewards at the end of the season, I was very excited for him and our football team," Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst said shortly after the season. "For as good as he played, there's so much more in front of him and just excited for him and where he's going."

This after Love sat for three seasons behind Rodgers. It wasn't until Gutekunst traded Rodgers to the New York Jets in April 2023 that the Packers handed the offense over to Love. Before last season, he had started just one game -- a 13-7 loss at Kansas City when Rodgers was out because of COVID-19.

"He had a hell of a year," Packers coach Matt LaFleur said shortly after the season. "Let's not look past that. He really did. Just to see the growth ... Obviously, the results speak for themselves, but the growth of him as just the commander out there, he's an extension of us, and I thought the ownership that he showed, the leadership that he showed, was a great sign for us."

Love did it surrounded by the youngest roster in the NFL.

"I'm really happy for Jordan," Packers president Mark Murphy said this offseason. "The way he played -- and not only the level he played at, especially as the season got on -- he just seemed to get more and more confident. But his leadership, we saw that throughout the offseason and certainly during the season, so I'm really, really pleased with the way he's played and I just think the future is really bright."

NEW YORK -- Kodai Senga's season debut was going about as well as the New York Mets could have hoped Friday night: The right-hander had nine strikeouts through five innings against the Atlanta Braves, and the Mets, a win away from taking the top NL wild-card spot, held a six-run lead in what would be an eventual 8-4 victory.

Then Austin Riley hit a measly infield popup and Senga tumbled to the ground, writhing in pain, before the ball landed in first baseman Pete Alonso's glove.

Senga ended up on his back, grabbing his left calf. A trainer rushed out to check on him. Senga stood up and limped off the field to an ovation from an appreciative -- and concerned -- home crowd.

Minutes later, the Mets announced Senga exited with a left calf strain.

For five innings, there was nothing to be concerned about. The shoulder injury that had placed the Mets' ace on the injured list to start the season was a distant memory. The mechanical hiccups that the cautious Senga cited as the reason for his longer-than-expected recovery period were nonexistent.

His only rough patch surfaced in the second inning when he gave up a leadoff single to Travis d'Arnaud. Two batters later, Adam Duvall swatted a two-run home run to give Atlanta a 2-0 lead.

The Mets, keeping to their recent form, responded with three home runs in a seven-run third inning, clobbering Charlie Morton out of the game before he could record nine outs.

Senga, last season's NL Rookie of the Year runner-up, didn't give up another hit across his 5 innings. He issued one walk to the nine strikeouts. He threw 73 pitches -- six shy of his total from his fourth and final rehab start last Friday.

He was cruising. Citi Field was alive. The Mets were vibing again. That changed with Riley's popup. In a few seconds, the Mets went from celebrating Senga's return, a massive boost to the rotation for their playoff push, to wondering when he'll pitch again. The answer could have a significant impact on their postseason hopes.

The Leagues Cup match between D.C. United and Santos Laguna on July 31 will be relocated to Philadelphia Union's Subaru Park due to the unsatisfactory state of the pitch at D.C.'s Audi Field, the competition's organizers announced Friday.

The Major League Soccer team will also face a fine, with the organization prioritizing the safety and health of players.

"Due to concerns with the condition of the playing surface at D.C. United's stadium, the Leagues Cup 2024 match between Santos Laguna and D.C. United, originally scheduled for July 31, will be relocated to Subaru Park in Chester, PA, and rescheduled for July 31 at 8:00 pm ET," the Leagues Cup organizing committee said in a statement.

"This decision was made by the Leagues Cup organizing committee in coordination with both LIGA MX and MLS to ensure the best possible conditions for the competition. As a result of this situation, D.C. United will be issued an undisclosed economic sanction."

Since the beginning of July, Audi Field has served as host to a variety of events including two MLS matches, an international rugby match between Scotland and the United States, a club friendly between D.C. United and Scottish giants Celtic and the U.S. women's national team's Olympics send-off match against Costa Rica.

Multiple USWNT players commented on the state of the field after the match on July 16, labeling the pitch "bumpy."

"It was definitely a little bumpy," midfielder Sam Coffey said. "We noticed that in our matchday-minus-one training. I think there have been a bunch of other events on this field. Kind of like the heat, you can't do anything about it ... It wasn't the best field we've ever played on."

Added forward Mallory Swanson: "The corners, there's no secret that it was definitely [like] I was kicking into dirt."

In a statement, D.C. United said it was "installing a new grass field at the club's stadium on July 31 which was previously scheduled for Aug. 1."

It added: "D.C. United apologizes to the fans who purchased tickets to witness the game in Washington, DC. While this is the first time this has happened at the stadium, D.C. United has put greater parameters in place to protect this from happening in the future.

The decision to move the Leagues Cup match comes after intense criticism of the playing fields provided to participants during the 2024 Copa America in the U.S. this summer. Players and coaches voiced harsh concerns over the artificial grass, pointing out the safety hazard of the situation.

"Sincerely, the field is not apt for these kinds of players. We gave not necessarily a good game, but a game according to the pitch and what the opponent proposed. We couldn't do much more with the conditions of the pitch. Look at the speed of the passes that we did," said Argentina national team head coach Lionel Scaloni of the field at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

D.C. United will kick off the tournament against Atlanta United on Friday night at Mercedes-Benz Stadium before facing Santos Laguna in Philadelphia.

Ticket holders for the match are set to receive emails "regarding the status of their tickets as well as next steps."

MARSEILLE, France -- The United States men's soccer team earned respect despite losing to France 3-0 in its opening game at the Paris Olympics. Now it needs points.

The U.S. faces New Zealand in Marseille on Saturday knowing another loss likely would end its chance of advancing to the quarterfinals before its final group-stage game is played.

"We're not going to give up no matter what the situation is. You know, just one loss, shake it off and go to the next one," defender Nathan Harriel told The Associated Press on Friday.

New Zealand's 2-1 victory over Guinea has put it in a strong position to advance from Group A. It is second behind France on goal difference.

The U.S. is at the bottom of the group after conceding three second-half goals against France -- but for a long period held its own against the host nation.

Had Djordje Mihailovic's second-half shot found the top corner, rather than the crossbar, when the game was still goalless, the Americans might have been on course for an upset.

Instead, goals from Alexandre Lacazette, Michael Olise and Loïc Badé sealed a victory for the French, whose coach, Thierry Henry, admitted were pushed hard by the Americans.

"The game plan of the coach was excellent," he said.

While that was a compliment to Marko Mitrovic, the U.S. coach still has the task of getting his team back on track ahead of Saturday's critical game.

"It's always nice to hear from colleagues that certain things that we wanted to do caused them certain problems," Mitrovic said. "We play the game, we give everything, we learn and we move forward.

"We are now two days after the game and no matter what was the score or outcome for certain games, there is a moment where we have to stop thinking about that and just move forward."

Henry had been surprised by America's low block, which restricted France chances until Lacazette's breakthrough goal.

Mitrovic said he would deploy different tactics against New Zealand. That is likely to see the U.S. pressing higher up the field to pose more of an attacking threat.

This is the men's team's first Olympic appearance since Beijing in 2008. It failed to advance from the group stage back then, but despite the loss to France, there is confidence among the players that they can reach the knockout round this time.

"There were so many positives and without being naive, I really don't think the score reflected the way that we played and I think everyone feels the same way," U.S. forward Griffin Yow said.

"We showed who we are and it's not like we're just saying that we had a perfect game because a loss is a loss at the end of the day. But we're really taking the positives and also looking at the things that we could improve on, we could do better and just trying to be our best for the next match."

Pep Guardiola says he has not ruled out signing another contract extension at Manchester City.

Guardiola suggested towards the end of last season that he could leave the club at the end of the current contract, which expires in 2025.

But speaking on City's preseason tour of the U.S., the 53-year-old insisted he could yet decide to stay at the Etihad Stadium.

"I know maybe I was not correct to say in the right moment, when we won the Premier League, but I'm saying that I've been eight years in Man City so I'm not being here for eight more years," said Guardiola.

"That's why I'm closer to leaving than staying. But I didn't say I'm leaving.

"When I'm leaving, I will say I'm leaving. But I didn't say it.

"I will not rule it out absolutely to extend the contract. I just want to be sure it's the right decision, not just for me, for the club."

Guardiola is preparing for his ninth season as City boss, already his longest stint as a manager after four years at Barcelona and three in charge of Bayern Munich.

He's had unprecedented success since arriving in 2016, winning six Premier League titles, including the last four in a row, and the Champions League.

The last contract extension was agreed in November 2022 and he had been widely expected to seek a national team job at the end of his deal in 2025.

"I've not given it consideration because I haven't decided I'm leaving," added Guardiola.

"When I decide, OK it's over, first of all, I will talk with my sporting director, my chairman, my CEO. That's the first.

"I will never do one step without my team, my club not knowing it. I'm incredibly grateful. When it happens, we will talk. When? I don't know when is the best.

"It doesn't mean to do it that way is perfect, or doing it another way is perfect. Or maybe in a few months, I will say, extend the contract. So I don't know."

OXNARD, Calif. -- If CeeDee Lamb wants to know what a prolonged holdout from training camp feels like, he can reach out to Dallas Cowboys teammates Zack Martin and Ezekiel Elliott.

Martin missed three weeks of training camp last year before getting an adjustment made to his contract. Elliott missed all of camp and the preseason games in 2019 before signing a six-year, $90 million contract that included $50 million in guaranteed money.

Lamb's holdout is just three days and two practices old as he looks for a megadeal that would make him one of the highest-paid receivers in the NFL. Executive vice president Stephen Jones said Friday he had talks with Lamb's agent, Tory Dandy, on Thursday. Jones also spoke with Todd France, the agent of Dak Prescott, as they try to work out a deal.

Martin and Elliott called missing camp a "tough situation."

"You're just at home, man, by yourself," Martin said. "I was just at home for a couple weeks. My family was up north, so you're sitting there in your thoughts, and you know what's going on at training camp. You know how exciting it is those first few weeks when you're out here getting around the guys and getting going. Just kind of a lonely feeling."

While Martin worked out in the Dallas area, Elliott went to Cabo for his training before his agent worked out the deal. He said he felt some "guilt" and "anxiety" as he waited.

The back-and-forth talks were difficult for Elliott.

"It's really tough because you go through your first three or four years and you guys are on the same side, and this is the first time that now you're kind of going against each other," Elliott said. "So, you've got to have a little thick skin. There's some little extra stuff that comes with it, but at the end of the day, we all have the same goal."

Lamb is scheduled to make $17.99 million on the fifth-year option. A new deal would likely land him somewhere around $32 million or more annually with $100 million guaranteed. He led the NFL in catches last season and set team records with 135 catches and 1,749 yards.

The absences of Elliott and Martin did not impact their on-field performance. Elliott ran for 1,357 yards and 12 touchdowns and was named to the Pro Bowl. Martin was named to the Pro Bowl and was a first-team All-Pro.

Neither believes Lamb will have a problem getting up to speed once the situation is resolved.

"He's just got to know that everyone in that locker room has got his back," Martin said. "We know hopefully he'll be out here sooner rather than later."

Elliott said, "The team understands that CeeDee needs to handle his business and CeeDee understands that he has the support of the team behind him. Just stay in shape, which it looks like he's doing, and be ready to go once the deal gets done."

During practice, the Cowboys have not made concessions to Lamb's absence in terms of the repetitions for the other receivers. Jalen Tolbert has worked in Lamb's spot with the starters opposite Brandin Cooks.

"We need to get the connection between the receivers and the quarterbacks and take advantage of all these great reps we have out here in Oxnard, take advantage of this weather so it's really just about getting the volume towards your timing, get the rhythm, and everything you're trying to get done with the pass game," coach Mike McCarthy said. "So really, we're not affected by that because we would be operating the exact same way."

The NCAA, its five power conferences and lawyers representing a class of Division I athletes filed the detailed terms of an antitrust lawsuit Friday that has the potential to reshape the business of college sports.

The parties agreed in late May to settle a trio of lawsuits (House v. NCAA, Hubbard v. NCAA and Carter v. NCAA) about the various ways schools compensate their athletes. Friday's filing is the first of several important steps toward formalizing the agreement. The new details outline how past athletes will share the $2.78 billion in damages that the NCAA has agreed to pay, sets up a new system for revenue sharing and outlines new roster limits for a long list of college sports, among other items.

"This is another important step in the ongoing effort to provide increased benefits to student-athletes while creating a stable and sustainable model for the future of college sports," the NCAA and its power conferences said in a statement Friday evening. "While there is still much work to be done in the settlement approval process, this is a significant step toward establishing clarity for the future of all of Division I athletics while maintaining a lasting education-based model for college sports, ensuring the opportunity for student-athletes to earn a degree and the tools necessary to be successful in life after sports."

Schools will be permitted for the first time to pay their athletes directly via name, image and likeness (NIL) deals under the terms of the settlement. Each school could provide up to 22% of the average revenue that power conference schools generate from media rights, ticket sales and sponsorships -- a sum that is expected to be between $20 million and $22 million per school when the settlement goes into effect at the start of the 2025-26 academic year.

Athletes would still be able to make money from NIL deals with third parties, but the NCAA said the settlement will allow them to install a more "robust and effective enforcement and oversight program" to make sure those third-party deals are "legitimate NIL activity." Many athletes -- especially in football and basketball -- currently receive money from booster collectives, which have evolved to serve as outsourced payrolls to attract top players rather than payments for an athlete's actual value as an endorser. The NCAA hopes its new system will reduce those types of arrangements.

The NCAA plans to create a database of NIL deals to try to objectively assess whether arrangements between an athlete and a third party qualify as a legitimate endorsement deal. Several coaches and athletic directors have told ESPN in the past weeks that they anticipate some form of NIL payments from collectives will continue.

The settlement allows for the court to appoint a "special master" to rule on any disputes about new rules related to player compensation. This marks a notable change from the NCAA's history of using its own enforcement arm to determine if any athletes or schools are violating its compensation rules. The settlement would also establish an arbitration process for players and schools to object to any punishment under the new rules.

The two sides have not yet determined who will serve as the new enforcement entity or who will oversee the arbitration process of any future disputes.

The $20-22 million figure that serves, in effect, as a salary cap will increase over time as the leagues' revenue grows. Experts cited in the court documents said they expect the cap number to grow to nearly $33 million per school by the end of the settlement's 10-year term. The NCAA and plaintiffs' attorneys said those payments when combined with the tuition and other benefits that athletes already receive will create a system where many schools are sharing close to half of the revenue they generate with athletes. That figure is comparable with revenue share agreements in professional sports.

Steve Berman, co-lead counsel for the athletes, said reaching a near 50/50 revenue split was their intent during negotiations.

"That was what was in our heads, yes," Berman said.

The 50/50 split calculation considers all athletes at the school as one group rather than on a sport-by-sport basis. For example, it is highly unlikely that football players -- who generate the majority of revenue for most schools -- will receive 50% of the money that the football team generates. Some of those benefits have to be shared equitably due to Title IX regulations. The settlement does not provide detailed instructions on how to apply Title IX to these new benefits, leaving some potentially tricky decisions up to each individual school.

The law firms run by Berman and his co-lead counsel, Jeffrey Kessler, will be responsible for auditing financial statements from NCAA schools during the course of the 10-year settlement to make sure schools are properly reporting their revenues.

For past damages, the plaintiffs' attorneys submitted a proposed formula for deciding how to divide money among the eligible athletes. Any Division I athlete who played a sport from 2016 to present day is eligible for past damages. The 2016 cut-off is due to the statute of limitations on the initial House v. NCAA lawsuit, which was filed in 2020. The formula takes into account a number of factors, including where the athlete went to school and how many snaps or minutes they played.

Berman said that football and men's basketball players from power conference schools will be eligible to receive an average of $135,000. Women's basketball players from power conferences could receive an average of $35,000. The likely payout for athletes from other sports will depend on how many enter claims.

For some, part of the payouts will also be based on the athletes' potential earning power had they been able to sign NIL deals while they were in school. Berman said the highest individual estimated payout for one athlete will be $1.8 million.

As part of the settlement, the NCAA agreed to remove any limits on the number of scholarships a school can provide to athletes. Previously, NCAA rules dictated a certain number of scholarships per sport. If the settlement is approved, there will instead be a limit on how many total players each team can have on its roster and each individual school will decide how many of those players it wants to put on scholarship.

Judge Claudia Wilken is expected to review the proposed settlement terms for the next several weeks and decide whether to accept them on a preliminary basis by early September or sooner. The settlement proposes that notice would be sent to athletes about the details of the settlement on October 1 and that the window for athletes to object to its terms would be 105 days later on Jan. 14, 2025.

Berman said the plaintiffs plan on publishing a website that will allow all athletes to figure out how much money they might receive from the pool of damages.

After the athletes have a chance to review the terms, Judge Wilken will make a final ruling on whether to accept the settlement. That decision is not expected until late 2024 or early 2025.

The Seattle Mariners, less than 24 hours after landing Randy Arozarena, made another splash on the trade market Friday, acquiring reliever Yimi Garcia from the Toronto Blue Jays, the team announced.

Outfield prospect Jonatan Clase and minor-league catcher Jacob Sharp were sent to Toronto in the trade.

García was one of the top relievers available before next Tuesday's trade deadline. The 33-year-old right-hander has a 2.70 ERA and 2.64 FIP in 29 appearances this season. He's held opponents to a .152 batting average, the eighth-lowest mark among relievers who have thrown at least 30 innings this season. Hitters have compiled a .526 OPS. His 36.5% strikeout rate ranks seventh.

Mariners manager Scott Servais didn't define a role for Garcia as the Mariners view the back end of their bullpen as interchangeable, but he'll certainly be asked to pitch in high leverage moments.

"Very good competitor. He's got good stuff," Servais said.

"We don't really have an eighth-inning or seventh-inning guy. Wherever we can find the right pocket for him. He can take on a number of different roles."

Unlike Seattle's anemic offense, which has been the main culprit in the club's recent descent, the relief corps has been largely effective this season. The Mariners' bullpen, which has logged the fewest innings in baseball thanks to one of the sport's best starting rotations, ranks 11th in the majors in ERA, 13th in FIP, and fourth in strikeout rate.

But a need for a backend reliever might have surfaced Wednesday when right-hander Gregory Santos exited his outing against the Los Angeles Angels with a knee injury. Santos, acquired in February from the Chicago White Sox, made his season debut on July 9 after starting the year on the injured list with a lat strain.

Santos' setback arose after the Mariners placed star center fielder Julio Rodriguez (ankle) and shortstop J.P. Crawford (fractured hand) on the injured list earlier in a dismal 1-5 homestand that concluded Wednesday with a 2-1 loss to the Angels.

Clase, who made his major-league debut in April, had two stints with the Mariners this season, batting .195 with a .452 OPS in 19 games. The 22-year-old Dominican slashed .274/.373/.483 with 10 home runs in 59 games for Triple-A Tacoma.

Sharp, 22, hit .255 with a .773 OPS in 44 games in A-ball this season, his first full season as a pro. The 5-foot-7 catcher was taken in the 17th round out of UNLV last year.

For the Blue Jays, one of baseball's biggest disappointments this season, the trade is the first of what is expected to be multiple moves to shed veterans for young talent before Tuesday's deadline. Seattle, meanwhile, is attempting to stop a freefall before it's too late.

The Mariners sat atop the American League West standings with a 10-game lead on June 18. That cushion evaporated in just over a month; they have since gone 10-20 and entered Friday's series opener against the White Sox one game behind the blistering Houston Astros.

The front office, as a result, chose to act. Late Thursday night, they addressed an offense with the third-lowest OPS in baseball by adding Arozarena, perhaps the best hitter who will be traded before Tuesday's deadline. On Friday, they bolstered the bullpen with one of the market's most coveted relievers. Time will tell if the moves make the difference they need.

ESPN's Jesse Rogers contributed to this report.

MILWAUKEE -- Milwaukee Brewers manager Pat Murphy says it's inevitable that Christian Yelich will have surgery at some point on his ailing back but remains optimistic the All-Star outfielder can return this season.

"Obviously he's going to need surgery," Murphy said Friday before the Brewers played Miami. "Anything he does between now and then is a bonus. I think he wants to play very badly."

Yelich said Thursday at his annual charity event benefiting veterans and the Milwaukee community that no surgery is planned at his point as he attempts to work his way back from a back issue that has landed him on the injured list twice this season.

Both Murphy and Brewers president of baseball operations Matt Arnold remain hopeful about the chances Yelich will play again this year.

"I fully believe he will," Murphy said.

Yelich missed about a month earlier this year because of a lower back strain. He was lifted for a pinch hitter in the eighth inning of a 1-0 victory over the Chicago Cubs on Tuesday and went back on the injured list the next day with inflammation in his lower back.

He also has dealt with back problems in previous seasons.

"It's a low back issue in some capacity that then obviously can radiate to other parts, including his leg, his nerve, etc.," Arnold said. "It's certainly a lot for him to navigate, but he's certainly working hard to come back."

Even with the back issues, the 32-year-old Yelich is batting .315 with a .406 on-base percentage, 11 homers, 42 RBI and 21 steals in 73 games for the NL Central-leading Brewers. He would be leading the NL in batting average if he had enough plate appearances to qualify.

Arnold said any surgery would cause Yelich to miss the rest of the season. Yelich is hopeful he can work his way back this year without needing surgery.

"I've dealt with back stuff for a while and been able to kind of manage it and get through it and find a way to be out there," Yelich said Thursday. "We're going to come up with a great plan, we've got some steps to try to rehab this thing along way and really get back out there as soon as possible. Who knows when that's going to be, how quick that can be? I'm hoping as quick as possible."