Digest

NFL

Bosa bags record $135m Chargers deal

Defensive end Joey Bosa has agreed to a contact extension that will make him the highest-paid defensive player in the NFL.

Two people familiar with the deal said the five-year extension is worth $135 million, which includes $78 million guaranteed at signing and $102 million overall. The people spoke to Associated Press on condition of anonymity Tuesday night because the contract has not been finalized.

ESPN was the first to report on the deal, which eclipses the five-year, $125-million extension that Cleveland's Myles Garrett signed two weeks ago. That contract included $100 million guaranteed for Garrett, a defensive end who was the top pick in 2017.

The Chargers confirmed Bosa has agreed to the extension but did not disclose financial terms.

Bosa was entering the fifth and final season of his rookie contract. There was some thought that he would hold out if an agreement had not been reached, but he reported to camp on Tuesday.

SOCCER

Juve-bound Arthur goes AWOL on Barca

Brazilian midfielder Arthur Melo could face sanctions for failing to turn up at training with Barcelona, which concluded a deal to sell him to Juventus a month ago.

The Catalan club says the player is under contract until the end of the season and has demanded he return, with local press claiming he was in his native Brazil.

"The player has not joined the squad as expected and we are considering a course of action," said a Barca statement.

Arthur has been sold to Juventus in a deal worth $81 million with Bosnian playmaker Miralem Pjanic moving in the opposite direction for a similar fee.

The 23-year-old Arthur had been reluctant to leave Camp Nou and even released a statement in April, insisting his "idea was clear" and that he wanted to play at Barcelona "for many years".

Barca coach Quique Setien said in a media conference at the time of the sale: "We expect the greatest commitment from him until the last day he is here."

Madrid's Diaz tests positive for COVID-19

Real Madrid forward Mariano Diaz has tested positive for COVID-19, the Spanish champion said on Tuesday, casting doubt on his participation in its Champions League tie at Manchester City next week.

Madrid, which trails City 2-1 from the first leg of their last-16 tie before the pandemic suspended the competition in March, is set to play the English side in the second leg on Aug 8 at Etihad Stadium.

The Champions League knockout stage from the quarterfinals onwards will be played as single legs in Lisbon.

Britain has imposed a 14-day quarantine for travelers from Spain but British media reported that elite sports teams traveling into the country will be exempt.

Over the weekend, Spanish side Fuenlabrada confirmed it had 28 positive cases at the club, including a few cases in Madrid where the team is based, costing the second-division club a shot at promotion to La Liga.

BASEBALL

Marlins games off as virus cases rise

Major League Baseball temporarily suspended the Miami Marlins' season through Sunday because of their worsening coronavirus outbreak, and the three remaining games in this week's New York Yankees-Philadelphia Phillies series were postponed on Tuesday.

In a statement, MLB said it wanted to allow the Marlins time to focus on providing care for their players and plan for a resumption of play early next week.

The Marlins remained stranded in Philadelphia, where they played last weekend. The Phillies-Yankees games through Thursday were postponed "out of an abundance of caution", MLB said, although no Phillies players have tested positive for the virus.

The Marlins received positive test results for four additional players, bringing their total to 15, a person familiar with the situation told Associated Press. The person declined to be identified because the results had not been publicly released.

Nine players on the 30-man roster, two taxi-squad players and two staff members tested positive earlier.

Xinhua - Agencies