Ibrahima Konaté said on April 20, 2026 he is close to agreeing a new contract to remain at Liverpool after prolonged talks that have stretched more than a year. The 26-year-old France centre-back, whose current deal expires at the end of the season, told reporters after Liverpool’s 2-1 Merseyside derby win over Everton that discussions with sporting director Richard Hughes are “in a good way” and there is a “big chance” he will be at Anfield next season. Konaté, signed from RB Leipzig in 2021 for around £35–36 million, has been linked with Real Madrid but has been a key defender alongside Virgil van Dijk and said he wants to commit his future to the club. The season has been challenging for both player and club — Liverpool sit outside the top four and have been knocked out of domestic and European cups — and Konaté revealed he has dealt with personal difficulties this year, including the death of his father in January. A new deal would shape Liverpool’s summer transfer priorities and defensive planning.

April 20, 2026 — The San Francisco 49ers and veteran left tackle Trent Williams agreed to a two-year, $50 million contract extension, Williams’ agency Elite Loyalty Sports announced Monday. The deal includes $37 million fully guaranteed and a $22 million signing bonus and will keep Williams with the club through the 2027 season. The agreement ends an offseason standoff after the team declined a $10 million option bonus in March and provides the 12-time Pro Bowler with new guarantees as he approaches his 38th birthday in July. Williams started 16 regular-season games in 2025, earned second-team All-Pro honors and remains the 49ers’ clear top option at left tackle. The extension reduces the urgency for San Francisco to target an offensive tackle early in the 2026 NFL Draft and alters the team’s 2026 salary-cap planning, given Williams’ previously large cap number and remaining base salary obligations.

MANCHESTER, April 19, 2026 — Erling Haaland ended a Premier League scoring drought to fire Manchester City to a 2-1 win over leaders Arsenal at the Etihad Stadium, trimming the gap at the top to three points with a game in hand. Rayan Cherki put City ahead in the 16th minute before Kai Havertz pounced on a rare Gianluigi Donnarumma error to level almost immediately. Haaland’s 65th-minute finish — his 23rd league goal of the season — proved decisive as City moved to 67 points from 32 matches while Arsenal sit on 70 from 33. The victory hands momentum to Pep Guardiola’s side, who can overtake Arsenal with a win in their game in hand against Burnley. The match also featured a heated confrontation between Haaland and Arsenal defender Gabriel that drew yellow cards and sparked pundit outrage; VAR reviewed the incident and officials kept the bookings, with the Football Association unable to impose retrospective action because the on-field decision was made and reviewed during the game. Elsewhere Liverpool and Aston Villa grabbed late winners, and Morgan Gibbs‑White’s hat trick boosted Nottingham Forest’s survival push.

The NBA on April 19-20 announced finalists for its 2025-26 regular-season awards, headlined by a three-way race for Most Valuable Player: reigning winner Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Oklahoma City), Nikola Jokic (Denver) and Victor Wembanyama (San Antonio). Wembanyama is also a Defensive Player of the Year finalist alongside Chet Holmgren (Oklahoma City) and Ausar Thompson (Detroit) and is widely regarded as the favorite for that award. Other key finalists include Rookie of the Year contenders Cooper Flagg (Dallas), Kon Knueppel (Charlotte) and VJ Edgecombe (Philadelphia); Sixth Man nominees Tim Hardaway Jr., Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Keldon Johnson; Coach of the Year candidates J.B. Bickerstaff, Mitch Johnson and Joe Mazzulla; and Clutch Player finalists Anthony Edwards, Gilgeous-Alexander and Jamal Murray. The league said awards will be announced during playoff broadcasts starting Monday with Defensive Player of the Year, followed by Clutch Player (Tuesday), Sixth Man (Wednesday), Sportsmanship (Thursday) and Most Improved (Friday). The league allowed Luka Dončić and Cade Cunningham on ballots under an ‘‘extraordinary circumstances’’ clause despite not meeting the 65-game threshold; Anthony Edwards lost his appeal but remains a Clutch nominee selected by coaches.

Roman Reigns defeated CM Punk in the main event of Night 2 of WrestleMania 42 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas to win the World Heavyweight Championship, reclaiming a place atop WWE's card. The event, held over the weekend with a reported Night 2 crowd of about 55,255 and a combined two-night attendance above 106,000, featured several high-profile moments: Oba Femi, making a marquee WrestleMania debut, scored a surprise victory over Brock Lesnar in the opening match and Lesnar left his gloves and boots in the ring in a gesture that prompted widespread retirement speculation. Rhea Ripley regained the WWE Women’s Championship from Jade Cargill, and Penta retained the Intercontinental title in a multi-man ladder match. Promoters and talent have already started discussing future bookings — including possible send-off matches for Lesnar at SummerSlam — while WWE moves to capitalise on breakout pushes for Femi and renewed momentum behind Reigns’ title run.