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Liverpool's Premier League rivals have been warned, by Danny Murphy in an exclusive interview with GOAL, that it is "just a matter of time" before Alexander Isak hits top form. The Sweden international striker became the most expensive player in British football when completing a £125 million ($168m) transfer to Anfield, but has registered just one goal for the Reds.

• Playing catch-up: Record-breaking Isak expected to come good

  That solitary effort was recorded in a Carabao Cup clash with Championship side Southampton in September. Isak is yet to open his account in Premier League action, with three top-flight appearances taken in so far. His next could come against Manchester United on Sunday.

  Liverpool need somebody to provide attacking inspiration in that contest, with Arne Slot’s side heading into a meeting with the Red Devils on the back of three successive defeats across all competitions. The reigning champions have slipped to third in the Premier League table as a result.

  The expectation is that Isak will soon start to fire on all cylinders, with a protracted summer transfer saga having prevented him from enjoying a proper pre-season. Liverpool are still working on getting their expensive No.9 fully up to speed.

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  Isak goal target: Anything less than 20 under par?

  Ex-Reds midfielder Murphy believes that process will be completed sooner rather than later. Speaking in association with online casino BetWright, he told GOAL when asked if anything less than a 20-goal season from Isak will be considered under par and whether he will be given more time to settle than £116m ($156m) playmaker Florian Wirtz: "Yeah, I think that's fair. I think it's a bit different with Isak. Two things really – he will get a bit more time from the fans and the media because they know he's not had a pre-season, so physically he's doing bits on the job.

  "The other thing that really gives him a bit of grace is the fact that, because he has been in the Premier League a couple of years and shown all his quality already, people know he's got it, people know he can do it. There is no question around is he good enough – we know he is. The security of what he has already done stops people jumping on him or criticising as quickly. But he's under pressure as well, of course. Any player at a big club that comes in for a load of money is expected to deliver.

  "I've got no worries about Isak. You can see in games that he has moments where you see what he is and the things he does. Then he has moments where you can tell he's a bit tired and needs a few more games – especially as a striker, that sharpness, that feeling that they get when they start scoring. You feel with Isak that it's just a matter of time."

• Time to be judged: Slot makes Isak admission

  Liverpool boss Slot has said that now is the time for Isak to be judged, with the 26-year-old having got more important minutes under his belt with Sweden during the October international break.

  Slot has said: "Fitness-wise he is close to the level he should be and we can judge him in a fair way from now on. The first five or six weeks, of course we had the player we signed but he was not completely ready. He was getting fitter but he had to do this in a Premier League game. This is not normal for a player. Ideally you would use him earlier in friendly matches but there is no time in the middle of the season for a friendly so we had to build him up playing Premier League and Champions League games.

  "You have to be on top of your game to make a difference at this level. You can play at this level if you are 80, 90 or 95% but to make a difference at the highest level of football you need to be 100%. That goes for every player and I think I can safely say he is 100% now."

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  Liverpool fixtures: Testing run across three competitions

  Slot went on to say of Isak being under pressure to deliver end product: "Of course if you are a No 9 at Liverpool you need to score goals but that is what he has always done in his life. The only thing he needs to be is fit and, if he is fit, our team is still creating the most chances from open play in the Premier League and we have the most shots on target in the Premier League from open play. But there is a second part of football that has become quite important and there we have to improve. You know what it is? Set pieces. There are two games in football, the open play and the set-piece part."

  Liverpool face a testing run of games through to the next international break. After rekindling their rivalry with United, a Champions League trip to Eintracht Frankfurt awaits. They will then go to Brentford before taking on Crystal Palace in the Carabao Cup fourth round. A domestic home date with Aston Villa is followed by a European one with Real Madrid, with a visit to Manchester City set to be made on November 9.

KKR’s new captain backs the inexperienced fast-bowling trio of Harshit Rana, Spencer Johnson and Vaibhav Arora despite combined returns of 8.2-0-105-1

Sreshth Shah23-Mar-20251:35

Rayudu: Rahane a ‘completely different’ cricketer after CSK stint

Ajinkya Rahane has made a point about his suitability in the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) batting order in his first outing with the team itself, his 31-ball 56 the star turn in their innings against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the IPL 2025 opener. He can’t look back and relish the innings, though, since it came in a defeat. Instead, the focus is to bounce back quickly as KKR fly to Guwahati to face Rajasthan Royals (RR) on Wednesday.”I hope you all enjoyed my innings rather than me enjoying my batting,” Rahane said at the post-match press conference. “For me, it’s all about contributing for the team and that’s what matters to me. Whatever runs I score, it’s always about the contribution. An innings of 56 on the winning side would have been really nice. But it’s fine.”Rahane said the rush of wickets in the lead-in to the death overs was where KKR lost their way – they slid from an impressive 107 for 1 in the tenth over to a tepid 174 for 9 after 20. Sunil Narine’s 44, an innings that started sluggishly, alongside Rahane’s half-century had set the base for a score in excess of 200, but the middle-order – KKR’s famed engine room – failed to make the most of it.Related

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Barring No. 5 Angkrish Raghuvanshi’s 30, the others fell quickly, and KKR scraped together only 23 runs in the last four overs. It was far from enough as RCB cruised to victory with 22 balls to spare.”It is the first game of the season and the batting line-up which we have, we have guys who like to go after the bowlers,” Rahane, a new member of the team and its captain, said. “As a team, I thought there are a few areas we did well and there’s always areas we can improve.”I thought RCB bowled really well in the powerplay, but important was how they picked up wickets in the 13th and 14th overs [13th to 16th – they went from 125 for 3 to 150 for 6]. Those were crucial since that was the momentum-changer. I don’t focus on all the negative things because this side has players who have done very well for this franchise in the past. So I’m going to back them. In the game tonight it didn’t work out, but it’s okay.”Rahane also defended the selection of Quinton de Kock, who had one of his poorest IPL seasons in 2024 but was picked at the auction, over Rahmanullah Gurbaz as the wicketkeeper-opener.”Gurbaz is a fantastic player but you cannot play everyone,” Rahane said. “We have to fit the combination in that manner. So we thought as a team that the pair of Quinton and Sunil opening can be dangerous. You saw Phil Salt and Virat Kohli at the top of the other, two right-handers, so that [not following a left-right opening combination] doesn’t matter.”1:48

Why were RCB spinners successful?

On the bowling front, Rahane said Harshit Rana, Vaibhav Arora and Spencer Johnson – the three fledgling fast bowlers in the KKR XI for Saturday – needed to be backed. He felt their past performances made up for their relative lack of experience even though they went for combined figures of 8.2-0-105-1 on the night.”I don’t believe in making too many changes,” Rahane said. “[Anrich] Nortje has been coming out of an injury, and for fast bowlers it is a tough life. Harshit, Vaibhav and Spencer have been doing well. Spencer, with that left-arm angle, is different. So we made sure that we have that – a guy who can go with that left-arm angle with good pace. Vaibhav has also been doing really well.”Harshit is a confident player and I would like to back players who has done well for the franchise. He’s learning from each and every game, each and every season. It’s always about showing that trust and faith in them. All three guys are equally good, and it was just one of those days. I’m sure they will bounce back.”

أكد آرني سلوت، مدرب نادي ليفربول، على صعوبة تقبل خسارة فريقه 3 مباريات متتالية، موضحًا أنه يتوقع مباراة صعبة وقوية ضد مانشستر يونايتد اليوم الأحد.

ليفربول يستضيف مانشستر يونايتد مساء اليوم الأحد على ملعب آنفيلد، لحساب منافسات قمة الجولة الثامنة من بطولة الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز.

ويسعى ليفربول إلى تحقيق الفوز على مانشستر يونايتد، عقب الخسائر المتتالية للفريق أمام كريستال بالاس وتشيلسي في الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز، وجالطة سراي في دوري أبطال أوروبا.

وقال سلوت لموقع ليفربول الرسمي: “بسبب فترة التوقف الدولي، ستكون هذه أول مباراة لنا منذ أسبوعين، لذا آمل أن يكون لاعبونا وجهازنا الفني قد عادوا منتعشين وجاهزين للعب من جديد، فمن الواضح لنا جميعًا أن الفترة التي ندخلها الآن هي فترة تتطلب منا إحراز تقدم حقيقي”.

وأضاف: ”هذا لا يعني أن كل ما حدث في الأسبوع الذي سبق التوقف الدولي كان سيئًا، كما أن سلسلة الانتصارات لا تعني بالضرورة أن كل شيء على ما يرام، لكننا نعمل على تحقيق النتائج لذا علينا إيجاد التحسينات اللازمة لتحسين أدائنا”.

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وأوضح: ”خسارة ثلاث مباريات متتالية أمر صعب وليست أمرًا يمكن لنادي مثل ليفربول أن يعتاد عليه ولذلك من المهم جدًا أن يحدث رد فعل بالطريقة الصحيحة، ولكي يحدث هذا، علينا جميعًا أن نتكاتف داخل الملعب وخارجه، وأن نظهر شخصية ليفربول الحقيقية، فنحن وحدنا من يستطيع تصحيح الأمور”.

وأردف المدرب الهولندي: “لن يتطلع أحد، وبالتأكيد ليس خصوم اليوم إلى مساعدتنا”.

وعن مدرب مانشستر يونايتد، روبن أموريم واصل: “أود أن أرحب بروبن أموريم ولاعبي مانشستر يونايتد وجهازه الفني ومسؤوليه وجماهيره في أنفيلد لحضور هذه المباراة، غالبًا ما يتحدث عن التنافس بين ناديينا من حيث الشغف والنجاح، وهذا صحيح ولكن ما يغفل غالبًا هو الاحترام المتبادل القائم بينهما”.

وتابع: “أعتقد في الواقع أنه سيكون من الغريب بعض الشيء لو لم يكن هذا هو الحال، لأنه إذا كنت ناديًا ناجحًا، فيجب أن تفهم وتقدر مدى صعوبة النجاح”.

واستكمل: “في الموسم الماضي، تمكّنا من الانضمام إلى مانشستر يونايتد بـ20 لقبًا في الدوري، ومعرفة مدى صعوبة تحقيق هذا الإنجاز تعطيني فهمًا أعمق لما حققته أنديتنا على مر السنين”.

وقال: ”هذا يعني أيضًا أنه كلما لعبنا، ستكون المباراة شديدة التنافس نظرًا لما نمثله وما هو على المحك، لقد سلط لقائُنا الأخير في أنفيلد الضوء على هذا الواقع، لذا يجب أن نتوقع مباراة أخرى بنفس القدر من التنافسية اليوم”.

وأضاف: ”هدفنا هو استخدام هذه المعرفة لإخراج أفضل ما لدينا، هذه ليست مباراة للندم أو للتفكير فيما كان يمكن أن يحدث، بل هي مباراة يجب أن نبذل فيها قصارى جهدنا لتقديم أفضل أداء لأن أي شيء أقل من ذلك لن يكون كافيًا على الأرجح”.

وأوضح: ”يبدو الأمر وكأنه مضى وقت طويل الآن، لكن مباراتنا الأخيرة على أرضنا في الدوري ضد إيفرتون كانت من نوع مماثل لذا فنحن نعرف ما يلزم للظهور بشكل جيد في المباريات التي تتميز بروح تنافسية محلية قوية”.

وأردف: ”إن الاستفادة من هذه المعرفة مع إدراك التحديات المختلفة التي سيواجهها مانشستر يونايتد لن تكون أسوأ فكرة على الإطلاق”.

وتابع: ”وتجدر الإشارة أيضًا إلى أن مشجعينا أحدثوا فرقًا كبيرًا في مباراة الديربي الأخيرة لذا نأمل أن تتمكنوا من تكرار ذلك، أعلم أنكم ستصابون بخيبة أمل من النتائج الأخيرة، ولكن كما ذكرت في بداية هذه الملاحظات فإن أفضل طريقة للخروج من هذا المأزق هي أن نكون معًا دائمًا”.

واختتم برسالة إلى جماهير ليفربول: ”اليوم، نحتاج إلى أصواتكم، نحتاج إلى شغفكم، نحتاج إلى دعمكم، كلما زاد عددهم كان ذلك أفضل”.

Crystal Palace playmaker Eberechi Eze has both Arsenal and Tottenham hot on his heels during the final three weeks of this summer window, with the England international holding a preferred destination between the pair.

Eze was, by some distance, Oliver Glasner’s standout attacking force last campaign, racking up 14 goals and 11 assists in all competitions, and Palace still face the very real threat of losing their talismanic number 10 before the transfer deadline on September 1.

The 27-year-old’s £68 million release clause (including bonuses) was thought to expire on August 1, but new information from the last few days has now revealed that the clause actually remains active until this Friday.

Arsenal were also once the main contenders to sign Eze, with some reports even suggesting they’ve reached an agreement on financial terms, but it appears sporting director Andrea Berta won’t have a free run after all.

The Gunners have been in constant dialogue with Eze’s representatives since early July, but they’ve stalled on making a formal bid for him thus far – allowing north London rivals Tottenham a chance to swoop in and open talks with Palace (Fabrizio Romano).

Spurs were after Nottingham Forest’s Morgan Gibbs-White as their top attacking target, but despite booking a medical for the 25-year-old and being ready to trigger his £60m release clause this time last month, Nuno Espirito Santo’s side blocked the move, threatened legal action and convinced him to sign a new deal.

This has prompted them to turn to Eze, with Arsenal and Spurs now poised to battle for the former QPR star’s services.

Eze averaged more shots at goal, key passes and successful take-ons per 90 than any other Palace player last season, and given Liverpool are now closing in on a deal for Marc Guehi, the Eagles would be severely weakened if they lose their star creator too.

The presence of his active release clause theoretically means one of Arsenal or Tottenham could swoop in to trigger it at any moment, and this remains a possibility over the next three days until it expires.

Eberechi Eze's "first preference" between Arsenal and Tottenham

If both clubs are prepared to pay £68 million, the result of this transfer race could come down to who Eze would rather join.

According to The Independent’s Miguel Delaney, Eze does have a “first preference” between Arsenal and Tottenham.

The reliable journalist has revealed that the club he’d rather join is Arsenal, but that isn’t to completely discount Thomas Frank’s side, as Eze remains open to potentially signing for them as well.

Given Mikel Arteta currently has captain Martin Odegaard and newly tied-down youngster Ethan Nwaneri at his disposal for the number 10 role, Spurs are arguably in more desperate need of Eze.

Frank missed out on Gibbs-White and James Maddison has just succumbed to an ACL rupture which will rule him out for most of the season, so Arsenal could compound real misery on their rivals by beating them to Eze’s signature.

Christian Pulisic has been urged to take as many lessons as possible from legendary AC Milan team-mate Luka Modric. USMNT star Pulisic is now working alongside a Ballon d’Or winner at San Siro. That is considered to be a good thing for his ongoing development, both as a football player and one of the most marketable performers in the global game.

Modric furthering his legacy in Italy

Modric finds himself in Italy after bringing a 13-year stint at Real Madrid to a close. He took in 597 appearances for the Blancos, helping them to four La Liga titles and six Champions League crowns.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesModric a veteran Ballon d'Or winner

A prestigious Golden Ball was passed in Modric’s direction in 2018, following his exploits for Croatia at that summer’s World Cup, and his vast experience is now being put to good use in Milan. The all-time great is, like Cristiano Ronaldo, prolonging his career at 40 years of age.

Pulisic to pick up tips from an icon

United States international Pulisic – who is of Croatian heritage – has been told that he could not wish for a better mentor. The 26-year-old, who is fondly known as ‘Captain America’ in his homeland, has been told to learn from how Modric goes about his business on and off the pitch.

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GettyIvan Rakitic's advice for USMNT ace

Ex-Barcelona star Ivan Rakitic, who played alongside Modric at international level, has told the podcast from CBS Sports: “I think, first of all, Pulisic has to learn a bit more Croatian. First step. And then I think there are some players, during their career, as is possibly [the case with] Luka, they are different. But why are they different? Because they are able to get the control of a team or of some guys, to give them something special where they really can improve their game, you know. And Luka is like this … Luka will be like this with him, but also with all the other guys, and I think this will be the best part for Pulisic to enjoy this time he will have with Luka on the pitch.

“Because after that, the time is flying. Time is passing so fast. I think he has to try to learn from Luka, but not only on the pitch and during the training sessions. When they are on the way, how he really is dealing with PR, all these parts are important. This was maybe something similar when I was with Xavi in the team in Barca. I tried to learn from this guy, by doing everything you know, and this is where he can really say maybe in 10 or 15 years, this year or two years, I don't know how long he will stay in Milan, was amazing because there you can learn many things. What it is really to be a player on the highest level.”

He suggested the looming five-Test series played a part in the issue quickly being put to bed

Andrew McGlashan06-Nov-2024David Warner has called on Cricket Australia to fully explain what happened when the ball was changed on the final day of the Australia A-India A game in Mackay.The Indian players, particularly wicketkeeper Ishan Kishan, were angry when a different ball was handed to them by the umpires before play. Audio picked up over the stump microphone heard umpire Shawn Craig saying there were scratches on the previous one and telling Kishan he would be put on report for calling the decision “stupid.”Related

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“You scratch it, we change the ball,” Craig said. “There will be no more discussion, let’s play.”Hours after the game finished, a CA statement said the ball had “deteriorated” and that no further action would be taken. “Both teams’ captain and manager were informed of the decision prior to the start of play,” the statement added.Warner, who said he was not across the whole incident but had seen the exchanges in the middle, suggested the issue had been “squashed” ahead of the imminent arrival of India for the five-Test Border-Gavaskar Trophy.”The ultimate decision is with CA isn’t it?,” Warner said. “I think they have obviously squashed it as fast as they could, given that India is coming out here this summer. But if the umpires deemed something happened, I am sure there will be a follow up. I think the umpires or the match referee should be standing here answering questions.””I think the match referee should be coming out and addressing his own staff which are the umpires. And if they’re sticking by the umpire’s decisions, you have to stand up for that. That’s obviously a statement CA have to release. I have not seen anything.”It’s understood there is no footage available of anything untoward being done to the ball.Under the laws, a five-run penalty is imposed if the umpires change the ball after they consider it to have been unfairly altered. However, the CA playing conditions include an extra clause which mean the umpires can make a change without implementing penalty runs if it’s unclear how the ball came to be damaged.Warner’s comments came on the day he was unveiled as Sydney Thunder captain following the overturning of his lifetime leadership ban imposed for his role in the Newlands ball-tampering scandal in 2018.”The punishment that was handed down was there for a reason and I thoroughly accept that,” he said. “You’re always going to be disappointed that you can’t lead but what was done was done and I moved on from that.”But I get the opportunity to lead the Thunder and share my wealth of knowledge about the game and hopefully some of the youngsters can come ask me some questions after the game, decisions that I’ve made or some errors that I might have made and have that confidence and hopefully one day they can grow into a captain as well.”

Chelsea transfer chiefs could actually be in the market for another striker after sealing a £35 million deal for Ajax defender Jorrel Hato earlier this week, despite already bringing in Liam Delap and Joao Pedro this window.

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Hato has put pen to paper on a seven-year contract after completing a medical on Friday, with the Dutchman set to provide cover for Marc Cucurella at left-back whilst also potentially reinforcing Enzo Maresca’s central defensive options from time to time.

The 19-year-old arrives at Stamford Bridge after making over 110 senior appearances for Ajax, despite his young age, which includes experience in European competitions as well.

Whilst Hato began his career predominantly at centre-half, Chelsea agree with former Ajax manager, Francesco Farioli, that his future is in the full-back area.

“Jorrel started as a central defender, but under our guidance he became a full-back at national team level,” said Farioli, via Ben Jacobs on X.

“This kind of transformation stems from a detailed analysis of his technical and physical attributes. “Hato has excellent technical skills, he’s physically strong and fast, and he’s good in one-on-one situations. While he may not have a natural defensive instinct as a centre-back, his experience in that role gave him good game-reading abilities.

“Ajax still viewed him as a central defender, but I believe that at the very highest levels, like the Premier League, a player who stands at 1.81m will struggle to play centrally, especially in physically demanding duels.

“In my opinion, his future lies more as a left-back, a position that requires both attacking and defensive qualities and fits better with his characteristics.”

Chelsea’s immediate next transfer plans will most likely revolve around their attack.

RB Leipzig playmaker Xavi Simons remains in talks to join Chelsea, with the Netherlands international opting out of training on Friday and removing Leipzig from his Instagram bio as he pushes for a Stamford Bridge move (Fabrizio Romano).

Chelsea are also expected to bid for Man United winger Alejandro Garnacho in what would be a separate deal to Simons, with Strasbourg striker Emmanuel Emegha remaining on BlueCo’s radar too.

Chelsea looking to strike "early" cut-price deal for Emmanuel Emegha

Reports suggest that Chelsea could still sign another striker if Nicolas Jackson leaves, and Emegha is chief among their targets after an excellent season in Ligue 1.

Cole Palmer

7.33

Moises Caicedo

7.02

Enzo Fernández

6.95

Nicolas Jackson

6.88

Noni Madueke

6.82

via WhoScored

The 22-year-old was clocked as the fastest player in France’s top flight last season with Chelsea looking to strike an “early deal” for Emegha, anticipating that his price tag could soar to £44 million-plus in the next few years if they don’t act now.

That is according to Telegraph journalist Matt Law, who told the London is Blue podcast this week that Chelsea aim to sign the Dutchman for a cheaper fee this

window.

“I was told by someone who works around the Strasbourg end of things, that they believe that one day this guy could be a €50m-plus striker,” said Law.

“I think maybe they’re looking to do an early deal for him, to get him into a Chelsea player, is looking at that fair market value.

“Because if you do it now, you can probably do it around, I’m guessing here. I don’t know that this is a figure, but say €25m (£22m). If you do it another year down the line, you might be looking at a fair market value of around €40m (£35m).”

Emegha bagged 14 Ligue 1 goals last term, alongside being Ligue 1’s most explosive player, but it is unclear what Chelsea’s plans will be for him, or whether he’d be thrust straight into Maresca’s first team.

وجهت إحدى الشبكات الإنجليزية تحذيرًا قويًا إلى حراس مرمى الفرق المنافسة لفريق ليفربول، بسبب النجم المصري محمد صلاح، في إطار حديثها عن مشاركته في مباراة منتخب مصر أمس أمام نظيره إثيوبيا.

واستضاف ستاد القاهرة مباراة مصر وإثيوبيا، في إطار منافسات الجولة السابعة من تصفيات قارة إفريقيا المؤهلة إلى كأس العالم نسخة 2026.

وتمكن منتخب مصر من تحقيق فوز على خصمه بهدفين دون رد، حيث سجل محمد صلاح الهدف الأول من ضربة جزاء، وهو ما كرره عمر مرموش في الهدف الثاني.

ورفض محمد صلاح تنفيذ ضربة الجزاء الثانية حيث منحها لـ عمر مرموش، في تصرف شخصي بحت من النجم صاحب الـ33 عامًا.

وتحدثت شبكة “empireofthekop” الإنجليزية عن مشاركة محمد صلاح في مباراة مصر أمس وتصرفه المميز تجاه عمر مرموش، رغم أن ذلك كان سيجعله يسجل هدفًا ثانيًا في اللقاء.

اقرأ أيضًا.. محمد صلاح يحرج أسطورة ليفربول بعد تصرفه في مباراة مصر وإثيوبيا

وأوضحت أن محمد صلاح عانى من قلة التهديف بشكل غير معتاد في الفترة الأخيرة، حيث لم يسجل إلا 3 أهداف فقط في آخر 13 مباراة له رفقة ليفربول، منذ الشهرين الأخيرين من الموسم الماضي.

وأشارت إلى أن محمد صلاح سيتطلع بشغف إلى تعويض ذلك النقص التهديفي عند عودته إلى ليفربول في وقت لاحق من هذا الأسبوع.

وأفادت أنه مع خوض ليفربول 7 مباريات في مختلف المسابقات قبل فترة التوقف الدولي في أكتوبر المقبل، ستُتاح لـ محمد صلاح فرص كثيرة لإنعاش غزيزته التهديفية.

وشددت على أن التاريخ علمنا أن صيام محمد صلاح عن التهديف لا يدوم طويلًا، ولا شك أنه سيُرعب حراس مرمى الفرق المنافسة من جديد في الأسابيع المقبلة.

Though Liverpool have exceeded expectations by winning the Premier League in Arne Slot’s first season, FSG chiefs will know that football is a fickle game, and pre-season projections will now rank Liverpool among the favourites for the 2025/26 term.

Well, sporting director Richard Hughes certainly isn’t resting on his laurels, having acted promptly to close on full-backs Jeremie Frimpong, whose transfer has been sealed, and Bournemouth’s Milos Kerkez, the reps of whom are engaged in advancing talks with the Anfield side.

Trent Alexander-Arnold is officially a Real Madrid player, leaving his boyhood club to join Jude Bellingham as a key part of Xabi Alonso’s Los Blancos revolution.

Thus, reinforcing the wide flanks was necessary, but Alexander-Arnold takes more than just positional value with him to sunny Spain. Indeed, the Three Lions superstar is one of the most creative players of his generation, with Jamie Carragher once remarking, “It’s like having Kevin De Bruyne playing at right-back.”

1)

Trent Alexander-Arnold

259

64

2)

Andy Robertson

308

60

3)

Leighton Baines

420

53

4)

Graeme Le Saux

327

44

5)

Kieran Trippier

204

38

Liverpool need a new leading playmaker, and boy, have they picked out a good one.

Why Liverpool are signing Florian Wirtz

Simply: Wirtz is one of the best attacking midfielders in the world, posting 122 goal contributions across 197 senior Leverkusen appearances.

His labours in his homeland have even seen him awarded back-to-back Bundesliga Player of the Year awards, having helped his team toward an invincible title triumph in 2023/24.

Having beaten off Bayern Munich and Manchester City in the race to secure the 22-year-old’s services, reputable sources such as Fabrizio Romano have confirmed completion is on the horizon.

Make no mistake, this is a significant coup for the Anfield side, even though Wirtz is expected to cost around £110m, all told. He will dynamise and revolutionise Liverpool’s attack, reorienting the creative hub to a more conventional berth besides.

Below are a series of ways in which Slot could field Liverpool’s frontline next season, with Wirtz in the mix. However, uncertainty reigns over Luis Diaz’s future, with Saudi side Al Nassr making the Colombian a top target ahead of the summer transfer window. Barcelona also have a long-standing interest.

Where Wirtz could feature for Liverpool

If the 28-year-old Diaz does leave, Liverpool would want to consider bringing in a replacement, with one rumoured target potentially even superseding Wirtz as FSG’s most exciting signing.

Liverpool could sign a bigger talent than Wirtz

Liverpool’s Premier League success has been an incredible thing, but it doesn’t mean Slot has led a flawless team to the title this term. Indeed, the Reds have been frustrated by forwards Darwin Nunez and Diogo Jota, both of whom are expendable.

Earlier this month, GIVEMESPORT revealed that Real Madrid’s Rodrygo could be within FSG’s reach amid the Brazilian’s consternation from being overshadowed by teammates like Vinicius Junior, Kylian Mbappe and Bellingham.

Real Madrid would rather not part with their dynamic forward, of course, and have set a lofty £84m asking price which FSG will likely need to whittle down, should they lodge an official proposal.

Though Rodrygo isn’t an out-and-out striker, he is a “world-class finisher,” as per reporter Kyle Bonn, with an elite winning mentality forged in the Santiago Bernabeu furnaces.

At face value, it looks like the 24-year-old has endured something of a difficult season for Carlo Ancelotti’s Madrid. Indeed, the Brazil star scored just 13 times across 50 matches in all competitions, assisting ten goals too.

However, as you will see below, he’s proven invariably effective when unleashed from his favoured left flank, maximising his goalscoring quality.

Right winger

29

7

4

Left winger

12

6

6

Centre-forward

8

–

–

Though Wirtz tends to drift over to the left side, he’s more of a ten, placed behind the central striker to promote creativity. As per FBref, he ranked among the top 5% of positional peers in the Bundesliga this season for progressive passes and the top 4% for shot-creating actions per 90.

Rodrygo, fleet-footed and ferocious, would blast up and down the flanks, hopefully utilised from the left to enrich his goalscoring qualities.

His limited action this term, starting only 22 times in La Liga, as per Sofascore, hasn’t withdrawn from Rodrygo a sense of place among the modern greats, having missed only one big chance in Spain’s top flight, scoring six goals.

Furthermore, he averaged 1.6 dribbles per game and won 56% of his ground duels, speaking of a combativeness that could see him dovetail right into the Premier League, known for its rigorous nature, steely members.

Wirtz is a marquee signing for Liverpool, and that’s a fact, but there’s a case to be made that in Rodrygo, Slot would find an even brighter star. Not to the descredit of the German’s giddy talent, but the South American is something special, all right.

His versatility, deadly goalscoring ability and immense physicality all combine to suggest this is a player worth throwing the kitchen sink at. If Diaz goes, it could become a tangible prospect, and just imagine the chaos Wirtz and Rodrygo could inflict side by side.

There would be a certain degree of poetic justice to Liverpool bringing Rodrygo into their fold this summer, especially if Slot allowed him to play off the left flank, something he has yearned for but to little avail in the Spanish capital.

It would require the sale of Diaz, sure, but Liverpool could strike gold with this one, bagging an even bigger talent than Wirtz to aid their quest for unprecedented levels of sustained glory in Slot’s still-building project.

Another Suarez situation: Liverpool expect bid for "world-class" £72m star

Liverpool may have to contend with the sales of a few stars this summer.

ByAngus Sinclair May 30, 2025

Celtic turn their attention away from the Scottish Premiership this weekend as they prepare to take on St. Johnstone in the semi-finals of the SFA Cup on Sunday.

The Hoops are hoping to win the SFA Cup in order to complete a domestic treble for the second time in the last three seasons, after Ange Postecoglou did so in the 2022/23 campaign, as they have already won the League Cup.

Brendan Rodgers is aiming for a perfect domestic campaign despite losing Matt O’Riley to Brighton & Hove Albion last summer and Kyogo Furuhashi to Rennes in January.

The Scottish giants sold their Japanese forward to the French side for a reported fee of £10m earlier this year, but they also managed to bring Jota back to Parkhead in return.

Celtic reportedly paid a fee of £8m to sign the Portuguese winger, 18 months on from selling him to Al Ittihad for £25m, which essentially meant that the club received Jota and £2m from Rennes, in a roundabout way, for Kyogo.

There may not be too many complaints about the way that things turned out for the Hoops in that window, because the forward has hit the ground running in his second spell at Parkhead.

Why Jota has been a good signing for Celtic

The former Benfica whiz had big expectations on his shoulders upon his arrival in Glasgow in the January transfer window, due to what he had produced in his two seasons under Ange Postecoglou.

As you can see in the graphic above, Jota delivered consistent quality at the top end of the pitch in those two Premiership seasons under the Australian head coach, with 21 goals and 21 assists.

This meant that it was a reasonable expectation for Jota to come in and immediately bolster the squad with instant performances on the pitch when he arrived in January, and the forward has met those expectations.

Appearances (starts)

10 (6)

Goals

4

Big chances missed

1

Big chances created

3

Assists

2

Dribbles completed

10

As you can see in the table above, the Portuguese starlet has already contributed with seven goals and ‘big chances’ created combined in six Premiership starts this year.

This shows that he has provided the instant impact that was expected of him, and rightly so, given his proven quality at that level, which is why he has been an excellent signing for the Hoops.

It was a terrific opportunity for all parties involved to bring Jota back to a club where he knows he can be a star player, and the forward will hopefully continue to impress in the final third in the months and years to come in Glasgow.

Despite all of this, Celtic are now being linked with an interest in a young talent who could go on to become even better than the Portuguese sensation at Parkhead.

The latest on Celtic's interest in Premier League starlet

According to Football Insider, the Scottish giants are one of a number of clubs chasing a deal to sign Crystal Palace youngster Jesse Derry in the upcoming summer transfer window.

The report claims that both Celtic and Rangers are interested in a swoop for the 17-year-old attacker, and that teams across Europe have also made contact with the player about a possible move this summer.

It states that teams have become aware of his potential availability after the England youth international turned down a professional contract to remain at Selhurst Park.

Football Insider adds that PSG, Bayern Munich, Juventus, and Atletico Madrid have all sent scouts to watch him in action, whilst there are also Premier League teams looking at the teen sensation.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

The outlet reveals that Derry would be open to moving abroad, whether that is to one of those European sides or to Scotland, but it remains to be seen where he will end up next season.

There looks set to be plenty of competition for the 17-year-old talent’s signature this summer, and Celtic must push to win the race for his services, because he could become even better than Jota.

Why Jesse Derry could become even better than Jota

The current Hoops forward came up through the Benfica academy with a return of nine goals and eight assists in 47 matches for the B team, and four goals and eight assists in 17 games in the Youth League.

This shows that the Portuguese dynamo enjoyed an impressive, but not completely outstanding, career at youth level before coming to Scotland to shine under Postecoglou with roughly ten goals and ten assists per season in the Premiership.

Derry, son of former Palace and QPR defender Shaun, has shown incredible promise at youth level for Palace in recent years, to the point where he looks like an even better prospect than Jota did at Benfica.

Per Football Insider, the teenage ace has scored 20 goals in 27 appearances in all competitions for the Eagles at youth level in the current campaign, including nine goals in eight U18 Premier League matches.

As you can see in the clip of one of those 20 goals above, Derry is similar in style to Jota as a left-winger who likes to cut in on his right foot to find the far corner.

The Palace youngster, who U23 scout Antonio Mango claimed has been “tearing things up” at youth level, also scored 11 goals and provided four assists in 17 matches in the 2023/24 campaign.

This means that the England U19 international has scored 31 goals in 44 games for Palace since the start of last season, which is a far superior youth record in comparison to what Jota did with Benfica’s academy before his move to Celtic, whilst playing in the same position.

This, therefore, suggests that the potential is there for Derry, who is reportedly being looked at by some of Europe’s biggest clubs, to become even better than Jota on the left wing by providing an incredible goalscoring threat by cutting in on his right foot.

Celtic must rue losing "exciting" gem who's now playing like a £100m star

Celtic lost the talented young attacker for a fee of just £230k and now he’s being compared to a £100m talent.

ByDan Emery Apr 15, 2025

That is why Celtic must push to sign the teenage starlet in the summer because he could be an exceptional long-term addition to the squad, as a winger with the qualities to emerge as a first-team star in the future if he can translate his academy form over to senior football to be even better than Jota.