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Liverpool have been dealt a blow in their preparations for this week's Champions League clash with Eintracht Frankfurt, after the aircraft taking them to Germany was hit with a "technical issue", meaning that Arne Slot will not be able to conduct a press conference before the encounter in midweek. The Reds are aiming to break a streak of four successive defeats after their weekend loss to Manchester United at Anfield.

Travel disruption for Liverpool

Liverpool face Frankfurt on Wednesday and were set to fly to the German city on Tuesday, with head coach Slot to address the media in the early evening. However, due to "technical issues" with the aircraft, the flight was delayed, and the meeting between the manager and the media has been postponed. It will also likely affect the club's pre-match plans, although the club did train at their AXA base on Tuesday morning.

A statement from the Reds read: "Our pre-match press conference for the clash with Eintracht Frankfurt has been cancelled. A delay in the squad's scheduled flight out to Frankfurt, due to technical issues with the aircraft, means the briefing will now not be able to take place."

Advertisement(C)Getty ImagesReds in desperate need of a result

While the Reds did win their opening Champions League game, a 3-2 victory over Atletico Madrid, they were beaten by Galatasaray in their most recent European outing. They have also lost three Premier League games in a row, going down to Crystal Palace, Chelsea, and, most gallingly of all, United at Anfield. Slot has accepted that there is pressure on him, and pundit, and Liverpool legend, Jamie Carragher has urged the Dutchman to drop Mohamed Salah ahead of the encounter.

He said: "I don't think Salah should be like a Virgil van Dijk where it's like 'first name on the teamsheet'. Liverpool have got two away games – in the Champions League at Frankfurt and then they go to Brentford. I don't think Salah should start both of those games.

"He should always start at Anfield because Liverpool will be on top, around the edge of the box and more often than not he scores in those situations today. But I do think in the away games and helping your full-back, I don't think Salah should be starting every game right now, certainly away from home, with the form he's in."

He added: "Would he be OK with that? Probably not. But when you get to a certain age you have to understand that, especially when you're not playing well, where's your argument?

"It's different if you're banging in the goals and your manager makes a tactical decision and you're frustrated. I don't think Mo Salah's in any position to complain if he was left out of one of the next two away games."

Frankfurt in middling form

Frankfurt have also endured a difficult start to the season in Germany, winning three, losing three, and drawing one of their opening seven games. Their last European outing resulted in a thrashing, as they were beaten 5-1 by Atletico Madrid in Spain. They also recently lost 3-0 to Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga, meaning they are in dire need of a result, much like their opposition. 

Liverpool have already been dealt a serious headache, with Ryan Gravenberch missing training before the midweek clash; it is unclear if the Dutchman will be able to slot into midfield once again for the Reds against their German opposition. 

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Getty Images SportWhat now for Liverpool?

Liverpool have not lost five games in succession since the 1950s, and have not endured a run of four successive defeats since Brendan Rodgers was manager. 

Slot has already spoken of the fact that he felt the Reds were hard done by against United, but he will be well aware of the need for three points on Wednesday. 

He siad: "The result (is what went wrong). And the fact that we went 1-0 down so early. If you play United, with so many quality players they have – [and] brought in a few new ones this summer – and if they come to us in a low block, playing so many long balls, then the last thing you would want is going 1-0 down. Because that gives them even more belief. If you would have told me we are 1-0 down against a United team that played in the style they did, and you would have told me that we would create eight, nine, 10 open chances, then I would have said to you that I don't think that is possible. But it was possible.

"So, the second thing that went wrong is that from all the chances we got, we only scored one goal. I have said it in Holland many times and maybe I've said it here as well, it's almost impossible to win a big game of football – and Liverpool v United is a big game with so many quality players on the pitch – to win it with a negative set-piece balance. We conceded another one and that led to us losing the game."

New boys – like Arya – Suryansh Shedge and Musheer Khan also come in for praise from the Punjab Kings head coach

ESPNcricinfo staff22-Mar-2025Punjab Kings (PBKS) head coach Ricky Ponting is impressed with the young batters in his IPL 2025 squad, singling out opener Priyansh Arya, finisher (and medium-pace bowler) Suryansh Shedge, and 19-year-old batting allrounder Musheer Khan as the ones he is expecting good things from.”Priyansh Arya, I think, is a very special potential opening batsman for us going forward in the tournament,” Ponting said at an event in New Chandigarh. “Depending on which way we go with our overseas make-up, he’s very exciting.”Left-hand batter Arya had first attracted attention when he thumped six sixes in an over in the Delhi Premier League. At the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) 2024-25, he scored 325 runs, with a century, at an average of 40.62 and a strike rate of 176.63. Arya is one of three opening batters in PBKS’ squad, the others being Prabhsimran Singh and Josh Inglis.Related

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Like Arya, Shedge also had a successful SMAT last season. He had the highest strike rate (251.92) for any batter to have faced at least 50 balls in the tournament, with his cameos helping Mumbai successfully hunt down 230 (against Andhra) and 222 (against Vidarbha). Musheer, meanwhile, will be back in action after September 2024, when he suffered injuries in a car accident.”Suryansh Shedge is also someone who has been very impressive in our training so far,” Ponting said. “When I talk about energy and fun, another player that I am impressed with is Musheer Khan. He’s brought a lot to the group already. He has got an infectious attitude, and around the training ground and around the team so far, he’s been someone that I’ve really enjoyed working with.”PBKS, who had finished ninth last season and have never won the IPL title, start their campaign this season against Gujarat Titans (GT) in Ahmedabad on March 25. Apart from having a new head coach in Ponting, PBKS also have a new captain in Shreyas Iyer. They had last made the IPL playoffs back in 2014, which is also the only time they got to the final.

Tottenham Hotspur also have their eyes on other players amid their widely reported negotiations for Crystal Palace star Eberechi Eze and Man City’s Savinho, with Spurs chairman Daniel Levy looking to back Thomas Frank over this final stretch of the window.

Following the departure of club legend Son Heung-min to LAFC, 10 years after he joined from Bayer Leverkusen, the north Londoners are now in need of a replacement – prompting them to open talks with City over a deal for Savinho.

The player’s agent, Frederico Moraes, told reporter Jorge Nicola earlier this week that Spurs have seen their opening £42 million bid for the rejected out of hand – with Pep Guardiola’s side valuing him closer to the £70 million mark.

Nevertheless, while there is a significant gap in valuation right now, the consensus is that Tottenham will keep pushing for the 21-year-old, as Frank is reliably believed to be a major admirer of Savinho and actively pushing for him.

Then, of course, there’s Eze. The 27-year-old’s 14 goals and 11 assists in all competitions last term are glossed over only by his historic FA Cup final-winning strike against City at Wembley, gifting Palace supporters their first ever major trophy to shout about.

Tottenham are in formal talks with Palace over a deal for Eze as they look to fill the gaping creative void left by James Maddison, with the Spurs playmaker expected to miss most of 2025/2026 after rupturing his ACL in pre-season.

That being said, Sky Sports reporter Michael Bridge is among the reliable media sources to report that Levy does have alternatives in mind if a deal can’t be done, and Spurs also reportedly want to sign another centre-back.

Their transfer plans stretch beyond just Eze and Savinho, with Barcelona star Dani Olmo now thought to be on their radar too.

Tottenham now preparing £60 million for Barcelona's Dani Olmo

According to reports out of Spain, the 27-year-old former RB Leipzig star has found his way on to Tottenham’s target list.

It is believed that Tottenham are preparing a £60 million offer for Olmo, but given he plays an identical role to Eze, this could likely be a fallback plan from Levy in case a move for their top target goes nowhere.

In any case, the similarities in age, price and position, not to mention Barca’s need to sell so they can register new players, means a move for Olmo could be seen as a pretty realistic one.

Spurs were, after all, once ready to splash £60m on Morgan Gibbs-White in their bid to sign a new playmaker, so a move for the Spain international surely cannot be ruled out.

Called an “outstanding” player by Julian Nagelsmann, Olmo racked up an impressive 12 goals and seven assists in total across 39 appearances last season for the La Liga champions – including strikes against Inter Milan in the Champions League and a brace in the Catalan derby.

UP Warriorz couldn’t capitalise on the blazing start from Grace Harris and couldn’t defend their below-par total

Srinidhi Ramanujam26-Feb-2025Nat Sciver-Brunt put on an exceptional all-round show to propel Mumbai Indians to the top of the table with an eight-wicket win over UP Warriorz in Bengaluru. She took three wickets and followed it up with an impressive unbeaten 75 off 44 balls to chase down the target of 143 with 18 balls remaining.Warriorz initially rode on Grace Harris’ quickfire 45 and Vrinda Dinesh’s solid 33 but lost eight wickets for 54 runs to eventually end with a below-par total.Sciver-Brunt and Hayley Matthews stitched together a solid 133-run stand for the second wicket and made the chase look easy. Though Matthews struggled her way to a 50-ball 59 after getting a life early on, Sciver-Brunt’s boundary-laden knock made sure MI raced to their third win in four games. Warriorz are fourth on the points table now with two wins after five games.With 254 runs from four matches, Sciver-Brunt is now the leading run-scorer of this WPL, overtaking Ellyse Perry’s 235.Another Sciver-Brunt showSciver-Brunt came in early when MI were 6 for 1 in the fourth over, with Matthews struggling to get her timing and rhythm right. Chinelle Henry was swinging the ball both ways, making it difficult to score off her. But Sciver-Brunt took only five balls to change things around.She welcomed Saima Thakor with a hat-trick of fours in the sixth over – hitting to long-on, deep square-leg and deep cover – staying deep in the crease, and putting her bottom hand to good use and effortlessly manoeuvring the ball to both sides of the pitch.When there was width on offer, she cut fiercely, and when the length was short, she pulled behind and in front of square and toyed with the Warriorz bowlers. She brought up her fifty off 29 balls with nine fours, bringing the equation down to 54 off 47 balls. This included a hat-trick of fours off Henry as well, in the 11th over.From there, it was a cakewalk for MI as Matthews also found her range and started hitting boundaries. Overall, Sciver-Brunt struck 13 fours in her 44-ball stay.Grace Harris gave UP Warriorz a blazing start•BCCIHarris moves up, Vrinda moves downAfter four matches, Warriorz took a cue from the WBBL and the Hundred and promoted Harris to open for the first time in WPL after her struggles in the middle order. The move felt just right as she looked in her element from the start.With Kiran Navgire falling in the first over, it was up to Harris and Vrinda to steady the innings on a pitch that was holding up a bit, and the two shared 79 runs off 52 balls to give Warriorz solidity.Harris began with a scoop against Sciver-Brunt and punished Shabnim Ismail for three fours on the bounce in the second over. She kept attacking and smashed 6, 4, 4, 6 off Matthews in the fourth. She swept and pulled towards square leg, muscled the ball to long-on, and rolled her wrists to bisect the gap between mid-on and midwicket.On the other hand, Vrinda – who had scored only 40 in the previous four matches – looked in much better touch and played second fiddle to Harris well. She played a lofted cover drive elegantly to start the third over and followed it with a hook in the same over. Unlike Harris, Vrinda found boundaries on the off side with classy cover drives in her 30-ball 33.The first two partnerships gave Warriorz 81, the most for them in this WPL so far.Middle overs remain a problem for WarriorzIt was something the Warriorz captain Deepti Sharma had admitted recently, that they needed to do better in the middle overs. But they couldn’t, squandering a strong start by losing wickets in clumps, again, to lose the plot. From 81 for 1, they collapsed to 123 for 7, losing five of those wickets in the middle overs for 30 runs.It began when Amelia Kerr removed Harris in the tenth over after the batter was dropped on 44 by Ismail off Jintimani Kalita. Offspinner Sanskriti Gupta then bowled a momentum-changing 11th over when she dismissed both Vrinda and Tahlia McGrath in the space of four balls. Warriorz slowed down and did not quite recover after that.Overall, they have lost the most wickets (24) in the middle overs (7 to 16) in this WPL so far and have been the slowest (6.72) in that phase too.

تحدث الصربي ميتشو، المدير الفني الأسبق لنادي الزمالك، عن مباراة القمة بين قطبي الكرة المصرية، موضحًا رأيه في مدرب الفارس الأبيض الحالي، البلجيكي يانيك فيريرا.

ويلتقي الأهلي مع الزمالك، على أرضية استاد القاهرة الدولي، ضمن منافسات الجولة التاسعة من عمر مباريات بطولة الدوري المصري الممتاز.

وقال ميتشو في تصريحات عبر قناة “أون إي”: “الأهلي لعب كأس العالم للأندية ولم يتعاف بالشكل الكافي، بداية الأهلي بطيئة في الدوري المصري، كانت هناك مشكلة مع ريبيرو الذي لم يستقر مع الفريق بشكل كاف، تقابلت مع أحد المدربين المصريين الذي كان يدرب في ليبيا وتحدثنا عن كرة القدم المصرية بشكل عام، وما يحدث في الدوري المصري”.

طالع أيضاً.. تشكيل الأهلي المتوقع أمام الزمالك في الدوري المصري.. طاهر أساسيًا

وتابع: “في الوقت نفسه يوجد مدير فني جديد مع الزمالك، هذا المدرب بالنسبة لي أراه لأول مرة يؤدي بشكل طيب، شاهدت مباريات وأرى طريقة استقطاب اللاعبين في الزمالك أصبحت مختلفة، شيكابالا اعتزل والزمالك افتقد وجوده، والأبيض استطاع أن يجمع عددًا كبيرًا من النقاط في هذه المباريات، الآن هو يتربع على قمة الدوري، شيء مهم جدًا أن الزمالك يدخل مباراة الغد بنية الفوز”.

وأفاد: “لا نستطيع أن نرشح فريقًا بعينه في الديربي، ممكن أي شيء يحدث غدًا لأن هذه النوعية من المباريات مختلفة، هناك العديد من اللاعبين في الأهلي لن يلعبوا غدًا ولكن هذا لن يؤثر على جودة الأهلي والمتواجدين سيقومون بالمهمة”.

وأشار: “أرى أن الزمالك مكتمل وهناك عنصر كبير وهو عمر جابر، يلعب هذا الديربي منذ وقت طويل جدًا، الزمالك لديه هجوم قوي سيصطدم بقوة دفاع الأهلي، وستكون مباراة تكتيكية كبيرة”.

وأردف: “الأهلي يرغب من خلال هذه المباراة في العودة إلى مناطقه الطبيعية، والزمالك يريد حصد الثلاثة نقاط لكي يبقى على القمة”.

واستطرد: “أعتقد لم يأتي في كرة القدم المصرية منذ وقت طويل لاعب بجودة بيزيرا، قميص الأهلي والزمالك ثقيل، وليس أي لاعب يرتديه، الجناح الأيمن في الزمالك، لا بد أن يكون هناك تعاون بين عمر جابر وبيزيرا”.

وأتم: “على الأهلي أن يحذر من الجانب الأيمن للأبيض، هذا اختبار كبير لشخصية بيزيرا لأن هذه المباراة التي من خلالها سيدخل قلوب المشجعين، لا يمكن أن تكون هناك بوابة أكبر من الديربي لدخول قلوب الجماهير”.

Remember when it felt like very little was happening with Newcastle United in the summer transfer market?

That’s changed. For better or worse, chaos has erupted on Tyneside over the past few weeks, with the £55m signing of Nottingham Forest’s Anthony Elanga the precursor to a flurry of transfer-related activity that has yet to reach an outcome.

Alexander Isak wants to leave the club and sign for Premier League champions Liverpool, who last weekend saw a £110m bid rejected for the Sweden international. However, he has since returned to United’s training facilities, his future uncertain.

Such an offer would have been insulting were it not so blatantly an unsettling tactic, and the gravity of the situation weighs heavily on Eddie Howe, who at least is buddied with Sudarshan Gopaladesikan, United’s new technical director and successor to the contentious Paul Mitchell.

Dealing with the unwanted sale of Isak, arguably the Magpies’ best player, marks a testing start for Gopaladesikan, but he certainly seems to be making the most of a bad situation, pushing full throttle for a fitting replacement.

Newcastle pushing to sign striker

There’s a bleak sense that Isak, 25, will play Premier League football in red for the upcoming season, though his sale to Liverpool, of course, hinges on Newcastle signing a suitable successor at number nine.

And the first-choice target is RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko, with a formal offer already lodged. What comes next is unknown; the Slovenian is assessing his options with Manchester United ready to table a bid of their own.

Should Sesko wind up at Old Trafford, it will feel like yet another blow for the Tynesiders, who have faced their share of rejection across the past few months. That said, there’s an alternative forward who might end up being the better pick.

According to Portuguese journalist Eduardo Burgos, Newcastle have revived their interest in Porto striker Samu Aghehowa, and while they have yet to make an offer, Howe’s transfer coterie have been monitoring him across 2025.

The Liga Portugal giants will hold out for €80m (equating to £68m), putting him in the same ballpark as Sesko.

So then, which one to go for?

Why Newcastle should sign Samu Aghehowa

Aghehowa is a 21-year-old centre-forward who left La Liga and joined Porto from Atletico Madrid in a bargain deal worth €15m (about £13m). The Madrid-based side retained a whopping 50% sell-on clause.

Curiously, Chelsea had agreed a £34m deal for the powerful goalscorer, only for the move to collapse and for him to join Porto for a cheaper fee.

He’ll be grateful for that turn of events, no doubt, for the past year has been one of fundamental development for Aghehowa, whose maiden campaign with the Portuguese giants yielded 27 goals and three assists across 45 matches in all competitions.

As per FBref, the 6 foot 3 powerhouse ranked among the top 14% of strikers across Europe last year for goals scored per 90 (0.71), which certainly bodes well for his future success as a goalscorer at the forefront of the global game.

Newcastle might want to consider raising their interest higher still, as Aghehowa could even turn out to be a better signing than Leipzig’s Sesko.

Sesko is unquestionably a talented forward with prowess lying in his athleticism and power. That said, he’s raw, and there’s no telling as to whether his potential will be reached.

A detractor could argue that Samu plies his trade in Portugal, regarded a division of inferior quality to the Bundesliga. Although it’s clear that the Porto talent has an aptitude for scoring goals on any field of green, for he previously did well in La Liga, netting nine times across 35 games in his breakout term, and bagged six times across last year’s Europa League campaign too.

Most Goals + Assists from U21s (Top 10 Leagues – 24/25)

Player

Club / League

Apps

Goals

Samu Aghehowa

Porto / Liga Portugal

30

19

Bradley Barcola

PSG / Ligue 1

34

14

Luca Stassin

St. Etienne / Ligue 1

33

14

Aleksey Batrakov

Loko Moscow / Russian PL

29

14

Emanuel Emegha

Strasbourg / Ligue 1

27

14

Benjamin Sesko

RB Leipzig / Bundesliga

33

13

Data via Transfermarkt

Aghehowa’s league goals alone placed him above all within or beneath his age bracket across Europe’s major leagues, and that includes Sesko, who has since turned 22.

And it’s not as if the former Chelsea target hasn’t made his mark against those competing on English shores. After all, he bagged a brace against Man United on the continental stage last year, winning five aerial duels and covering much ground besides.

Given that Newcastle need a striker who will promise goals with consistency, it might be worth switching focus to Aghehowa, who is shaping into quite the formidable focal frontman, sinewy and tall and clinical in the danger area.

Football talent scout Jacek Kulig has remarked in the past that the Spaniard is a “monster in the making”, and with similar strengths in physicality and ball-striking, who could truly argue that Sesko has the higher potential, given that he’s yet to truly announce himself as a prolific marksman?

With 27 goals and seven assists across 64 Bundesliga outings, Sesko has a lot to prove, but he’s a big talent, for sure, and Howe has the tactical nous and interpersonal skills to will him toward elite status.

Just imagine what the acclaimed manager could do with Aghehowa leading his Magpies line.

Related Another Elanga: Newcastle to reignite interest in "exceptional" £50m titan

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Posts ByJack Salveson Holmes Aug 5, 2025

India’s T20I captain expected the Gwalior pitch for the first T20I to be conducive to run-scoring

Hemant Brar05-Oct-20242:03

Suryakumar Yadav ‘enjoying’ his role as captain

India’s T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav is aware of the impact Mayank Yadav can create with his express pace but he says it is important to “manage him well”.Mayank took everyone by storm with his 155kph pace during IPL 2024. Playing for Lucknow Super Giants, he picked up the Player-of-the-Match award in his first two games but was ruled out of the tournament soon after with an abdominal injury. He has not played any cricket since then but Suryakumar said he was back to full fitness.”He definitely has the X factor – it was evident when he played franchise cricket,” Suryakumar said ahead of the first T20I against Bangladesh in Gwalior. “He has that extra pace. I didn’t face him in the nets; our net plan was such that someone else faced him. But I have seen what potential he has and what difference he can make for the team. From that point of view, I feel he is a good addition to the Indian team and I am hoping he will do well.Related

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“It’s important to manage him well because of the amount of cricket being played. Everyone is playing for their state too. There was the Duleep Trophy recently. So it is important to pay proper attention and the BCCI is doing that.”Sunday’s match will be the first international at the Shrimant Madhavrao Scindia Cricket Stadium. In fact, the venue has not hosted any domestic cricket either. So there is an element of surprise about the conditions.While Bangladesh batter Towhid Hridoy expected the pitch to be “slow and low” with not much chances of a high-scoring game, Suryakumar Yadav had different views.”As you saw in Sri Lanka, Riyan [Parag] bowled four overs. If someone says he can bowl in the pressure situation, then why not”•Associated Press

“The pitch looks good,” he said. “We practised on the centre wicket, just two pitches away. We didn’t find it that low and slow – we practised all three days. So it [the match pitch] should not be much different.”For T20 cricket, these are good wickets. There will be good competition [between the bat and ball] but at the same time it looks good [for run-scoring]. The rest we will get to know tomorrow.”Yes, it’s a new ground but having practised here for three days, we know what the conditions are, how the pitch is, how the outfield is, what the wind factor is like, whether the dew settles in or not. We will like to play the way we did in the last T20I series. And if everyone does their job, you will get the desired results.”Until recently, India had the problem of their batters not chipping in with the ball in white-ball cricket. But that seems to be changing now, with India’s T20I squad including a plethora of allrounders and part-time bowling options.”It’s good if your batters can bowl an over or two,” Suryakumar said. “I think there is hardly anyone in this squad who doesn’t bowl. That gives you more bowling options on the ground. As you saw in Sri Lanka, Riyan [Parag] bowled four overs. If someone says he can bowl in the pressure situation, then why not.”

Leeds United have added Lukas Nmecha, Jaka Bijol, and Sebastiaan Bornauw to their first-team squad ahead of their return to the Premier League next season.

The Whites have quickly moved to bolster their defensive options with Bijol and Bornauw, who are both centre-backs with experience in major European leagues, in Italy and in Germany.

Daniel Farke and the recruitment team are not done with the defence there, though, as the club are also looking to add to their left-back options after Junior Firpo’s exit.

Journalist Graham Smyth claims that the West Yorkshire outfit are closing in on the signing of Sweden international Gabriel Gudmundsson from Lille, although it remains to be seen how much money they will have to spend to bring him to Elland Road.

The Championship champions are in dire need of a left-back, with zero senior players in that position at this moment in time, which is why this is a deal that could make a lot of sense.

Why Gabriel Gudmundsson is a good signing for Leeds

With the caveat that there is no potential transfer fee to judge the deal on at this stage, Gudmundsson could be a very shrewd signing for Leeds to cover the hole at left-back.

The 26-year-old ace would come in as a proven performer at the top level, having played 103 times in Ligue 1 for Lille, which means that he could hit the ground running at the start of the season, as opposed to a young and inexperienced player who may need more time.

This suggests that he will be ready to perform immediately for Leeds and that is what they need after Firpo’s exit from the club was confirmed, as it will allow Farke to slot the defender straight into the team.

His performances in Ligue 1 during the 2024/25 campaign also suggest that Gudmundsson will be a solid, if unspectacular, addition to the squad for next season.

Appearances

30

Starts

20

Goals + assists

2

Tackles + interceptions per game

1.8

Dribbled past per game

0.4x

Ground duel success rate

54%

Aerial duel success rate

57%

Duels won per game

3.7

As you can see in the table above, the Swedish brute did not deliver outstanding performances defensively or offensively, but he was incredibly solid, rarely being dribbled past whilst winning the majority of his duels.

This suggests that the Lille full-back could be a dependable and reliable option for Farke at left-back in the club’s bid to avoid relegation, which is why the defender could be a valuable signing, despite not being an exciting one.

If they can get Gudmundsson through the doors at Thorp Arch this week, then it could provide them with a chance to go with a riskier, more exciting, player as competition for him.

Leeds eyeing £22m full-back signing

According to the Sunday Mirror (6 July, page 77), as relayed by MOT Leeds News, Leeds United are one of a number of teams interested in signing El Hadji Malick Diouf this summer.

The report claims that the Whites, West Ham United, Atalanta, and Nottingham Forest all want to secure a deal to sign the Slavia Prague full-back in the coming weeks.

Transfer Focus

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

It states that the Hammers have already had an opening salvo of £17.25m turned down by the Czechia-based outfit, who are looking for a fee closer to £22m (£21.6m) to allow their star youngster to depart.

However, it now remains to be seen who is leading the race for the versatile full-back, or if West Ham are prepared to go back in with another offer for him.

If Leeds can strike a deal for the Senegal international in the coming weeks, though, they could land an even better signing than Gudmundsson at left-back.

Why Diouf would be an even better signing than Gudmundsson

Diouf could be an even better piece of business for the Championship champions if they can get a move over the line because of his quality, his versatility, and his potential.

Gudmundsson may be a better addition in the short-term, given that he could hit the ground running as an experienced addition, but the Sparta Prague youngster could be a better long-term signing.

At the age of 20, he is six years younger than the Sweden international and has more potential, therefore, to grow and develop as a player, which could lead to his value soaring as well.

Diouf, who analyst Rohit Kumaran described as “physically dominant”, has yet to prove himself in a major European league like Gudmundsson has, which is why it is a riskier signing, but he has shown signs of immense potential, particularly in the Europa League.

xAG

0.23

Top 11%

Assists

0.15

Top 21%

Shot-creating actions

4.21

Top 6%

Progressive passes

6.77

Top 6%

Progressive carries

3.31

Top 16%

Successful take-ons

1.51

Top 11%

As you can see in the table above, the 20-year-old starlet showed plenty of attacking and progressive quality in possession in the Europa League last season, whilst the Lille defender only managed two goals and zero assists in Ligue 1.

Diouf also scored seven goals and created ten ‘big chances’ in 27 matches in the Czechia top-flight for Slavia Prague, whilst playing as a left-back, a left wing-back, or as a left winger, which further speaks to the quality he can provide in the final third.

The versatile dynamo clearly offers more of an attacking threat than Gudmundsson, who is more of a solid and steady option, which is why he could be even more exciting for supporters.

If Diouf can translate his performances for Slavia Prague over to the Premier League, the young gem could be an electric player for Leeds for many years to come, as a full-back who can score and create goals on a regular basis.

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However, as aforementioned, he is unproven in a major league, and that is why Gudmundsson could start over him initially, but with a view to Diouf being the superior and more exciting left-back option in the long-term, making him a better signing overall.

We don’t know exactly when, but in the near future, Liverpool could welcome three stunning acquisitions to Arne Slot’s title-winning squad.

The defensive flanks will be restored through deals for Bournemouth’s Milos Kerkez and Dutch speedster Jeremie Frimpong, while Florian Wirtz is on the verge of becoming Anfield’s record signing, looking likely to join Frimpong in moving from Bayer Leverkusen.

The Premier League champions have scarcely strengthened at all across the past three transfer windows, making their 20th top-flight title all the more sweet, but it has been tainted with some poignancy, with Trent Alexander-Arnold leaving next month.

Trent's emotional goodbye

Alexander-Arnold has been criticised on social media for his supposed lack of emotion in the build-up to his show-stopping finale at Anfield on Sunday, but the 26-year-old has never really been one to wear his heart on his sleeve.

However, who could say he was not freighted with ruefulness after Liverpool drew with Palace to wrap up the title, then finally lifted the league trophy in front of their fans?

The vice-captain will relinquish his position next month when he joins Real Madrid on a free transfer, his £180k-per-week contract set to expire.

At the end of the day, Alexander-Arnold’s rise from the academy has been synonymous with the period of sustained success across nearly a decade.

He made his professional debut, under Klopp’s wing, in the League Cup, starting during a 2-1 victory over Tottenham Hotspur in the fourth round.

Alexander-Arnold has since swept up the lot with his boyhood club, leaving the Premier League with more assists than any other defender in the division’s history. He’s won it twice, and indeed departs with a gold medal around his neck.

Trent Alexander-Arnold – Liverpool Stats by Competition
Competition	Apps	Goals	Assists
Premier League	259	18	67
Champions League	60	2	13
FA Cup	13	1	3
League Cup	10	–	6
Europa League	5	–	2
Community Shield	2	1	–
CL Qualifiers	2	1	–
FIFA Club World Cup	2	–	1
UEFA Super Cup	1	–	–
Data via Transfermarkt

Trent’s glittering Liverpool legacy is incontrovertible, set in stone. However, it’s been dulled just a bit by his actions.

Indeed, there’s been a certain slyness to the way he’s ducked interviews across the year, his abject performance against Manchester United, his pointed celebration at West Ham United, retorting to fans questioning his love for the club.

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Had he shown more candour from the beginning, the whole fiasco might have been avoided. Alexander-Arnold, for sure, could have taken a leaf from Caoimhin Kelleher’s book, for the shot-stopper should also leave this summer but will do so having given his all and with transparency.

Liverpool must part ways with Kelleher

Out of contract at the end of next season, it looks like Kelleher is going to leave Liverpool this summer, having clearly expressed his desire to take a more senior role to “be a number one”.

Aged 26, the Republic of Ireland international has featured 67 times for Liverpool’s first team, with his efforts as Alisson Becker’s deputy leading skipper Virgil van Dijk to hail him as a “world-class” player.

Alisson is widely considered to be one of the greatest goalkeepers of his generation, but his biggest weakness has been his inability to tread water on the fitness front.

Caoimhin Kelleher – Liverpool Stats by Season (all comps)
Season	Apps (PL)	Minutes
24/25	20 (10)	1,800′
23/24	26 (10)	2,400′
22/23	4 (1)	360′
21/22	8 (2)	750′
20/21	5 (2)	450′
19/20	4 (0)	360′
Stats via Transfermarkt

In truth, the fact Kelleher has enjoyed such regularity of action across his years as a Liverpool player underscores why Slot needs a steady number two to challenge Alisson for that top spot between the sticks.

Kelleher has performed the role incredibly well, with Jurgen Klopp even declaring him “the best number two in the world” after winning the Carabao Cup against Chelsea in February 2024.

Rising through the academy ranks after joining way back in 2015, leaving Ringmahon Rovers in his Irish homeland, Kelleher has now completed, instrumental in winning, notably, two League Cup titles and more besides.

However, he wants first-team football this summer and Liverpool cannot offer him that. He must be sold, with recent reports suggesting the likes of Aston Villa are interested in making their move as Emi Martinez prepares to leave for pastures new.

With FSG having acted pre-emptively last summer, agreeing a £29m fee with Valencia for Georgian goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili, 24, there simply isn’t room for Kelleher anymore.

As per FBref, Kelleher ranks among the top 1% of goalkeepers across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for clean sheet percentage (50%), but only among the top 38% for save percentage, making a comment on the strength of Liverpool’s backline.

He’s still a good goalkeeper, one with the potential to achieve greatness, but he pales in comparison to Alisson, and that’s not to his discredit.

Valencia’s star in front of the net, however, has been cherry-picked due to his potential to reach Alisson’s level. Indeed, having been described as an “absolute monster” of a shot-stopper with a commanding presence by Spanish journalist Paco Polit, capable of making “impossible saves.”

He proved his worth and then some during EURO 2024, a veritable wall for a Georgia side whose success in reaching the quarter-finals after beating Portugal led to him being awarded the Best Goalkeeper accolade, and deservedly so.

Already believed to be “one of the best shot-stoppers in Europe” by hawk-eyed talent scout Jacek Kulig, Liverpool might be onto a winner with this one, and it’s understandable that Kelleher should be allowed to search for a new chapter in his career, FSG playing a long game which might just see fans nodding their heads in appreciation of their owners’ shrewdness down the line.

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Another season gone, and another second-place finish in the Premier League for Arsenal.

In their defence, Mikel Arteta’s side have had to deal with a seemingly never-ending stream of injuries this term, but even then, it’s undeniably disappointing to fail to win the title at the third time of asking.

Moreover, instead of losing to Manchester City, Liverpool comfortably beat the Gunners this time, with Mohammed Salah stepping up and taking Erling Haaland’s crown as the most dangerous attacker in the league.

PL Top Scorers

#

Player

Team

Games

Goals

1

Salah

Liverpool

37

28

2

Isak

Newcastle

33

23

3

Haaland

Man City

29

21

4

Wood

Forest

35

20

5

Mbeumo

Brentford

37

19

5

Wissa

Brentford

34

19

All Stats via BBC Sport

Unfortunately, outside of maybe Bukayo Saka, the North Londoners don’t really have a forward player capable of racking up as many goals as those two, although that could be about to change, as, based on recent reports, the club are looking to sign a goalscoring phenomenon who could be their own Haaland.

Arsenal's striker search

Before we get to the player in question, it’s worth looking at some of the other strikers who have been liked with Arsenal in recent weeks, such as Benjamin Sesko and Joao Pedro.

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The former could reportedly now cost up to £75m due to his release clause increasing, but considering he’s scored 21 goals and provided six assists in 45 games at just 21 years old, he may well be worth it.

Pedro’s price tag of up to £100m might not be, as while he is talented, a tally of ten goals and six assists in 27 games isn’t exactly game-breaking.

Moreover, if the club are going to sign their own Haaland, they need an unbelievably prolific striker, someone like Viktor Gyokeres.

According to a recent report from Caught Offside, Arsenal have maintained their intense interest in the Swedish striker and are now ‘prepared to make a serious effort’ to get a deal over the line.

The report has revealed that the Gunners are currently leading the race to sign the Sporting CP ace and have already offered him a long-term contract until 2030 worth up to £10m a year, or around £192k-per-week.

Moreover, the report claims that the North Londoners are hopeful of getting their man for a fee of around €70m, which is about £59m.

It will be a complicated and costly transfer to get over the line, but given Gyokeres’ immense ability, it’s one worth fighting for, especially as he could be Arsenal’s own Haaland.

How Gyokeres would be Arsenal's Haaland

So, if Arsenal can get ahead of the other interested parties and bring Gyokeres to the club this summer, why could he turn into their own Haaland?

Well, by their own version of the Norwegian goal machine, we simply mean an attacker who is such a tour de force up top that he becomes a talisman and someone who can be the difference between winning it all and falling short.

For example, even though he’s been injured for large parts of the season, the Manchester City star has still scored 30 goals and provided four assists, while last season, he racked up 38 goals and seven assists, while he managed an astounding 52 goals and nine assists in the Sky Blues’ treble-winning 22/23 campaign.

Now, we aren’t saying that the Sporting CP “monster,” as dubbed by analyst Ben Mattinson, is going to quite hit those numbers for the North Londoners next year, but based on his performances in Portugal, he could still be a huge source of goals for them.

For example, in his first season in Lisbon, the 23-year-old “powerhouse,” as dubbed by Mattinson, scored 43 goals and provided 15 assists in 50 appearances, totalling 4169 minutes, which comes out to an average of 1.16 goal involvements every game, or one every 71.87 minutes.

He has somehow been even better this season, scoring 53 goals and providing 13 assists in 51 appearances, totalling 4128 minutes, which comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 1.29 games, or every 62.54 minutes.

Add to those numbers the fact he’s also managed to score 15 goals and provided six assists in 26 national team appearances, and it’s impossible to deny the fact that he’s a striker of the highest calibre and stands every chance of having a similar impact on Arteta’s side that Haaland has had on Pep’s.

European Golden Boot

#

Player

Games

Goals

Goals per Game

1

Gyokeres

33

39

1.18

2

Mbappe

33

29

0.88

3

Salah

37

28

0.76

4

Kane

31

26

0.84

5

Lewandowski

33

25

0.71

All Stats via Transfermarkt

Therefore, while it won’t be cheap, Arsenal should do all they can to sign Gyokeres this summer, as he could be the difference between finishing second again next year and finally getting over the line.

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