Tag Futebol

Captain aware role will come under scrutiny but says she’s proud of team’s fight

Andrew Miller23-Jan-2025Heather Knight, England’s captain, has conceded the umpires made the correct call in taking the players off the field for rain with just five balls of the second T20I remaining, even though that denied her the chance to hunt down the 18 runs still needed to keep her side in with a chance of a squared Ashes series.Knight was going strong on 43 not out from 19 balls, having just struck Annabel Sutherland’s first ball of the final over for four, when umpires Ben Treloar and Eloise Sheridan decided the rain in Canberra – which had already caused a 20-minute mid-innings delay – was too heavy to ignore. She was visibly furious as she left the field, but later admitted her reaction was pure “frustration” at being denied the chance to “do something special”.”It was right decision by the umpires,” Knight said. “I was really in the zone to try and win us that game, and obviously frustrated that we were going off, but it wasn’t at the umpires at all. It was pretty wet, even when we were running it felt pretty slippy and it was quite hard to attack those twos. So yeah, it was the right decision, 100%.”The match was called off minutes later to confirm England’s defeat by six runs on Duckworth-Lewis-Stern, and hand the Australians an unassailable 10-0 lead in the Ashes points table, with the third T20I to come in Adelaide on Saturday, followed by next week’s one-off Test at the MCG.”It was brilliant game of cricket,” Knight said, after England had finished on 168 for 4 in reply to Australia’s 185 for 5. “I felt like I could get us over the line. I felt really set, and I had some really good boundary options on a very good cricket wicket. It was an awesome crowd and they deserved a finish, and you could hear the frustration from the fans that that we were going off, and the game wasn’t able to reach its conclusion.”Related

Australia show off their depth in dominant Sydney display

Amy Jones plays down Hartley row as England face must-win Canberra contest

Australia hope Healy can play as a batter in Ashes Test

McGrath, Harris, Schutt and rain help Australia win the Ashes

Despite being England’s fifth consecutive defeat of a dispiriting campaign, Knight said she was proud that her team had showed a “bit of mongrel” in what she identified as their best batting performance of the tour. With Danni Wyatt-Hodge leading the way with 52 from 40 balls, England had been ahead of the DLS rate until a break in play at 69 for 1 allowed Australia to regroup and claim two key wickets in a middle-overs squeeze.”As a batting group, we’ve been disappointed that we haven’t showed off our best cricket, and I think tonight was certainly our best,” Knight said. “We knew it was going to be tough and a lot had to go our way, but I’m really proud of the way we fought in the run-chase. We showed some brilliant skill level, brilliant intent, brilliant fighting spirit, led by Danni in particular, to try and get us over the line.”The “mongrel” comment itself stemmed from a pre-match pep-talk from Courtney Winfield-Hill, England’s assistant coach, and on the face of it, seemed to mark a departure from the team’s familiar mantra of “inspire and entertain”, a notion that has sounded increasingly hollow with each new loss on this tour. Knight, however, insisted that the team’s recognition of their status as role models remained integral to their ethos, even though she acknowledged that professional cricket is ultimately a results business.”It’s still a mantra that is really important to this team,” she said. “We’re always at our best when we’re trying to take the game on and enjoy it, but obviously, there’s more to cricket than that, and we know that it’s not as simple as just saying we want to entertain. We also want to win at the end of the day.”We haven’t done that this trip, and there’s a lot of players frustrated and hurting that we haven’t done that. We all really care about playing for England, and representing a team that’s really special.”Despite the improved performance, and her own contribution with the bat, Knight acknowledged that the confirmation of England’s Ashes loss would heighten the scrutiny on her position as captain after nine years at the helm.”I guess in any leadership position, you always feel the responsibility when the teams aren’t performing well and we haven’t performed as well as we want to, across the board,” she said. “It’s certainly frustrating, but that’s not really a question for now. I’m just focused on what we need to do to try and win the next game, and try and turn things around. Whatever happens at the end of the tour, that’ll be a conversation for later.”

سخر لاعب الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي كريستال بالاس من قرار احتساب هدف التعادل لصالح ليفربول بعد جدل بشأن لمس يد على محمد صلاح.

وكان ليفربول قد خسر لأول مرة في بطولة الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز أمام كريستال بالاس بنتيجة 2/1، في المباراة التي جمعتهما ضمن منافسات الجولة السادسة من بطولة الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز.

وواجه ليفربول نظيره كريستال بالاس عصر أمس، السبت، في تمام الساعة الخامسة مساءً، على ملعب “سيلهرست بارك”.

ولم يفز ليفربول في آخر 3 مواجهات أمام كريستال بالاس إذ تعادل مرة وخسر مباراة كأس الدرع الخيرية ومباراة الأمس.

اقرأ أيضًا | سبب عدم احتساب لمسة يد على محمد صلاح في هدف كييزا ضد كريستال بالاس

وجاء هدف التعادل لصالح ليفربول في الدقيقة 87 عن طريق الإيطالي فيدريكو كييزا من عرضية تم إرسالها بأقدام الهولندي ريان جرافنبيرخ.

شهد احتساب الهدف جدلًا كبيرًا بسبب الشك في لمس محمد صلاح للكرة بيده قبل أن يشتتها المدافع الأمريكي كريس ريتشاردز بشكل خاطئ ما جعل الأمور سهلة على كييزا ليحرز التعادل.

وبعد العودة إلى تقنية الفيديو والانتظار وقتًا طويلًا حتى يتم التأكد من صحة الهدف، اتخذ الحكم قرارًا بعدم لمس الكرة ليد صلاح وبالتالي الهدف صحيحًا.

وفي ضوء ذلك، نشرت رابطة الدوري الإنجليزي توضحيًا حول هدف كييزا بعد وجود شكوك حول اصطدام الكرة بيد محمد صلاح والذي كان ذراعه مرفوعًا وقد أثار لقطات الكاميرات ذعر جماهير الريدز، حيث أظهرت إحدى الزوايا أن الكرة لمست أطراف أصابع النجم المصري.

وذكر حساب “بريميرليج” عبر منصة “إكس”: “تم مراجعة قرار الحكم باحتساب الهدف وتأكيده بواسطة تقنية الفيديو المساعد، لم يكن هناك دليل قاطع على لمس صلاح للكرة أثناء اللعبة”.

وكتب ريتشاردز صاحب خطأ هدف كييزا والذي مدح زميله نكيتاه بعد تسجيله هدف الفوز، على حسابه الرسمي على موقع التواصل الاجتماعي “إكس”: “كنت أعلم أنني لم أكن أتوهم.. شكرًا إيدي”.

وأظهرت الكاميرات محمد صلاح أثناء اللقاء وهو يؤكد عدم وجود خطأ لمسة يد، قبل دخول الهدف مرمى كريستال بالاس، معترضًا على اللجوء للفار.

i knew i wasn’t seeing things … #JUSTICE #thankseddie❤️ https://t.co/jN8rzPoZqD — chris richards (@eastmamba) September 27, 2025

Lyon's Malick Fofana says he considered a summer move to the Premier League but decided to prioritise playing time with the Ligue 1 side.

• Fofana admits Liverpool and Chelsea interest
• Believes he'll get more playing time with Lyon
• Claims he still has progress to make

Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Fofana emerged as a key player for the French side after joining from Gent last year, sparking links to the Premier League with Liverpool and Chelsea said to have been monitoring him. The Belgian winger admits to the transfer interest but felt that staying at the French club was in his best interests.

Advertisement

• Getty Images
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  In his debut season for the French team, Fofana scored 11 goals and registered six assists across all competitions. The ex-Gent player has already had a good start to the season scoring a goal and providing an assists in the first three games for the club. Fofana, 20, is a first-team starter under coach Paulo Fonseca and values his status in the team enough to not want to jeopardise it by trying to fit into a new side.

• WHAT FOFANA SAID

  When asked by about interest from the Premier League, Fofana said: "There was interest from those two clubs, but ultimately nothing concrete. I've considered a transfer, but now I think it's more important that I play a lot, and that has to happen at Lyon. Because I still have some progress to make."

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• AFP
  

  WHAT NEXT FOR FOFANA?

  Fofana was with Belgium national team playing in the World Cup Qualifiers where he bagged his first international goal for the team scoring a 90 minutes stoppage goal against Liechtenstein. He will now play for Lyon in their next league fixture against Rennes on September 15.

All six teams will play one game each but none of the current Australia Test XI are likely to be available for the matches in November which coincide with the first Test

Alex Malcolm10-Oct-2024Cricket Australia has announced that three Sheffield Shield matches will be played under lights this season to give domestic Australian players exposure to day-night conditions given there will be at least one home pink-ball Test per summer moving forward.The matches have been strategically scheduled at Adelaide Oval, the Gabba and Bellerive Oval, with Adelaide and the Gabba the chosen pink-ball Test venues in recent summers.However, the timing of the matches means that none of Australia’s current Test team will get pink-ball practice before the Test summer despite most of the team playing at least one Shield match in the build-up.CA announced that South Australia and Western Australia will play a day-night pink-ball match at Adelaide Oval on November 23, just two weeks before the day-night Test between Australia and India at the same venue. However, there won’t be any current Australian Test players involved as the match clashes with the first Test in Perth.Queensland will face Victoria at the Gabba on November 24. That game could feature one or both of Michael Neser and Scott Boland who have played pink-ball Test cricket and could be in the frame to play for Australia this summer depending on the fitness of Australia’s incumbent quicks.Tasmania toss about a pink ball•Getty Images and Cricket AustraliaTasmania and New South Wales will play a late-season pink-ball day-night match at Bellerive in Hobart starting on March 15. Australia’s ODI players will have just returned from the Champions Trophy and are unlikely to be available but Nathan Lyon could be available for that game depending on how he has recovered from five Tests against India and a two-Test tour to Sri Lanka.”We are always exploring opportunities to further enhance the experience for domestic players and best-prepare them for the challenges of international cricket,” CA’s head of national teams Ben Oliver said.”Playing first-class matches at Test venues is important, and so too is exposure to day-night conditions which have become a feature of the Australian Test summer over the past decade.”With that in mind, we felt it was the right time to re-introduce day-night Sheffield Shield matches for our next group of international cricketers.”CA scheduled day-night Shield rounds consistently between 2013-14 and 2017-18, having first trialled day-night first-class cricket back in the 1990s when yellow and orange balls were used.Pink-ball games have since been reserved for Australia A, Prime Minister’s XI or CA XI matches against touring teams.

Although Smith has opened for Australia after Warner’s retirement, Hayden believes the team is better off utilising him at his best batting positions – Nos. 3 and 4

Vishal Dikshit22-Aug-20241:42

Smith happy to open or bat at No. 4 against India

Former Australia opening batter Matthew Hayden is against the idea of Steven Smith playing as a Test opener. Hayden believes Smith should bat where he has scored most of his runs, suggesting moving him to a “completely different position” is “crazy”. Hayden, Australia’s most prolific opener in Tests before David Warner went past him in December 2023, believes that the top three positions need to be “protected” in Test cricket.”The rationale that [national selector] George Bailey gave was correct in so far as that he was choosing his best top six batsmen,” Hayden said on the sidelines of the CEAT cricket rating awards in Mumbai, of Australia’s batting plans. “Now, you can’t argue with Steven Smith, he is averaging 65 [57] in Test-match cricket…. 32 Test-match hundreds.”But, the role of an opening batsman compared to a middle-order batsman is very different. And it didn’t take long to discover that when you get into challenging conditions, like they faced in the first series outside of Australia, which was in New Zealand, that opening the batting is very difficult.”Smith played as an opener for the first time in his Test career earlier this year. First, during the two home Tests against West Indies and then in New Zealand for another two games. In those eight innings, he was out for 12 or less on five occasions and scored just one half-century – the unbeaten 91 in Brisbane – at an average of 28.50. In comparison, he averages 67.07 from No. 3 and 61.50 from No. 4.Related

Ponting tips Australia to beat India 3-1 in Border Gavaskar Trophy

Warner signs for full BBL, Smith inks three-year Sixers deal

Hayden: Hard to say who has the edge in Border-Gavaskar Trophy

“I, personally, as I said at the time, was on record saying that I didn’t like changing,” Hayden added. “I think it’s crazy to think that you have the world’s best-in-class batter in a certain position. And then you change to a completely different position. For a few reasons, I think that’s crazy. Firstly, why? Such a gun in that position, such a coveted player.”And then it also is not a great nod to the first-class set-up, which is very much in the Australian culture, been driving great results towards key roles, be that any one of the roles – wicketkeeping, batting, spinners, fast bowlers, opening batters. So the [batting positions of] one, two and three is a category which needs to be protected in my opinion. It sets up play.”If Australia do move Smith back down the order, they will have to look for a new partner for opener Usman Khawaja. Since Warner’s farewell Test at the SCG at the start of this year, Smith and Khawaja have opened in all of Australia’s four Tests, and moving Smith out of the opening slot would mean giving that position to an inexperienced batter. Has that second opening slot been a concern for Australia after Warner’s departure?Steven Smith and Usman Khawaja have been the Australia openers since David Warner’s retirement•Getty Images”Yes, it is. It is,” Hayden said. “For the first time, it doesn’t feel as secure. David Warner gave a great service to Australian cricket. He gave a service that was extremely competitive, wonderfully dynamic. He really took that legacy that I’d created through the 2000s to a new level, strike rates in excess of 80 [70] and gave great momentum to the top order, which otherwise is quite a conservative, very good, but very conservative batting line-up. So I think he’s an enormous loss in terms of how do you replace him.”Clearly, they’ve gone in the direction of Steven Smith and thus far, whether they continue with that strategy, time will tell. And we have guys like [Cameron] Bancroft that are always in the pipeline, Matt Renshaw is in the pipeline.”Bancroft, when you look at his form in England, has been excellent, but that’s domestic cricket. It’s not the Border-Gavaskar-type cricket so a bit of a few things to really prove from that engine room in Australian cricket, which has been challenged right now with David’s absence.”Smith himself has said recently that he has “no idea” about his batting position for the India Tests, and that a decision would be made after Australia’s white-ball tour of the UK starting September 4, where they play a T20I series against Scotland before three T20Is and five ODIs against England. “I’m happy anywhere and I’ll bat wherever for the team,” Smith had said. Both Cummins and Bailey have also recently hinted that Australia are likely to go with the same top six as their last four Tests to begin their Border-Gavaskar Trophy campaign.

Recent history suggests that Leeds United are going to find it incredibly difficult to avoid an instant relegation from the Premier League next season.

The last six teams to have been promoted from the Championship have been relegated in their first season back in the top-flight in the last two campaigns, including Southampton, Leicester, Ipswich, Burnley, Sheffield United, and Luton.

This illustrates the huge gap in quality between the two divisions and shows that the Whites will not find the step up easy, despite their 100-point haul in the second tier.

Daniel Farke, of course, already has experience of how difficult it can be, as his Norwich City side were relegated in the 2019/20 campaign, after they had won the Championship title the previous season.

However, his Canaries team went up alongside Aston Villa and Sheffield United, and both of those teams avoided the drop in their first year back in the Premier League.

There were many reasons that those sides stayed up and Farke’s Norwich outfit did not, but a key player in Villa’s success since their promotion has been all-action midfielder John McGinn.

Why Leeds United need a player like John McGinn

Without meaning to state the obvious, the Premier League is an incredibly high-quality division that requires a high level of both technical quality and athleticism in order for players and teams to shine.

It is not enough to just be technically sound, if you do not have the athleticism to match it, and it is not enough to just have physical qualities, as you need to be technically good enough to compete.

McGinn has been a key player for Villa since earning promotion with the club in 2019 because he has the physical and technical qualities required to be a star in the middle of the park, racking up 203 appearances in the Premier League to date.

The Scotland international has provided a threat at the top end of the pitch for the Villans, with a return of 17 goals and 25 assists in those 203 outings, which shows that he can make a decent impact in the final third from a central midfield position.

McGinn can also compete out of possession with his peers in the top-flight. In the 2024/25 campaign, for example, he averaged 1.5 tackles and interceptions per game and won 4.1 duels per match in midfield.

Leeds need their own version of the Scottish star because they need players who can compete technically and physically in the Premier League, and they are reportedly eyeing a gem who could be Farke’s own version of the Villa ace.

Leeds in talks to sign Ligue 1 star

According to journalist Fabrizio Romano, Leeds United are in talks to sign Strasbourg central midfielder Habib Diarra to bolster their options in the middle of the park.

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, the Italian reporter stated: “They are in negotiations for the player. He’s really appreciated.

Transfer Focus

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

“Diarra is one of the most appreciated options internally, but it’s not an easy deal because of the valuation, so it’s still complicated to make it happen. But Leeds are trying.”

It was previously reported by the Yorkshire Evening Post that the Championship champions have already had an offer of £22m rejected by the French side for the midfielder, and it remains to be seen exactly how much it will take to secure his signature this summer.

Leeds are in talks, per Romano’s latest update, though, and they will now be hoping to strike an agreement with Strasbourg in the weeks to come.

Why Leeds should sign Habib Diarra

The Whites should be pushing to get a deal over the line for the 21-year-old central midfielder because he has the potential to be Farke’s own version of John McGinn.

Per FBref, the Aston Villa star is the most comparable player to Diarra in the Men’s Big 5 Leagues and European competitions out of all attacking midfielders, based on their respective statistics over the past 365 days.

As you can see in the chart above, McGinn and Diarra excel in similar areas of the game, particularly in possession, and this means that the Senegal international could come in and have a similar impact at Elland Road as the Scottish dynamo has had at Villa Park.

The Leeds target has been a regular for Strasbourg in Ligue 1 in recent seasons, which means that he has already proven himself in one of Europe’s major leagues. Whereas, the likes of Ethan Ampadu, Ilia Gruev, and Ao Tanaka have all yet to establish themselves as top-flight players.

Diarra, who scored against England for Senegal in June, caught the eye with his impressive performances in and out of possession in the French top-flight in the 2024/25 campaign.

Appearances

30

xG

3.34

Goals

4

xA

4.27

Assists

5

Recoveries per 90

3.44

Duels won per 90

3.78

Tackle success rate

59%

As you can see in the table above, the right-footed dynamo has similar attributes to McGinn in the middle of the park, as he can deliver goals and assists whilst also winning duels and being efficient as a tackler.

The 21-year-old star, who was described as a “complete” midfielder by analyst Ben Mattinson, can combine solid defensive work off the ball with the potential to be a difference-maker in the final third with his quality as both a scorer and a creator of goals.

Diarra could, therefore, be Farke’s own version of McGinn at Elland Road, and be a Premier League-ready talent for the Whites to put in their starting XI on day one in August.

As aforementioned, Leeds need players who can combine physical and technical qualities if they want to avoid an instant relegation, and signing the Strasbourg star would mean that they have one more of them in the door.

Leeds open talks with agent of "talented" Champions League level star

The 49ers mean business this summer…

1 ByTom Cunningham Jun 27, 2025

As Aston Villa prepare for a busy summer in the transfer market, how they would love to unearth a forward as prolific as Christian Benteke.

The Belgian striker scored 49 goals in just 101 appearances for the Villans, thereby averaging a goal every 172 minutes, despite the fact they were struggling throughout his time at the club.

Having arrived from Genk for just £7m in 2012, Benteke was sold to Liverpool for £32.5m three years later, quite the return on investment.

A decade on from his departure, could Villa be about to make a Benteke-esque striker move in this transfer window?

Aston Villa targeting new striker

According to a report by Football Transfers, Monchi has made Brighton & Hove Albion forward João Pedro a ‘high-priority’ target this summer, adding that the Brazilian is valued at around £58m by the Seagulls.

Pedro has not been seen since being sent off at Brentford on 19 April, first serving the customary three-match suspension.

However, despite then being available for Brighton’s final two fixtures of the campaign, Fabian Hürzeler chose not to select him.

This is because, as outlined by Pedro was involved in a ‘training ground altercation’ with teammate Jan Paul van Hecke, merely fueling speculation around his future.

Sam Dean of the Telegraph has previously documented that Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal are all ‘interested’ to Pedro this summer, but could Aston Villa position themselves at the front of the queue by acting swiftly?

Why Pedro would be a better signing than Rashford

Now that his loan spell has come to an end, there was always going to be much speculation about Marcus Rashford’s future.

In 17 appearances for Villa, he looked like a different player, enjoying a ‘career rehabilitation’ in the Midlands as he scored four goals and registered six assists, on target against Brighton and Manchester City in the Premier League, also bagging a brace at Preston North End in the FA Cup.

Nevertheless, Jamie Jackson of the Guardian reports that, even though he is contracted to the club until 2028, Rashford has no future at Manchester United, who value him at £40m, with reports in Spain documenting Barcelona’s long-standing interest.

However, rather than pushing to make Rashford’s deal permanent, would Villa be better served signing Pedro?

Well, let’s attempt to find out.

Pedro vs Rashford: 2024/25 PL season
Stat (per 90 mins)	Pedro	Rashford
Goals	0.46	0.38
Assists	0.28	0.19
Key passes	1.39	1.77
Progressive passes	3.61	2.15
Shot-creating actions	3.33	3.54
Successful take-ons	1.34	1.14
Progressive carries	3.06	2.66
Stats via FBref.

As the table outlines, Rashford and Pedro’s statistics this season are remarkably similar.

In around 300 more minutes across all competitions, the Englishman scored one more goal, registered two more assists and accumulated more shot-creating actions per 90.

Nevertheless, Pedro came out on top for carrying metrics across passing and dribbling, suggesting he’s even more of a livewire than Pedro in forward areas.

Presenter Sam Ucko labels the Brazilian a ‘special player”, while Liam Tharme of the Athletic praises his ‘technical prowess’, which enables him to drop deep and be involved in the build-up play.

So, the smarter business decision would be to spend big on the younger Pedro, rather than splurging on a 27-year-old whose best days could be behind them.

Pau Torres 2.0: Aston Villa submit offer to sign £21m "big game player"

Aston Villa are looking to do their transfer business early

By
Joe Nuttall

May 28, 2025

On Stick to Football, Roy Keane bemoaned Liverpool for taking their foot off the gas well before the season has been wrapped up, for partying abroad ahead of a Premier League match against Brighton & Hove Albion, a match they lost.

Well, Liverpool were crowned champions almost one month ago, having been head, shoulders and torso above the rest of the pack since the start of the season.

Arne Slot has achieved something truly special, and after upholding such high and inflexible standards across the lion’s share of the year, can surely be afforded some leeway for loosening his grip with his deserving squad now relishing their new status as Premier League winners.

The truth is, Liverpool can do what they want, so long as they return fresher than ever for pre-season duties. Of course, one man who won’t be taking his foot off the pedal is sporting director Richard Hughes, tasked with making sweeping changes in the transfer market this summer.

Jeremie Frimpong is on the brink of being announced as Trent Alexander-Arnold’s replacement, and the man himself, The Athletic’s David Ornstein, has issued an exciting revelation as Liverpool fight for Bayer Leverkusen’s Florian Wirtz.

The latest on Florian Wirtz to Liverpool

Bayern Munich and Liverpool have both pushed to sign Wirtz in recent weeks, laying the foundations ahead of the summer transfer window.

But, as Ornstein reveals, Liverpool have taken the lead in the race, with Die Roten swallowing a bitter pill in accepting Anfield looks the likely destination for the playmaker, should he leave Leverkusen this summer.

In fact, the esteemed reporter has gone as far as to suggest the Bundesliga champions believe he will not join them this summer, and actually favours a move to Merseyside.

Manchester City no longer have a vested interest in the German, who is valued at €150m (£126m), and have instead shifted their attention to Nottingham Forest’s Morgan Gibbs-White.

Wirtz is only 22, but he’s already got a case toward being the best midfield playmaker in the world, having posted 69 goal contributions for Die Werkself across the past two seasons, the first of which he won DFB-Pokal and Bundesliga titles undefeated, picking up the German Player of the Season award.

If Liverpool can get this one over the line, they’d surely be favourites to win the Premier League once again next season. And that’s without even considering a striker.

Darwin Nunez is set to be sold, and FSG have already made contact with their dream replacement.

Liverpool approach new striker

According to RMC Sport, Liverpool have made an initial approach to Eintracht Frankfurt for their star striker Hugo Ekitike, having also held talks with the player. Arsenal and Chelsea have also opened discussions, with the 22-year-old’s club looking for a minimum fee of €80m (£68m) for his sale.

It’s worth noting Chelsea have been singled out as the frontrunners due to their degree of interest, though their hopes of playing Champions League football hang in the balance ahead of Sunday’s final round of fixtures.

And whether any suitor would be willing to meet Frankfurt’s heavy valuation of their player, who is immensely talented but not the finished article, remains to be seen.

Why Liverpool should sign Hugo Ekitike

Liverpool’s dream is to sign Newcastle United’s Alexander Isak, but any move for the Sweden star seems unlikely this summer: Eddie Howe views him as untouchable and will be reinforced in his stance should the Magpies qualify for the Champions League.

However, Ekitike would be a stunning alternative, making headway this season as he sharpens his goalscoring sense while also bearing one of the more dynamic striking skill sets on the market right now.

As per FBref, Ekitike ranks among the top 8% of forwards across Europe’s top five leagues in 2024/25 for assists, the top 6% for shot-creating actions, and the top 4% for both progressive carries and successful take-ons per 90, emphasising his athleticism and fast pace.

It also shows that Slot would get his hands on a new profile who could solve Liverpool’s number nine conundrum, such as it is, while dynamising the frontline too, adding a player capable of supplementing Mohamed Salah and Cody Gakpo, who both arc inwards to strike on goal in such deadly fashion.

Comparing Ekitike’s Bundesliga campaign with the tired terms of Nunez and Diogo Jota in the Premier League, you begin to see why Slot so desperately wants a fresh profile, one who can enforce a sustained offensive as Liverpool chase down a range of trophies.

Matches (starts)

33 (31)

29 (8)

25 (14)

Goals

15

5

6

Assists

8

2

3

Shots (on target)*

3.5 (1.5)

1.1 (0.4)

2.0 (0.5)

Big chances missed

16

7

13

Pass completion

76%

71%

72%

Big chances created

12

3

3

Key passes*

1.3

0.3

0.4

Dribbles*

1.6

0.3

0.4

Duels (won)*

4.2

2.1

2.4

Wirtz is good, but he’s not superhuman, and if Liverpool don’t address their striking issues the 22-year-old will struggle to find a focal point from which he can channel his playmaking skills, described by Hansi Flick as an “outstanding technician” who is “very creative.”

Furthermore, his sharp transitional ability would combine wonderfully with Wirtz`s ball-playing game. Ekitike has only missed 16 big chances in the league this term, scoring 15 goals, as per Sofascore. He’s been hailed for his “incredible” attacking performances by teammate Rasmus Kristensen.

Meanwhile, FBref record Wirtz to rank among the top 9% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for assists and the top 7% for shot-creating actions and progressive passes per 90.

Adding two new profiles to the team, Slot would be taking Liverpool to another level, maintaining a brilliant sense of creativity in spite of Alexander-Arnold’s departure while solving the centre-forward conundrum that has plagued the club all year long.

Just imagine this Liverpool side with an out-and-out striker providing a prolific touch across the duration of the campaign, and supplied by a ten such as Wirtz at that.

Bigger talent than Salah: Liverpool make offer to sign "world-class" star

Liverpool are ready to defend their Premier League title by attacking the transfer market.

ByAngus Sinclair May 23, 2025

Manchester United booked their place in the Europa League final last night, after a 4-1 win at Old Trafford against Athletic Club, building on their triumph from the first leg.

Goals from Mason Mount, Rasmus Hojlund and Casemiro secured the win for Ruben Amorim’s side, setting up a tie with fellow Premier League outfit Tottenham Hotspur.

The 7-1 aggregate victory demonstrated the clinical nature posed by the Red Devils, something which they will need to replicate if they are to claim the title at the end of the month.

Should they manage to once again win in Bilbao, it would secure Champions League football for the club, putting a superb end to what’s been a terrible season on the pitch.

Despite the convincing victory, numerous players failed to deliver at the Theatre of Dreams, potentially putting their places in the side at huge risk.

United’s poor performers against Athletic Club

After Diogo Dalot’s injury, Noussair Mazraoui was forced to operate in an unnatural right wing-back role, largely featuring as part of the back three since Amorim’s arrival.

The Moroccan failed to win any of the tackles he entered, whilst losing 100% of the ground duels he contested – with last night’s showing one to forget for the former Bayern Munich star.

He wasn’t alone in failing to impress, with forward Alejandro Garnacho once again falling way below the high levels of performance he’s set for himself at United.

The youngster only managed to complete one of his three attempted dribbles and only registered one effort on goal as he failed to add to his tally in Europe this campaign.

However, despite the showings from the aforementioned duo, one other Red Devils star failed to deliver, potentially becoming a new version of one other former failure at Old Trafford.

The United player who’s becoming the new Amrabat

Midfielder Sofyan Amrabat arrived at United with high hopes of being a success last season, but ultimately failed to deliver during his temporary spell at the club.

The Moroccan, who joined on loan from Fiorentina, featured for a total of 30 times across all competitions, often being utilised as a bench player and brought on late in matches.

However, despite his poor displays, he was useful in terms of seeing out games, managing to regain possession and winning 60% of the tackles he entered at Old Trafford.

Fast forward to the present day, Amorim has found his own version of the 28-year-old in Uruguayan Manuel Ugarte, who failed to impress once again last night.

The former PSG ace has been impressive during his early days at the club, managing to follow in Amrabat’s footsteps of impressing in regaining the ball for the Red Devils.

Last night was no different, winning two tackles and seven duels, managing to break up the play in the heart of the side – undoubtedly contributing to the victory.

However, with the ball at his feet, he struggled to make a huge impact, losing possession 15 times and managing to complete just 67% of the passes he attempted.

Minutes played

62

Touches

48

Passes completed

22/33 (67%)

Possession lost

15x

Tackles won

2

Duels won

7

Dribbles completed

1/2 (50%)

Ugarte also only competed 50% of the dribbles he attempted and was unable to make a single key pass, having little to no impact on the club’s goalscoring antics.

As a result, the midfielder was handed a measly 4/10 match rating by Manchester Evening News journalist Samuel Luckhurst – further highlighting how poor he was throughout the triumph.

After such a showing, it’s safe to say the Uruguayan could be on borrowed time within the starting eleven, with other options needing to be considered ahead of the final.

With nothing left to play for in the league, Amorim can use the matches as an opportunity to trial other players in such a role to bolster their ambitions of claiming the trophy in the coming weeks.

Not just Mount: Man Utd's undroppable 8/10 ace now "has to start the final"

Man Utd’s late show helped to rubberstamp their place in the Europa League final

1 ByRobbie Walls May 9, 2025

With one eye on the summer transfer window and another on ending the current Premier League campaign with a flourish, Fulham have now reportedly seen one target make his choice over a potential move.

Fulham still battling for shock European place

Victory at Craven Cottage against Liverpool last time out sums up the quality that Marco Silva’s side have at their best. After initially falling behind courtesy of a stunning strike from Alexis Mac Allister, the west London club flipped the game on its head and raced into a 3-1 lead at the break.

Even when Luis Diaz’s effort threatened to get the Reds back into proceedings, Fulham earned a deserved three points.

Having made such a statement with victory, Fulham still have every chance of confirming a shock European qualification ahead of the likes of Aston Villa, and Marco Silva spoke about his side’s chances in this week’s press conference.

The Fulham boss told reporters: “We set the target at the beginning of the season for us to arrive in the final stages fighting for something important.

“It is not extra pressure or more pressure for us. It is a privilege to have this type of thing. It is what I want. It is the pressure that I put on myself, my staff, my players and now if we have the chance to fight [for it], we have to embrace it.”

Silva will need no telling just how much of an impact European football would make to his side’s summer transfer window, especially amid reports that one target has already made his choice between Craven Cottage and a European club. Whether that choice changes if Fulham achieve what they’ve set out will certainly be interesting to see, however.

"Complete" Ioannidis makes transfer decision

According to Football Insider, Fotis Ioannidis is now closing in on an agreement to join Sporting CP despite interest from Fulham. What’s more, joining the Greek forward will reportedly be Georgios Vagiannidis rather than, again, a move to Craven Cottage. The Panathinaikos pair are impressive in their own right, but it’s Ioannidis who stands out the most.

Whether Fulham attempt a last-gasp hijack to sign the forward will be something to keep an eye on, especially if they qualify for European football in the coming weeks.

Dubbed “complete” by analyst Ben Mattinson, the Greek forward would be an ideal option to replace 33-year-old Raul Jimenez, who is unlikely to be at the peak of his powers for much longer.

After scoring 11 goals in all competitions this season, the interest in Ioannidis should come as no surprise.