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Fulham have now opened fresh talks to sign a red-hot forward, who is open to a move to Craven Cottage this summer, according to a report.

Cottagers keen on new forward despite promising Muniz update

At one stage, it was looking likely that Rodrigo Muniz was going to move to Atalanta, but the Italian club were unwilling to meet the Cottagers’ demands, and they have since opted to sign Nikola Krstovic from Lecce.

Promisingly, it has since been revealed that Muniz is due to be offered a new deal, with the Brazilian eager to extend his stay at Craven Cottage.

Transfer expert Graeme Bailey said: “I am told that Muniz is one of Fulham’s lowest paid players, he is very much due a new contract, and Marco Silva has made it clear to Fulham’s top brass he wants this sorting out. Muniz wants to stay and pledge his future to Fulham.”

As such, Silva may no longer need to bring in a new starting striker this summer, although an opening bid was recently submitted for up-and-coming Partizan Belgrade centre-forward Dusan Jovanovic.

However, having made no outfield additions to the squad up to this point, despite losing Willian and Reiss Nelson, Silva appears to be keen to bring in a new winger, and talks have now been re-opened over a deal for Shakhtar Donetsk’s Kevin.

That is according to Sky Sports News’ Dharmesh Sheth, who states the fee and structure of the deal are currently being discussed, with Fulham encouraged by the fact the Brazilian is open to a move to Craven Cottage this summer.

Bid made: Fulham leapfrog Aston Villa in race for "fantastic" £860k striker

The Cottagers have overtaken their Premier League rivals in the race for a centre-forward.

By
Dominic Lund

Aug 20, 2025

However, there is currently a gap in valuation between the Cottagers and the Ukrainian club, with the west Londoners perhaps unwilling to match the huge £43m asking price.

Kevin could be ready for Premier League move

The 22-year-old has made a flying start to the 2025-26 campaign, having already chipped in with six goal contributions in Shakhtar’s opening three Europa League qualifiers, while he has also impressed across the previous two seasons.

Season	League appearances	Goal contributions
2023-24	14	7
2024-25	24	10

The Shakhtar star tested himself in the Champions League last season, scoring two goals in seven outings in Europe’s elite competition, which suggests he could now be ready to cut his teeth in the Premier League.

That said, it would be a gamble for Fulham to shell out what would be a club-record £43m fee for the Sao Paulo-born star, given that he is yet to prove himself in a major domestic league, making just 11 appearances for Palmeiras before moving to Ukraine.

As such, Fulham should continue trying to get a deal done for a lower price, but if Shakhtar continue to play hardball, there are plenty of alternative options on the shortlist, with the likes of Reiss Nelson and Raheem Sterling being named as potential targets.

In Alexander Isak’s ongoing absence from Newcastle United’s matchday squads, Anthony Gordon was tasked with leading the line for the Magpies in their Premier League opener against Aston Villa.

Manager Eddie Howe was certainly complimentary of the England international, and said he “looked very good as a centre forward” at Villa Park.

Gordon, who got 90 minutes under his belt against the Villans, managed two shots on target and completed 23 sprints, as per Sofascore. He showed great threat at running in behind and managed to get Ezri Konsa sent off when he was bearing down on goal.

Yet, as threatening as the forward looked as a striker on Sunday, it’s not his natural position. Newcastle have been linked with some true centre-forwards.

Newcastle’s latest striker target

The hunt goes on for the Magpies, as they search for a new striker to strengthen up front this summer. As has been reported this week, Goncalo Ramos is reportedly open to a move to the North East from PSG, but it remains to be seen if that deal will materialise.

Transfer Focus

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

Another alternative option could come from within the Premier League, according to TEAMTalk. Newcastle are said to be ‘exploring a move’ to sign Wolverhampton Wanderers and Norway international striker Jorgen Strand Larsen.

However, this deal will not be easy at all, with Wolves ‘thin on attacking depth’ after sales and injuries have already affected them.

Even so, ‘the door isn’t entirely shut’ for Howe’s side to sign Strand Larsen, and if the Old Gold find a replacement, a £30m deal could be on the cards this summer.

Why Strand Larsen would be a good signing

After initially moving on loan to Molineux last season from Celta Vigo, it was an impressive debut season in the West Midlands for Strand Larsen. He became a key source of goals in a Wolves team that had previously only had Matheus Cunha to inspire them in front of goal.

Last season, the 25-year-old managed to find the back of the net 14 times in 35 Premier League appearances. Some of the underlying numbers show just how well he played, averaging 0.5 goals and 1.2 shots on target per 90 minutes.

Goals

0.5

14

Shots on target

1.2

34

Key passes

0.7

21

Expected goal involvements

0.39xGI

11.32xGI

Aerial duels won

2.3

67

Described as a “target man” by football talent scout Jacek Kulig, the former Celta Vigo star has shown a great instinct in front of goal for the Old Gold.

This goal against Manchester City last season sums that up, with excellent movement in the penalty box to get on the end of an early cross.

The Magpies are looking for a long-term replacement for Isak, and Gordon would love to find someone with whom he can have an equally deadly partnership. As per Transfermarkt, the pair have combined for ten goals, more than any other player in Gordon’s career.

Indeed, the 2024/25 campaign was not the best of Gordon’s career, after struggling for form at the start of the season.

He scored nine goals and assisted seven in 42 games. Yet, crosses like this to Isak make him such a dangerous prospect for opponents.

It is easy to imagine a cross like that going onto Strand Larsen’s head, instead. The Norwegian star stands at six feet four inches tall, so if he gets service like that, there is every chance he can capitalise.

There are numbers to suggest Gordon excels at deliveries into the box, like the one above. Last season, he averaged 0.63 crosses into the penalty area and 2.03 passes into the penalty area per 90 minutes. That placed him in the top 7% and 15% of Premier League attackers.

Gordon and Isak had a sensational partnership at St James’ Park, but with the Swede seemingly set to leave the club – or remain in exile – it could be time for a new duo to form. Strand Larsen, with his aerial dominance and penalty box instinct, could be that striker.

For just £30m, Newcastle may have found the dream Isak replacement and someone Gordon can excel with.

More potential than Wissa & Ramos: Newcastle lead race to sign £60m striker

Newcastle still need to sign two strikers before the end of the summer transfer market.

ByAngus Sinclair Aug 19, 2025

While they certainly didn’t help themselves, the biggest problem for Tottenham Hotspur last season was injuries.

Ange Postecoglou had to make do with a cobbled-together squad for much of the campaign, and when he did have his players back, they won the Europa League.

Arguably, the biggest miss for the Lilywhites was Cristian Romero, who missed 27 games before playing a pivotal role in the club’s first trophy triumph in 17 years.

The World Cup winner will undoubtedly be one of Thomas Frank’s most important players this season, and so fans should be delighted about reports linking the club to an international who has been compared to him, as well as Gabriel Magalhães.

Spurs target Romero and Gabriel hybrid

It’s been an interesting summer for Spurs so far regarding transfers, as while their pursuit of Morgan Gibbs-White hasn’t borne any fruit, they’ve bought in several other potential game-changers.

Transfer Focus

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

For example, while he wasn’t cheap, Mohammed Kudus could help turn the Lilywhites into a far more dangerous side, while Joao Palhinha has the ability to make them a far tougher side to break down.

Moreover, the North Londoners appear keen on adding at least one more player to their ranks before the window slams shut, a player who has been compared to Romero and Gabriel.

At least that’s according to a recent report from Sebastien Vidal, who claims that Spurs are very interested in Ronald Araujo, who is valued at £43m.

In fact, the journalist goes further, revealing that the Lilywhites are “expected” to make their first official approach for the Barcelona star as soon as “next week.”

It could be a complicated and relatively costly transfer to get done, but Araujo has proven he’d be worth it, especially as he’s been compared to Romero and Gabriel.

How Araujo compares to Romero & Gabriel

Now, there are several quite surface-level similarities you can point to between Araujo, Gabriel and Romero, such as them all being South American defenders who play for their nations, the fact they all play for top sides in one of Europe’s top five leagues, or that none of them are the kind of defender who gets bullied off the ball easily.

However, thanks to FBref, we know that there are also some undeniable statistical similarities between them as they looked at all centre-backs across the top five leagues and, over the last 365 days, the Arsenal star comes in as the third most similar to the Barça ace, while the Spurs titan ranks as the ninth most similar.

You can gain a better understanding of how these comparisons were made by examining the underlying numbers in which the Uruguayan ranked closely to the two Premier League monsters.

Non-Penalty Expected Goals

0.11

0.10

Passing Accuracy

91.9%

90.2%

Key Passes

0.48

0.49

Passes into the Penalty Area

0.36

0.30

Goal-Creating Actions

0.24

0.23

Interestingly, when it comes to the Gunners’ ace, the Rivera-born star doesn’t actually rank all that closely in the defensive metrics, and instead shares plenty of the Brazilian’s offensive qualities, from non-penalty expected goals to key passes and goal-creating actions, all per 90.

However, when it comes to the Lilywhites ace, the metrics include offensive and defensive statistics, such as interceptions, percentage of aerial duels won, tackles in the middle third, key passes and more, all per 90.

Non-Penalty Expected Goals

0.11

0.10

Interceptions

1.07

1.34

Aerial Duels Won %

62.3%

60.3%

Tackles in the Middle Third

0.60

0.51

Key Passes

0.48

0.45

Progressive Carries

0.71

0.76

With all that said, while comparisons to two of the best defenders in the world’s toughest league are certainly encouraging, there are other arguments for why the North Londoners should be all over a deal for the former Boston River star, such as his experience.

For example, despite still being just 26 years old, and therefore a year out from hitting his peak, according to research from The Athletic, the “athletic monster,” as dubbed by analyst Raj Chohan, has made 175 appearances for Barcelona, of which 141 have been starts, and he’s racked up a pretty good tally of ten goals and seven assists in those games.

On top of that, he has also helped the Spanish giants win two La Liga titles, two Copa del Reys and two Super Cups, which makes it easy to understand why legendary centre-back Carles Puyol once described him as “one of the best defenders in the world.”

Ultimately, even though it could be a complicated transfer to get over the line, Spurs should be doing what they can to secure Araujo’s services, especially as he’s something of a hybrid between Romero and Gabriel.

Spurs prepared to pay £40m to sign "special" James Maddison replacement

Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly not concerned by the price tag of a star who could be a dream replacement for James Maddison.

ByDan Emery Aug 11, 2025

تفاعلت جماهير كرة القدم مع فوز النجم الفرنسي عثمان ديمبلي بجائزة أفضل لاعب في العالم لعام 2025، المُقدمة من جانب مجلة “فرانس فوتبول” الشهيرة، مساء يوم الإثنين.

واستضاف مسرح “دو شاتليه” في باريس مراسم حفل مجلة “فرانس فوتبول” الشهيرة لتوزيع جوائز الأفضل في العالم لعام 2025، وعلى رأسها الكرة الذهبية.

اقرأ أيضًا.. ردود أفعال جماهير ليفربول على مركز محمد صلاح في الكرة الذهبية 2025: عار مطلق وأمر إجرامي

وحصل عثمان ديمبلي، لاعب فريق باريس سان جيرمان، على جائزة الكرة الذهبية لأفضل لاعب في العالم لعام 2025، في حين اكتفى محمد صلاح بالمركز الرابع (لمطالعة التفاصيل كاملة من هنا).

وتفاعل مشجعو كرة القدم، عبر موقع إكس، مع إعلان فوز عثمان ديمبلي بتلك الجائزة لأول مرة في مسيرته، على النحو التالي:

“بشكل صادق، كان من المفترض أن يكون محمد صلاح هو الفائز، ديمبيلي كان رائعًا، لكنه كان جزءًا من فريق رائع، مينديز، حكيمي، دوناروما وفيتينها كانوا بنفس القدر من الأهمية لنجاحهم، بينما كان صلاح أكثر أهمية لـ ليفربول، وكان سيفوز لو كانت الجائزة معتمدة على الأداء الفردي لا على الألقاب”.

Should’ve been Salah honestly. Dembele was great but part of a great team. Mendes, Hakimi, Donnarrumma, Vitinha just as important to their success

Salah was more vital for Liverpool & would have won if the award was based on individual performance & not trophies — FC CONCEPTS (@EAFCconcepts) September 22, 2025

“سرقة!”.

Robberryyyyy!!!! — RoBLack (@roblack66) September 22, 2025

“لقد سرقوه”، واضعًا صورة لـ محمد صلاح.

They robbed him 💔💔💔 pic.twitter.com/EUTQUf23vx — Rizy (@Rizy_LFC) September 22, 2025

“يا لها من مزحة من الجائزة”، واضعًا صورة توضح أرقام محمد صلاح الفريدة في الموسم الماضي، حيث تفوق على الجميع.

What a joke of an award!! pic.twitter.com/LUaMmd6mnR — Tolu (@thisistolu) September 22, 2025

“لأنه لا يحمل جنسية فرنسية أو إسبانية أو أوروبية!”، قاصدًا محمد صلاح.

Because he does not hold French, Spanish, or any European nationality 😂 pic.twitter.com/8yWeqhN6UI — KingR (@IR88K) September 22, 2025

“فائزي هو (محمد صلاح)، تبًا لجائزتكم”.

My winner

Fk ur stpid award show man!!! pic.twitter.com/Yt3D2SdlIE — Elvis⁶𓅓 (@mafia3O) September 22, 2025

“كيف لـ فيتينها أن يتواجد في مركز أعلى من محمد صلاح ورافينها؟!”.

How did Vitinha finish above Salah and Raphina?? — Stacka (@LFC_Stacka) September 22, 2025

“اشرحوا لي كيف يتفوق لامين يامال على فيتينها وصلاح؟ صلاح؟ كيف؟ ماذا لعب الموسم الماضي؟!”.

Explain to me how lamine yamal is above vitinha and Salah?
Salah?????
How?????
What did he play last season?!!!! — Tåmmy (@kurothedeity) September 22, 2025

“يامال يتفوق على صلاح ومبابي، هذا أمر إجرامي، محمد صلاح يلعب في الدوري الإنجليزي ودوري أبطال أوروبا للتذكرة، أمر مضحك للغاية!”.

Yamal ahead of Salah and Mbappe is absolutely criminal. Salah playing in the Prem and CL remember. Absolute joke. — Ry the monkey hanger 🇬🇧✝️🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 (@rythered1988) September 22, 2025

The Gunners are showcasing serious ambition this summer, having already completed a host of major signings, and Arsenal are not slowing down with just under two months to go before deadline day on September 1.

Berta to offer "emerging star" in Arsenal swap deal for near-£70m signing

The Italian really wants to bring him to N5.

ByEmilio Galantini Jul 9, 2025

Arsenal confirmed the arrivals of Kepa Arrizabalaga and Martin Zubimendi recently, with the Spaniards poised to be joined by Premier League stalwart Christian Norgaard, who completed his medical earlier this week (David Ornstein).

19/20 – winter

£0

20/21 – summer

£81.5m

20/21 – winter

£900k

21/22 – summer

£156.8m

21/22 – winter

£1.8m

22/23 – summer

£121.5m

22/23 – winter

£59m

23/24 – summer

£208m

23/24 – winter

£0

24/25 – summer

£101.5m

24/25 – winter

£0

25/26 – summer

£65m

Zubimendi’s capture, in particular, was the result of a serious back and forth between Real Sociedad and Arsenal, which seemed to go on for several months, but Mikel Arteta at long last secured his new midfield star last Sunday.

“Martin is a player who will bring a huge amount of quality and football intelligence to our team. He will fit in really well and he has all the attributes to be a key player for us,” said Arteta about Zubimendi’s arrival, in official statement.

“The standard he has consistently performed at over the last few seasons for both club and country is exactly why we are so excited to have him with us. We all welcome Martin and his family to the club.”

After Zubimendi and Norgaard, it appears the players most likely to join Arsenal next are currently Sporting CP striker Viktor Gyokeres or Chelsea’s Noni Madueke.

Arsenal are now in club-to-club talks with Chelsea over Madueke after agreeing personal terms (Fabrizio Romano), but supporters are clamoring for Berta to end the club’s search for a new number nine.

The Sweden international, according to various reports, is in advanced talks to join Arteta’s side after also agreeing personal terms, like Madueke, and if Berta has his way, the 27-year-old will be the man to end Arsenal’s pursuit of a prolific goalscorer.

Gyokeres’ 97 goals in 102 appearances for Sporting over the last two years is a massive draw for Arsenal, not least because of their trouble finding the net last season in comparison to their previous two campaigns.

Arsenal "will" sign Viktor Gyokeres after "positive" Berta talks

Understandably, updates on the 27-year-old’s potential move to north London are coming by the hour.

Football Transfers have chipped in with information of their own, sharing the timeline Arsenal supporters can expect when it comes to finalising a deal for the ex-Coventry City star.

Arsenal want to get Gyokeres over the line in time for their pre-season tour of Asia, with Arteta’s side set to take on AC Milan in Singapore on July 23. Berta has just arrived back in England after jetting out to Portugal for “positive talks” with Sporting, and FT move to reassure fans that Arsenal “will” get a deal done for Gyokeres, even if there is some light work to do on the final fee.

They’ve offered an initial £56 million, plus £4 million in add-ons, for the centre-forward – but Sporting want the £60 million to be a paid as an unconditional fixed fee.

Therefore, just £5 million separates the two sides right now, and there is an expectation that they will eventually reach a compromise, as Arsenal look to seal this deal within the next fortnight.

يشهد اليوم السبت 6-9-2025 زخمًا كرويًا كبيرًا على مستوى المنتخبات، حيث تتواصل منافسات التصفيات الإفريقية والأوروبية المؤهلة إلى كأس العالم 2026، بجانب المواجهة الودية المرتقبة لمنتخب مصر الثاني أمام نظيره التونسي، في أول ظهور له قبل خوض بطولة كأس العرب المقبلة.

ويخوض منتخب مصر الثاني، تحت قيادة حلمي طولان، مواجهة ودية أمام منتخب تونس على ملعب هيئة قناة السويس في الإسماعيلية، ضمن برنامج التحضير لبطولة كأس العرب التي ستقام في قطر ديسمبر المقبل.

وفي القارة الأوروبية، يخوض المنتخب البرتغالي بقيادة نجمه كريستيانو رونالدو اختبارًا أمام أرمينيا في الجولة الأولى من التصفيات، فيما يلتقي منتخب إنجلترا مع أندورا، وتجمع قمة أخرى بين إيرلندا والمجر.

أما في القارة السمراء، فتتجه الأنظار إلى مواجهة نيجيريا مع رواندا، ضمن منافسات التصفيات الإفريقية المؤهلة إلى المونديال.

طالع أيضًا | وسط برود ديشامب.. منتخب فرنسا يفجر غضب باريس سان جيرمان بسبب ديمبلي مواعيد مباريات اليوم السبت 6-9-2025 والقنوات الناقلةمواعيد مباريات تصفيات إفريقيا لكأس العالم اليوم

نيجيريا ضد رواندا، الساعة 7 مساءً بتوقيت مصر والسعودية، ولم تُعلن أي قناة عربية عن نقل المباراة. مواعيد مباريات تصفيات أوروبا لكأس العالم اليوم

لاتفيا ضد صربيا، الساعة 4 مساءً بتوقيت مصر والسعودية، ولم تُعلن أي قناة عربية عن نقل المباراة.

أرمينيا ضد البرتغال، الساعة 7 مساءً بتوقيت مصر والسعودية، وتُذاع عبر قناة “bein sports 2”.

إنجلترا ضد اندورا، الساعة 7 مساءً بتوقيت مصر والسعودية، وتُذاع عبر قناة “bein sports 1”.

إيرلندا ضد المجر، الساعة 9:45 مساءً بتوقيت مصر والسعودية، وتُذاع عبر قناة “bein sports 2”.

سان مارينو ضد البوسنة والهرسك، الساعة 9:45 مساءً بتوقيت مصر والسعودية، وتُذاع عبر قناة “bein sports 3”.

النمسا ضد قبرص، الساعة 9:45 مساءً بتوقيت مصر والسعودية، وتُذاع عبر قناة “bein sports 4”. موعد مباراة مصر وتونس اليوم

منتخب مصر الثاني ضد تونس، الساعة 8 مساءً بتوقيت مصر والسعودية، وتُذاع عبر قناة “on time sports 1”.

ويُمكنكم متابعة أحداث مباريات اليوم لحظة بلحظة من مركز المباريات من هنــــا

A former Manchester United player was once dubbed the ‘next Cristiano Ronaldo’, but went against Sir Alex Ferguson’s advice in a move that may well have ruined his career.

Man Utd wonderkids who flopped after leaving

The Red Devils are famous for their academy, with numerous first-team stars being made in Carrington. From the Class of 92 to more recent graduates such as Marcus Rashford and Kobbie Mainoo, Man Utd regularly have one of their own in a matchday squad.

Ferguson was influential to the success of many Man Utd youngsters making the grade at Old Trafford and once described how to get the best out of them.

However, some youngsters who had been tipped for greatness didn’t hit the heights at Old Trafford.

Man Utd youngsters who didn’t live up to expectations
Player	Man Utd appearances
Adnan Januzaj	63
Cameron Borthwick-Jackson	14
Ravel Morrison	3
Timothy Fosu-Mensah	30
Nick Powell	9
Scott Wootton	4
Ryan Tunnicliffe	2
Tyler Blackett	12
James Wilson	20

Not every Man Utd academy graduate to make a first-team appearance has gone on to enjoy the career of a Gary Neville, David Beckham or a Ryan Giggs, with many still playing at a lower level, and perhaps none fit the flop category better than Federico Macheda.

Van Gaal flops, Ten Hag disasters: The 10 worst Man Utd players post-Fergie

Man United have had some dreadful players since Sir Alex Ferguson retired in 2013.

By
Ross Kilvington

Jan 24, 2025

Macheda the 'next Ronaldo' who went against Ferguson at Man Utd

There were high hopes for Macheda at Old Trafford, especially after he burst onto the scene with a late winner against Aston Villa in the Premier League in 2009.

In fact, Macheda was called ‘the next Ronaldo’ in Manchester, but that goal against Villa would be as good as it got for the Italian under Ferguson.

Now coming into the twilight years of his career, Macheda left England in 2016 and has been playing his football in Italy, Greece, Turkey and Cyprus.

Federico Macheda’s career in pictures

Talking back in 2017, Macheda recalled when he decided to go against Ferguson by moving to Sampdoria on loan instead of remaining in the Premier League, something he now regrets.

In 2025, Macheda is currently playing his football in Greece with Asteras Tripolis and would make just 19 Premier League appearances in total for Man Utd, a figure which could have been more if he had listened to Ferguson.

The campaign approaches its final stage, but for Liverpool, it’s all done and dusted. In the best way. Arne Slot has won the Premier League in his first season as the Anfield head coach.

Who saw this coming? Certainly not BBC Sport’s experts, for none of the 30 pundits listed Liverpool as champions in their pre-season predictions.

We should cut the analysts some slack; after all, the Reds had just lost Jurgen Klopp, and recent history tells the tale of a decline when iconic managers depart after so many successful years.

The odds were stacked against Slot’s Liverpool, but they have prevailed to clinch the club’s 20th top-flight title. So many players stepped up, but none more so than Mohamed Salah, who fulfilled a promise in putting the Merseysiders back on their perch.

And he’s ready to do it all over again.

Why Mo Salah can go again next season

Salah is surely a shoo-in for the Premier League’s Player of the Season award. Not only has he clinched the league title, but he’s done so with an absurd haul of 28 goals and 18 assists across 36 matches, with two fixtures still to go.

1 – Mohamed Salah

28

18

46

2 – Alexander Isak

23

6

29

3 – Bryan Mbeumo

18

8

26

4 – Erling Haaland

21

3

24

5 – Cole Palmer

15

9

24

Salah needs just two goal involvements from his final two games to break Alan Shearer and Andy Cole’s long-held shared record for contributions in a single Premier League season (47), and those hauls were from a 42-match campaign.

But wait, he’s 33 this summer. Surely now is the time for the Egyptian king to regress, to accept the call of Father Time and take a seat on the back bench.

This is unlikely. Salah’s as hungry as ever, if not more so, with time against him. Slot has tweaked his talisman’s game to provide him with greater freedom in the final third, fewer duties from a defensive standpoint.

Salah is an elite athlete and his tactical intelligence has never been finer tuned. As per Sofascore, he’s only averaging 0.6 tackles per game this season but has seen an upswing in dribble and duel metrics. And, of course, he’s never been more prolific.

Trent Alexander-Arnold has been spoken about ad nauseam this season, and at least now there’s clarity regarding his future. However, Liverpool do need to source a new creative lifeforce, and if Jeremie Frimpong is the man for the job at right-back, it won’t be him.

That’s okay, Trent is a unique kind of playmaker. But Slot still wants someone to adopt the new playmaking mantle, and FSG appear willing to grant the coach an incredible new star.

Liverpool in contact with marquee signing

You’ll likely be somewhat aware of the incipient Florian Wirtz saga, with the German playmaker looking to leave Bayer Leverkusen this summer.

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Bayern Munich had been thought to hold the lead in the race but The Athletic have since reported that Manchester City and Liverpool have made contact with the 22-year-old’s representatives.

One of the most coveted talents in world football, Wirtz’s signing would send shockwaves across English and European football, should he alight at either end of the M62.

It goes without saying that he’d cost a pretty penny, £126m, in fact, according to reports.

Why Florian Wirtz is Salah's dream signing

Wirtz is only young, but after being crowned last season’s Bundesliga Player of the Year as an invincible champion, it’s fair to say he’s “probably the best midfielder in the world”, and former Leverkusen star Patrick Helmes has said exactly that.

Wirtz has plundered his way through Germany’s finest competitors in recent years, having scored 57 goals and supplied 65 assists across 190 senior appearances for Leverkusen since graduating from their youth ranks.

This season alone, he’s created 21 big chances across the Bundesliga and Champions League, as per Sofascore, having scored six goals across nine fixtures on the continent to underscore his ability to do it on the biggest stage.

This talented playmaker would replace Trent and relocalise Liverpool’s creative focus. Given that he’d be in close proximity to the inswinging Salah, he could be the perfect signing to keep the leading forward firing across the final two years of his Liverpool career.

Attacking midfield

169

48

57

Left winger

21

4

5

Right winger

17

8

5

Centre-forward

15

7

7

Central midfield

5

0

3

Wirtz’s dynamism is a wonderful thing, but he’s typically found in a roaming central role, with license to thrill.

Salah would be sure to benefit from this presence, for the Leverkusen man ranks among the top 8% of positional peers across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for assists, the top 7% for shot-creating actions, the top 6% for progressive passes and the top 2% for successful take-ons per 90, as per FBref.

Contrast Wirtz’s creativity with that of Dominik Szoboszlai, for example, and you begin to see why Liverpool are so invested. The Hungarian, tireless and tenacious as they come, has provided only 14 assists across 90 games as a Red.

He’s also made just 12 big chances across 34 Premier League fixtures this season, and with Alexander-Arnold heading out the door, the addition of a creative player of Wirtz’s ilk is only magnified.

Whether Liverpool prevail in this race will remain to be seen for the immediate future, but the fact FSG are pushing is a good thing, especially when considering the importance of keeping Salah performing at the top of his game.

Stagnancy begets decline, but Liverpool are ready to throw the kitchen sink at exciting signings for Slot’s title-winning squad.

More exciting than Frimpong: Liverpool make enquiry for "world-class" star

Liverpool could be about to make a move for a star who could be more exciting than Jeremie Frimpong.

ByEthan Lamb May 14, 2025

Despite the new owners not being situated at Ibrox just yet, Rangers’ summer rebuild starts now.

After their bitter rivals were crowned Premiership champions for the 13th time in just 14 seasons on Saturday, those from across the city have plenty of work to do over the summer to bridge that gap.

The 17-point chasm that exists at the top of the table is despite the fact Rangers have won both Old Firm derbies in 2025, 3-0 winners at Ibrox in January and 3-2 victors at Parkhead in March, with the latest Glasgow derby coming up on Sunday.

Off the field, the Light Blues could soon have new owners, Paraag Marathe of 49ers Enterprises seemingly set to complete his 51% takeover imminently, with big summer signings promised, including the potential arrival of a “special” youngster from within the SPFL, finally filling the void vacated by the club’s best striker of the modern-era; Alfredo Morelos.

Alfredo Morelos' Rangers career

Back in 2017, two days before his 21st birthday, Morelos joined Rangers from Veikkausliiga champions HJK Helsinki for a reported fee of £1.5m, and what a bargain this would prove to be.

Nicknamed el Búfalo, the Colombian striker was a key figure as the Light Blues went from a laughingstock to Premiership title winners under Steven Gerrard, as outlined by the table below.

Appearances

269

Goals

124

Assists

57

European goals

29

Goals vs Celtic

3

League titles

1

Scottish Cups

1

Red cards

8

As the table suggests, Morelos especially excelled in UEFA competition, breaking Ally McCoist’s all-time club-record for most goals scored in Europe, six of his 29 coming in 2021/22, as the Gers made it all the way to the Europa League Final.

Many supporters would argue the Colombian has never been properly replaced, but could that be about to change?

Rangers' interest in the SPFL's most in-demand striker

According to a report by The Chronicle, Rangers are ‘tracking’ Heart of Midlothian striker James Wilson, with both Celtic and Newcastle United reportedly interested too.

Matthew Lindsay of the Herald describes Wilson as a ‘gifted young striker’, claiming that Hearts fear losing him for an ‘absolute pittance’, valued at around £1m.

So who is he, and why is he in such demand?

Well, let’s take a look at his statistics to help answer this question.

Age

18

Age of debut

16

Appearances

31

Minutes

1,549

Goals

6

Assists

2

Despite only making his debut as recently as January 2024 against The Spartans, Wilson has established himself as a regular in the Hearts first team.

Indeed, he’s already scored in an Edinburgh derby at Easter Road in October before opening his European account at Tynecastle against Petrocub Hîncești in the Conference League a couple of months later.

The teenager was also sent off for a high-tackle on Dundee United’s Luca Stephenson last month, which is a very Morelos thing to do isn’t it?

In a more positive development, back in March, Wilson was handed his senior international debut by Steve Clarke against Greece during a UEFA Nations League tie at Hampden, becoming Scotland’s youngest-ever male player, breaking John Lambie’s record that had stood for a staggering 138 years.

Teammate for club and country Craig Gordon described Wilson as a “great talent” and “pretty special”, believing “he’s going to go really far”, while Hearts left-back James Penrice praised the teenager’s “brilliant season”, adding “I’m very impressed with him”.

So, it’s easy to understand why he is in such high demand.

Thus, if Rangers are able to get their hands on Wilson, could he replicate Morelos’ time at Ibrox?

Like the great Colombian, he’d be arriving as a youngster for not very much money, but potentially making a huge impact by scoring a high number of goals.

Kris Boyd 2.0: Rangers lining up move for "pretty special" SPFL talent

Rangers are eyeing up a young striker who could be the club’s new Kris Boyd.

ByDan Emery Apr 30, 2025

He has frequently made it easier for others in India’s line-up to score big by reducing the need for them to take risks, in what has been a golden phase for him in ODI cricket

Sidharth Monga06-Mar-20251:42

Kumble lauds Iyer’s ‘proactive’ innings vs NZ

Those who followed Indian cricket in the 1990s will remember with great pain how Saleem Malik, often without a helmet, used to give up his stumps well before a spinner got in his delivery stride and then manipulate the bowling seemingly effortlessly. It was part mockery, part dare, but fully an attempt to mess with the mind of the spinner.During this Champions Trophy, Shreyas Iyer has batted with the same chutzpah against spinners on tracks that might not have turned square but have been slow and have generally aided spin. He has moved away from the stumps regularly, even as the spinner is running in, but has hardly ever been done in. An Indian middle-order batter controlling the game against Pakistani spinners is quite the turnaround from the 1990s.Iyer is marginally behind the leading run-getter against spin in the tournament, and easily the most prolific against spin in Dubai. He has done so despite not getting to start against pace; all his knocks have begun against spin with the field spread-out and the ball old.Related

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This tournament has brought out a new side to Iyer. He has scored his career’s slowest fifty during this tournament. This is overall his second-slowest series of all time. On pitches that have produced 1990s-style ODIs, Iyer has adapted to play an old-fashioned game, not unlike Malik. In the game against Pakistan, he and Virat Kohli stabilised the chase before he took the lead to push India ahead of the asking rate. Against New Zealand, he rescued India from 30 for 3 with his slowest half-century.Iyer might not have scored a century or claimed the Player-of-the-Match award so far, but this display of adaptability has put him among the premium middle-order batters in the world. He had already been among the most impactful since the 2019 World Cup. He is one of the six who have scored 2500 or more runs in this period, but all others bat in the top three and none of them is quicker.However, since February 2022, Iyer has entered a golden phase. He has frequently made it easier for others in the India line-up to score big by reducing the need for them to take risks. Rohit Sharma does that job in the top order with his ultra-aggressive approach, Iyer in the middle only with more consistency. Shubman Gill, Kohli and KL Rahul dovetail nicely with the responsibility of scoring big around these two impact players.Of the 43 batters that have batted 30 or more times in this period, Rohit has the best runs-to-non-striker-runs ratio. Iyer has the tenth-best. There are no Indians between them. It means Rohit and Iyer frequently score quicker than their partners, letting them play the accumulators’ role with ease. Among these ten high-impact batters, Iyer is the most consistent run-getter as well.ESPNcricinfo LtdIn this period, 69 batters from the Full-Member teams have batted post the powerplay 20 or more times. Only five among them average 50 or more and go at better than a-run-a-ball in non-powerplay overs. Four of them average better and score quicker than non-strikers: Heinrich Klaasen, Aiden Markram, Iyer and Gill. Only Iyer and Klaasen do so even when non-strikers are going at a strike rate of 100 or more.It’s wild that at the start of this ODI season, India were flirting with the idea of dropping Iyer. In fact, had Kohli not injured his knee on the eve of the first ODI against England, Iyer might have lost out on the one format he regularly plays, after a rather unsavoury exit from the Test plans. After playing a match-winning hand in what must have seemed like his only chance at that time, Iyer made it a point to let us know it was he who had replaced the injured Kohli, and not Yashasvi Jaiswal.It just speaks to the incredible amount of batting talent in the country and the constant need to keep improving. The team management was desperate to introduce a left-hand batter among the five specialist batters to make it an even more formidable unit. Rohit is the captain, Kohli is among the greatest ODI batters of all time, Gill is the most prolific in recent years, and Rahul keeps wicket. That made Iyer the only one dispensable if India wanted to experiment.That experiment was dropped in a hurry, and seven matches averaging 53.71 later, Iyer is not so dispensable anymore.