Aston Villa could be ready to plot a move for Marseille defender Duje Caleta-Car.
What’s the word?
That’s according to Football Insider sources who claim that Steven Gerrard is stepping up to sign a new centre back in the summer transfer window. Gerrard watched Caleta-Car last week as Marseille beat Nantes 3-2 in Ligue 1.
With the Croatia international’s contract expiring at the end of next season and his market value set at £14.4m, then Villa may well grab themselves a bargain if they were to land the defender.
They may face a battle though, as fellow Premier League side West Ham have been linked with him in the past few months.
Better than Mings & Konsa?
Villa have conceded 27 goals in 21 matches under Gerrard since his arrival in November 2021 and these figures are simply not good enough if he aims to take the side into Europe.
The centre-back partnership of Tyrone Mings and Ezri Konsa is clearly not working well enough, hence the interest in Caleta-Car.
Dubbed “excellent” by Alex Crook, it’s clear to see why. The 25-year-old has 22 caps for Croatia, featuring in the squad that was runners-up at the 2018 World Cup and also played in Euro 2020.
Caleta-Car has a 92% pass success rate in Ligue 1, higher than both Mings and Konsa. Showing that he can play out successfully from the heart of defence and build attacks.
He also wins 69% of his duels per game in Ligue 1, again higher than both Englishmen and these performance-related factors could be what Gerrard is looking for in a central defender; someone that is strong and can win both ground and aerial battles, as well as being able to play out well.
Villa may find themselves with a bargain on their hands come the summer.
AND in other news, Aston Villa now plotting bid for £18m-rated “phenom”, he’s the “new Yaya Toure”…
England academy batting allrounder becomes first woman to move teams ahead of 2021 launch
ESPNcricinfo staff29-Oct-2020Northern Superchargers have retained Katie Levick, Adil Rashid, David Willey ahead of the Hundred’s belated launch in 2021, while England academy batting allrounder Hollie Armitage has become the first player to move teams in the women’s competition.The eight men’s teams in the ECB’s new 100-ball competition have until January to negotiate with players they wish to retain from the squad they selected in October 2019, while in the women’s tournament, players can opt to roll their contracts over to 2021 or negotiate with other teams if they wish to do so.ALSO READ: Bairstow seeks Hundred payday as Pope joins Welsh FireArmitage, who was contracted to the Oval Invincibles for the 2020 season before its postponement due to the Covid-19 pandemic, was born in Huddersfield and played for the Leeds-based Diamonds side in the inaugural Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy. She joins Lauren Winfield-Hill and legspinner Levick in the women’s squad.”I love being up North – there’s no better place to be playing cricket and I can’t wait to get started,” Armitage said. “There’s been a lot of publicity around the Hundred, and I think it will be great – both on and off the field. I expect the competition to be central to women’s cricket really taking off in this country.”Rashid and Willey were picked as the Superchargers’ local icon players in the men’s competition before the draft last year, and will join Ben Stokes in the squad.”With myself, Ben and David already confirmed we’re looking to build a really strong side for 2021 and hopefully we can have a successful first season,” Rashid said.
Australia’s teenage fast bowler, Patrick Cummins, could make his Test debut at the Wanderers next week after a lacklustre display from Australia’s attack
Brydon Coverdale at Newlands11-Nov-2011Australia’s teenage fast bowler, Patrick Cummins, could make his Test debut at the Wanderers next week after a lacklustre display from Australia’s attack on the third day in Cape Town. Mitchell Johnson and Peter Siddle were disappointing, while Ryan Harris was unlucky to have an edge dropped off his bowling early in the day, and then leaked plenty of runs.Michael Clarke’s assessment of Australia’s bowling in the second innings was apparent when he was asked which members of the attack had stood up on the final day. A nine-second pause followed. He searched for an answer, but no names came to mind.”As a bowling unit we didn’t bowl anywhere near as well as we had to to beat South Africa today,” Clarke said. “I would have liked to see us fight a bit harder today and have a bit more of a crack and at least get into South Africa’s middle order.”He added that the batting was still the key reason Australia had lost the Test. And on both fronts Australia’s selectors – of whom Clarke is one – have concerns.The most likely scenario is a change to the bowling group, although Shaun Marsh’s back injury could force a tweak to the batting line-up. Three hours after the match finished, the back-up batsman in Australia’s squad, Usman Khawaja, headed to the Newlands nets for a hit.He was accompanied by Cummins and Trent Copeland, the two fast men who sat out of the Cape Town Test. The Wanderers typically offers plenty of assistance for the fast men and Cummins, 18, might be unleashed.The easiest thing for the selectors to do would be to leave out Siddle, who took one wicket for the game and was the third of the fast men chosen. Harris will not be axed while Johnson is considered a potential match-winner, although at Newlands he bowled badly, failing to swing the ball and sending too many deliveries short and wide.Johnson finished with match figures of 1 for 87 from 16 overs and narrowly avoided the second wicketless Test of his career, collecting the late wicket of Hashim Amla. In seven of his past 16 Test bowling innings, he has failed to make a breakthrough.”We need him taking wickets, there’s no doubt,” Clarke said. “I love having him in the team. I’ve said all along that he’s a match-winner. But we’ve just got to perform better. It’s hard: nobody means to get out and nobody means to fail. But at this level we as a team have got to find a way to be consistent. He’s no different to our top six or seven batters.”We’ve got to pick our best XI. Whoever we think our best XI is for the second Test match needs to be selected. If that means no changes that means no changes, if that means four changes that means four changes.”Ponting’s miserable form continued and his shuffle across the stumps is becoming a fatal flaw. He swore as he walked off the field after being adjudged lbw for a duck in the second innings when he missed a straight ball. It is to be hoped his anger was directed only at himself.
When Michael Clarke was asked which members of the attack had stood up on the final day, a nine-second pause followed. He searched for an answer, but no names came to mind
Ponting is 36 and in a slump, but it is hard to imagine Andrew Hilditch’s outgoing selection panel making the tough call on a veteran player, with John Inverarity’s new selection group to take over after this Test. In the case of Brad Haddin, one of the major culprits in the woeful batting display, there is no backup wicketkeeper on the tour.And the batting situation might be determined by Marsh’s injury, although there is a chance David Warner could be flown in as cover. Marsh hurt his back while changing direction running between the wickets on the first day, and he batted at No.10 in the second innings.Marsh’s fitness was believed to have improved on the third day, although he stayed at the team hotel and watched the defeat unfold on television. The team physio, Alex Kountouris, said it was not clear if Marsh would be fit for the second Test.”You usually have to wait the first couple of days once the original spasm and everything the acuteness of the injury settles down,” Kountouris said. “Once that settles down I’ll have a better idea of whether he’s more likely to get better in the short term or the longer term. He’s had this before though, he had this 12 months ago and got better reasonably quickly but every occasion is different so we’ll just have to wait and see how he goes.”Whatever the case, Australia’s selectors have some decisions to make. Forty-seven cannot be allowed to happen again.
Follow the action from the latest round of County Championship matches here with our live blog. Send your messages in to the team via Twitter using the hashtag #countycricketlive to join the conversation. If the blog doesn’t appear, please refresh the page.
The final four of Europe's most prestigious club competition have been decided and the FedEx Performance Zone provides the top performers of the week
And then there were four! The road to Wembley came to an early end for the likes of Barcelona, Atletico de Madrid, Arsenal and Man City as they came out second best in this week's UEFA Champions League quarter-final ties.
Now, only two games separate Dortmund, Paris, Bayern and Real Madrid from booking a place in the final of Europe's most prestigious club competition in London on June 1. Edin Terzic's Dortmund overcame a 2-1 deficit from the first leg to beat Atletico de Madrid 4-2 in the return fixture and secure their semi-final spot, while Ousmane Dembele came back to haunt Barcelona in a 4-1 win for the French giants. Bayern, on the other hand, stole a narrow win against Arsenal and Real Madrid had the toughest time of all as they needed a penalty shootout to edge past reigning champions Man City.
It was a thrilling week of incredible football across the four matches, but who were the standout performers from the quarter-final second legs? With the help of the FedEx Performance Zone, GOAL takes a look at the stars of the round.
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Kylian Mbappe | Paris | 132 points
Paris's top performers turned up when they were truly needed. Ousmane Dembele scored a vital equaliser and earned a second-half penalty to help put his team in the ascendancy against a Barcelona team that shocked them with an early goal.
It was Kylian Mbappe who turned up supreme, though, converting the penalty to put his team 3-1 up. Then, just as Barca looked capable of crawling their way back into the tie, the France international had two shots on a deadly counter attack, burying his second attempt past Marc-Andre ter Stegen to make it 4-1 and complete the victory against their hosts.
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Marcel Sabitzer | Dortmund | 92 points
Who would have thought that Diego Simeone's Atletico de Madrid would end up conceding four goals in a UEFA Champions League quarter-final when they already held a slender lead from the first leg?
Well, the Spanish side did not count on Marcel Sabitzer popping up to inflict some serious pain on them in Germany on Tuesday. After Julian Brandt opened the scoring for Dortmund, Sabitzer teed up Ian Maatsen to put the home team in control of the game.
Sure enough, Atletico de Madrid fought back and were back on top with two goals of their own, but Sabitzer once again set up a team-mate to level the score at 4-4 on aggregate before he popped up with a goal of his own to win the tie for Edin Terzic's men.
Truly a masterclass from the midfielder!
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Andriy Lunin | Real Madrid | 84 points
He wasn't even their first choice goalkeeper for much of the season, but Andriy Lunin may have just secured his place as a Real Madrid legend for his exploits in their penalty shootout win against Man City. The Ukraine international was astounding all the way through their second-leg clash in Manchester, pulling off a total of eight saves to keep his team level against the reigning champions.
He stepped it up a notch in the shootout, though, as he made it look easy when he caught Bernardo Silva's effort to turn the tide of the contest. He then kept out Mateo Kovacic's spot kick to put his team in the lead and send them on the way to a massive win.
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Raphinha | Barcelona | 70 points
His team may have surrendered a two-goal aggregate lead, but you can hardly fault Raphinha for his efforts in their 4-1 loss to Paris on Tuesday. It was the Brazilian winger who nipped in to meet Lamine Yamal's cross and divert it into the net to give Barcelona an early lead against the run of play.
There was much more to his performance than that, though, as he stayed cool while some of his team-mates could not. He kept running at the Paris defence and dug in with a few tackles to keep the pressure on the visitors and give his team a fighting chance of getting back into the tie.
A US-based private equity firm has acquired a 40% stake in Premier League promotion-chasers Ipswich Town as part of a £105m investment.
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Ipswich announce £105m investmentUS-based private equity firm joinsTractor Boys eyeing Premier LeagueGettyWHAT HAPPENED?
The Championship club have revealed that Bright Path Sports Partners have pumped £105m ($132.3m) into the club, which will go towards infrastructure projects such as redeveloping the training ground at Playford Road. This is the latest example of a US firm investing in an English football side, with Hollywood actors and Wrexham owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney a prime example of how to effectively run a club.
AdvertisementTHE BIGGER PICTURE
This is another big step in the right direction as Ipswich – whose most famous fan may be Ed Sheeran – seek to return to the Premier League for the first time since 2002. They have a well-respected manager in Kieran McKenna at the helm, are playing an attractive brand of football, and the signs seem positive they will be backed in the way they need to financially in the years to come. Incidentally, ORG remains the majority and controlling shareholder of Ipswich with a 50% stake, with the remaining 10% made up of smaller investors such as the Three Lions Fund.
Ipswich TownWHAT THE NEW INVESTORS SAID
Sam Simon, the lead investor in the Bright Path-Ipswich investment, told the club's website: “We are excited to be making this investment in a brilliant football club. We love the history, the potential for the future, the passionate fans and the management of the Club, who are amazing people. We invest in people and this is perfect for us. We believe in investing for the future in order to give the team and management the tools to do their jobs and we’re excited to be working together.”
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WHAT NEXT?
Ipswich, who sit third in the Championship after earning automatic promotion from League One last season, return to action away to Blackburn Rovers on Friday, March 29, before hosting fourth-placed Southampton on Easter Monday.
The football never stops, and Liverpool are back in action on Saturday evening as they take on Brentford at the Gtech, desperate to end their three-match losing streak in the division.
Arne Slot knew the gravity of his side’s situation as the Reds travelled to Eintracht Frankfurt having lost four on the bounce, including their previous European tie against Galatasaray in Istanbul. The 5-1 scoreline offered a glimpse of the attacking success yet to come after a summer of sweeping changes.
To slip once again on domestic soil is unthinkable; defeat would leave Slot’s title defence in tatters.
And with that in mind, could keeping Mohamed Salah on the bench be the solution for the trip to the capital?
Why Slot could bench Salah again
For so long, Salah has been an unstoppable force in the final third for Liverpool. One of the deadliest goalscorers and most prolific creators in Premier League history, last year was his year as he made it a title-winning first term for Slot.
The 33-year-old, however, has toiled this season, scoring one penalty goal in the top flight since netting on the opening day. Moreover, the overall quality of his performances have left much to be desired.
We must also acknowledge the human element. The passing of Diogo Jota this summer will have had an indescribable effect on his Liverpool teammates, and Salah has bravely displayed outward emotion in the months since the summer.
The Egyptian King will score goals once again for his club; Slot has no doubt about that.
But keeping him benched for now might not be a bad thing. Liverpool produced their most fluent attacking performance against Die Roten, and Salah squandered a great chance late on when he could have played Florian Wirtz in for his first goal.
Goals
0.77
0.25
Assists
0.48
0.25
Shots taken
3.23
1.77
Shot-creating actions
4.51
2.65
Touches (att pen)
9.50
5.30
Pass completion (%)
70.6
69.0
Progressive passes
3.84
3.28
Progressive carries
4.14
3.16
Successful take-ons
1.55
0.13
Ball recoveries
2.70
3.16
Should Salah make his mark as a substitute once again, Slot may well opt to field the same formation as he did in Germany. However, rotation is important, and there’s someone waiting in the wings who would love to make their first Premier League start of the season.
Liverpool's Salah solution
On Wednesday evening, Slot fielded Wirtz in a roaming right-sided role. It bore dividends for the German, who racked up two assists and connected play and directed the flow of the attack. It was a promising performance from one of Europe’s most talented stars.
Energy. Liverpool took on their opponents, and Sofascore record that they won 61% of the ground battles during the second half. A large part of this was Federico Chiesa’s energy and enthusiasm, replacing the injured Alexander Isak at the interval and clocking 5.1km. Moreover, he created two chances.
The Italian was bleakly on the fringes last year, impeded by injuries and neglected by Slot. But now he is resurgent, playing an increasingly important role for the Merseysiders.
It was Chiesa whose goal sealed victory against Bournemouth in August, and the 27-year-old netted again during that defeat at Selhurst Park. He provided both assists in the Carabao Cup win over Southampton and another last week, when Manchester United won at Anfield.
With Isak a doubt for Saturday’s clash, Hugo Ekitike is primed to star as Liverpool’s sole striker. Thus, Chiesa could be placed down the right, running and creating and arcing inwards. He does, after all, have a natural reserve of energy, with Liverpool analyst Sajad Iqbal saying the Italian “presses like a monster”.
Brentford are a resilient and hard-working outfit, and though Salah has a match-winning moment in his locker, utilising Chiesa’s athleticism might be the order of the day. If the need for goals is great enough come the eleventh hour, a refreshed Salah’s introduction could prove the difference-maker.
Liverpool have signed a Salah-type player who's got the "pace of Torres"
Liverpool are watching before their eyes the birth of a superstar.
Moeen Ali survived five reviews for lbw in an extraordinary innings which held England together in Chittagong
George Dobell20-Oct-2016Similarities between Moeen Ali and Croatian music teacher Frane Selak may not, at first glance, appear obvious.But Selak has been dubbed both the world’s luckiest and unluckiest man. His first brush with death came when he was involved in a train crash that resulted in the carriage he was travelling in ploughing into an icy lake. His next came when he was sucked out of a plummeting plane but landed relatively safety in a haystack.If that wasn’t enough, three years later, the bus he was in skidded off the road and into a river, while he has also been hit by a bus, seen his car catch fire twice and been thrown free from another car crash – he wasn’t wearing a seatbelt – and found himself in a tree as his vehicle fell down a mountain side.In later years, however, he won more than $1m in a lottery. Which presumably has helped compensate for the difficulty he has trying to find travel companions.While Moeen’s close calls on day one of this series were, by comparison with Selak, relatively mundane they were, by cricketing standards, extraordinary.Three times in six Shakib Al Hasan deliveries, Moeen was given out leg before – each time by umpire Kumar Dharmasena – only to win a reprieve on each occasion thanks to DRS. No player has been reprieved so often in a Test innings. Moeen also survived two further reviews – both called for by Bangladesh after the umpires had declined leg before appeals – and an appeal when he had scored one which, had Bangladesh reviewed, would have been out.Whether that makes Moeen lucky or unlucky is debatable. It was noticeable that conversation between him and Dharmasena – the man whose advice revolutionised his bowling – evaporated in the afternoon session and Moeen could have been forgiven a smile when he saw Dharmasena call for a fresh pair of glasses (presumably sunglasses) midway through the afternoon session.”We are normally pretty tight,” Moeen said afterwards. “But we didn’t speak for a session. It was a tough pitch to umpire, but what can I say? The guy gave me out three times!”Either way, Moeen responded with a vital innings. Coming to the crease with England reeling at 21 for 3 – their lowest score at the loss of their third wicket in the first innings of a Test in Asia – he recorded his highest score in the top six in Test cricket (he has batted in the top six 18 times and at No. 7, 8 and 9 32 times combined) to give England a foothold in this match.Moeen Ali was given out – but reprieved – three times in quick succession•Associated PressThey may even have their noses in front. At one stage, they were talking of 250 as a good score. While the pitch will not necessarily deteriorate markedly, it is most unlikely to become easier to bat upon. The prospect of batting last is daunting for Bangladesh.It was, at times, a desperate struggle for England. On an unusually dry pitch – some in the England dressing room rate it the driest surface they have ever seen for the start of a Test – the ball spun sharply from the start and, in stifling heat and humidity, retaining concentration was tough and ball beat bat often.Ben Duckett looked talented but loose, Alastair Cook looked rusty and Gary Ballance was somewhat unfortunate to be adjudged leg before to a ball that just brushed the pad before meeting the middle of the bat. It is a dismissal that would have been unthinkable before the days of DRS.But Moeen, adopting the logic that served him well in the English summer, imagined he was batting at No. 3 for Worcestershire and approached the innings not as a bowling all-rounder but a specialist batsman whose side required him to fight through the tricky periods and provide what may turn out to be a match-defining platform. He did not allow the reviews to disturb his concentration, he did not lose patience when runs dried up and he did not miss out when the rare poor ball was delivered.We knew Moeen could score pretty runs. We knew he could come in down the order, time the ball sweetly and provide important contributions. But here he was asked to do more than that. He was promoted to No. 5 – one of five left-handers in the top six – and required to battle like a top-order player; not waft like a bonus batsman.The result may have been, as Moeen described them, “dirty runs” but from England’s perspective they were wonderfully dirty. It was not his most memorable or pleasing innings for England, but it was one of his most mature. It took a beautiful delivery, which drifted in to draw the stroke and spun to take the edge, to end it.”It was very tough,” he said. “The hardest 60 I’ve ever made. They bowled well; very accurately. I kept missing the ball and it kept hitting my pad. I couldn’t figure out why. It was a massive mental challenge – especially with the reviews – but it was a good mental challenge.”That positive mindset is obvious in every aspect of Moeen’s approach to this tour. While some players have declined to tour on security grounds, Moeen has brought his wife (who is from Bangladesh and who, he met here on tour a few years ago) and son and is relishing every aspect of the trip.He was not alone here. Not only did Joe Root score a polished 40 – easily the most fluent batting of the day – but he insisted Moeen utilise DRS on the second and third occasions he was adjudged to have been out leg before. While Moeen was confident he had some bat on the first such appeal – a view that was eventually vindicated by replays – he admitted he may not have called for a review on either of the other two occasions. “Root saved me,” he said.Later Jonny Bairstow and Chris Woakes also provided valuable runs. Bairstow, who might consider himself unfortunate to be moved down the order, contributed his fourth half-century in successive Test innings and his fifth in six. He fell one short of equalling Andy Flower’s record for the most runs in a calendar year by a Test keeper but, with a maximum of 13 more innings to come this year, he will surely break that record by a huge margin. He has, at present, played only one innings more than Flower.It was another example of England’s strength in depth rescuing them. Here, for the first time since 1992, they have fielded a Test XI in which every man has scored a first-class century.It will be interesting to see how England respond tactically to what they witnessed on day one. Moeen reasoned that the spin was most dangerous with the new ball as some deliveries skidded on off the shiny surface and some gripped and turned. The ball continued to spin with the older ball, but just a little more predictably.So, will England take the same approach? Or will they conclude that would negate their strength in three seamers? Bangladesh bowled only 17 overs of seam on day one, conceding 4.35 runs per over from them and failing to take a wicket. The 75 overs of spin – yes, we had 92 overs in the day – brought seven wickets at a cost of just 2.21 runs per over despite the utilisation of two or three part-time bowlers.Bangladesh were not without fault, though. For a start, they dropped Bairstow at slip on 13 but, just as damaging was the introduction of Kamrul Islam Rabbi who conceded 5.12 runs per over and released the pressure almost every time he came into the attack. After one early over, he was reintroduced into the attack when England were 35 for 3 and Moeen was on 1. He conceded 10 in his first over back and 22 from the four-over spell.So England – and Moeen in particular – had some fortune. But they retained their composure and took advantage. It was a far from perfect day, but it could have been much, much worse. Frane Selak would understand.
With just over a week remaining until the January transfer window slams shut, Fulham will now reportedly face one final attempt to lure them into selling one of Marco Silva’s star men.
Fulham transfer news
Whilst the Cottagers have so far endured a quiet transfer window, reports suggest that they could yet come to life in the dying embers with the likes of Emerson Royal threatening to steal the headlines. The West London club have reportedly scheduled a meeting over securing the right-back’s signature who could become the latest former Premier League struggler to join up with Silva at Craven Cottage.
Emerson Royal for AC Milan.
After struggling at Tottenham Hotspur, Royal swapped North London for AC Milan only to find himself falling down the pecking order in the face of Kyler Walker’s pending arrival. Now, he could be on his way back to English football courtesy of Fulham – a place where several stars have found their feet.
The former Spurs man could follow in the footsteps of players like Alexander Iwobi by rediscovering his best form at Craven Cottage but it remains to be seen whether he’ll complete a January move.
Meanwhile, as one new star potentially arrives, another could still leave. According to ESPN in Brazil, as relayed by Sport Witness, Fluminense legal manager Leonardo Holanda is now travelling to make one final push to sign Andreas Pereira from Fulham this month.
Fulham now join race to sign new in-demand Palhinha repeat for Silva
He’s one to watch…
By
Tom Cunningham
Jan 22, 2025
The West Londoners have reportedly slapped a €20m (£17m) price-tag on their midfielder, but Palmeiras plan to soften their stance by offering to pay in instalments and including performance-related bonuses in their offer.
Although any such offer may be tempting for those behind the scenes at Fulham, Silva was quick to pour cold water on any rumours surrounding the Brazilian’s future earlier this month, telling reporters via West London Sport: “Completely false. Normally I don’t speak about this type of situation, but I think it’s a moment for us to be clear: it’s completely false that there was an increased offer or something like that.
“I spoke with the board yesterday – and completely zero. We are a bit surprised at how this news has come from nowhere. What we can control is ourselves and our work and what we can do.”
Fulham must continue to fend off Pereira interest
In the middle of what has been an excellent campaign so far, which may yet end with shock European qualification, the last thing that Fulham need is the mid-season departure of Pereira.
If reports are to be believed that Fluminense representatives are set to travel for one last push, then it should be one final time that Fulham have to reject the Brazilian side’s advances for Pereira, who still very much has a part to play at Craven Cottage.
Previously dubbed “untouchable” by Silva in 2022, not much has changed for Pereira at Fulham almost three years later. He remains an integral part of Fulham’s ambitions and seemingly not someone that they’re too keen to sell this month even as Fluminese make that final push for his signature.
Liverpool are staring down the barrel of a gun in relation to outgoings in 2025, with the overhanging black clouds of contractual uncertainty starting to become very real indeed.
Trent Alexander-Arnold is probably the most prominent name and likely member to depart this year, for his deal will expire at the end of the campaign and Real Madrid have a vested interest in his prized signature. They are doing everything to bring him to the Spanish capital.
It’s almost unbelievable that Arne Slot has taken to Anfield’s head chair so seamlessly, with such confidence, after Jurgen Klopp’s shocking decision to step down at the end of the 2023/24 term.
But then, Slot’s sharp tactical mind and cool interpersonal skills lend themselves to success at a top-performing club like Liverpool, who are sitting pretty at the top of the league and European tables.
Whichever angle you view it from, it’s been quite the ride already. However, FSG know that moves need to be made in both directions this year, with more than just the big non-committal three potentially heading for pastures new.
Liverpool facing 2025 exodus
As well as Alexander-Arnold, Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah continue to discuss contract extensions with Liverpool. The latter two are viewed with more optimism, but we’re well into January and there still hasn’t been a breakthrough.
Caught Offside have confirmed that talks have been held between Slot and Darwin Nunez to inform the Uruguay striker that his form needs to improve or he will find his place at risk, with a £60m price tag already having been slapped on his name.
Federico Chiesa only signed in the summer but may already be in danger of the chop, with injuries limiting him to just four appearances so far. Paris Saint-Germain are pushing to sign Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Napoli view Liverpool’s versatile forward as the perfect replacement.
There there’s Harvey Elliott. The midfielder has endured a tough season under Slot’s wing and is on the radar of Brighton & Hove Albion and Borussia Dortmund due to a lack of playing time, as per Sky Sports.
Frustratingly, the early knockings of the season kept Elliott on the sidelines after he fractured his foot on international duty with England U21s, with Slot calling it a “big disappointment” given that he would have earned ample opportunities over the coming months.
Well, the 21-year-old’s been fit for over a month now but is still limited to the bittiest of bit-part roles, seemingly giving rise to rumours that he’s heading for the door this year.
Liverpool boss Arne Slot and Harvey Elliott
If Liverpool were to entertain this notion, it would be a grave mistake. In fact, Slot may be in danger of creating his own Cole Palmer disaster with this talented playmaker.
Slot's own Cole Palmer disaster
We all know the story. In August 2023 Manchester City sold their homegrown talent, Palmer, to Chelsea in a deal worth £42.5m after he had played 41 times for the senior side and clinched eight goal contributions.
Manchester City's Cole Palmer celebrates scoring their first goal
Such a steep figure for one so young and untested on the major stage raised more than a few eyebrows, but Chelsea are revelling in the hindsight consensus, with Sky Sports’ Jamie Carragher hailing the 22-year-old as “the best player in the Premier League” back in October.
With Mohamed Salah stealing the headlines this season, it might feel like Palmer has plateaued, a victim of that ‘one-season-wonder’ syndrome that gets pinned to any up-and-coming sensation on English shores, but Palmer is still performing at the top of his game, a real superstar in the making.
Cole Palmer – Premier League Stats at Chelsea
Match Stats*
23/24
24/25
Matches (starts)
33 (29)
20 (20)
Goals
22
13
Assists
11
6
Shots (on target)*
3.2 (1.4)
3.5 (1.5)
Pass completion
83%
81%
Key passes*
2.1
2.9
Dribbles (completed)*
1.5 (53%)
1.3 (52%)
Ball recoveries*
3.1
3.2
Tackles + interceptions*
1.3
1.1
Total duels (won)*
3.0 (44%)
4.1 (56%)
Stats via Sofascore
There’s no question that he made the right move in 2023, becoming Chelsea’s main man instantaneously after struggling to break into Pep Guardiola’s elite-level unit. How the Spanish manager must rue his decision now.
It might have been the right move for Palmer, and there’s every chance that Elliott would nurture his qualities with teams like Brighton and Dortmund, but he can also make a marked difference in Liverpool’s growing project over the next several years.
As per FBref, the English ace ranks among the top 1% of positional peers across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for assists and shot-creating actions and the top 6% for progressive passes and progressive carries, demonstrating age-defying skills in regard to his playmaking ability.
However, there’s no question that Elliott needs more action, or else he will push for a transfer away himself. Though he was sidelined for the opening months of the season, the £40k-per-week talent has only managed to feature off the bench in the Premier League since, with his six appearances totalling just 36 minutes of action plus stoppage time.
Elliott is still so young; it’s easy to forget that this is a player who has yet to even brush the outer fringes of his ‘prime years.’ Liverpool may come to regret not playing him all the same. He wasn’t called from the bench as Liverpool lost to Tottenham Hotspur on Wednesday evening, a match that yearned for a creative spark.
Last season, Elliott struggled for minutes until the business end. Ah, but then he showcased his skills and style, chalking up a goal and four assists across the final six Premier League matches of Klopp’s dynasty.
Harvey Elliott and Curtis Jones celebrate
Just over one year ago, the one-time Fulham youngster admitted that he didn’t want to be known as a ‘super-sub,’ firm in the belief that his qualities called for a greater role. So then, we can hardly expect him to be content with his current situation, can we?
Former Liverpool U18s head coach Neil Critchley once hailed Elliott for producing “some real bits of magic on the ball” and he’s translated this deep-rooted talent onto the major stage.
Maybe Elliott has watched Palmer’s rise and rise at Stamford Bridge and wondered if he should follow suit. He must not. Liverpool’s tactical team simply have to recognise the disastrous situation they would allow to develop.
The diminutive left-footer has spoken of the adaptation to Slot’s football, and while he has acknowledged that it has been “very intense,” he spoke of the style with a broad beam, eager to make headway in England’s top-placed team.
FSG have a big decision to make this month. They must make the right decision. Elliott cannot be allowed to venture off when he’s displayed such promise throughout his fledgeling career thus far, notching 25 goal contributions across 125 senior appearances for the Reds, starting just 54 of those matches.
Harvey Elliott and Jurgen Klopp
Let’s step back a moment and recall a comment made by Klopp when he was approaching the final moments of his distinguished Merseyside tenure. Klopp admitted that his great regret at Liverpool was failing to play Elliott more often.
Might Slot come to harbour similar regrets, should this wonderful force of a midfielder ply his art elsewhere next season? Liverpool might just find themselves rueing their own mistake in the mould of Cole Palmer.
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