The chances of Darwin Nunez playing in a Liverpool jersey for the upcoming campaign are negligible.

The Uruguayan striker is a priority target for Al Hilal in the Saudi Pro League, and he’s been anticipated to be heading for the exit on Merseyside for much of 2025, having only been started once in the Premier League by Arne Slot since Boxing Day.

While Liverpool have prepared for this eventuality through the initial £69m acquisition of Hugo Ekitike from Eintracht Frankfurt, FSG are hungry for more quality in the final third.

The Reds romped their way to the Premier League title last term, but fell short across the season’s offshoots. Slot will be hoping to change that.

And what better way to add enough firepower than to sign Alexander Isak?

The latest on Alexander Isak to Liverpool

Last week, Liverpool lodged a formal £110m offer for Newcastle United’s star striker. It was rejected, and the Toon seemed to feel rather aggrieved that such a figure had been tabled when they have made it clear his departure would only come about following a record-breaking offer.

Liverpool broke the British transfer record when signing Florian Wirtz from Bayer Leverkusen for £116m in June, after all.

It’s since been reported that sporting director Richard Hughes will bid again for the Sweden international, though everything hinges on the Tynesiders being able to identify and sign a suitable replacement.

RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko is at the top of their shopping list, but Manchester United are also pushing to sign the number nine, and there’s no telling which way that saga will swing at this stage.

Though Isak is a world-class footballer and would be the cream of an extraordinary transfer window for Liverpool, he’s not the only incoming Slot yet wishes to bring through the door.

Liverpool preparing new offer

As per Football Insider, Liverpool are preparing to make an offer for Crystal Palace centre-back Marc Guehi, having registered their interest earlier in the transfer window.

Guehi has entered the final year of his and is understood to be a top target for the Anfield side this summer, with Slot lacking depth in central defence.

Newcastle United are also determined to sign the Three Lions star, who is valued at £50m. Due to his contract situation, FSG are unwilling to meet this figure.

Why Liverpool must sign Marc Guehi

While we’re on the topic, Newcastle have suffered a rather sobering transfer window thus far, missing out on a slew of top targets. Howe is no doubt simmering, not least because Liverpool continue to press for his side’s all-inspiring talisman.

But he might yet be foiled in his attempts for a mood-lifting arrival once again, with Liverpool already having taken Ekitike off their hands this summer.

Newcastle had identified the French forward as a potential replacement for Isak, should he leave St. James’ Park, but Liverpool stole ahead and completed the deal toward the end of July, ostensibly ending their pursuit of Isak.

But they are back in once more, and could further fan the flames by signing Guehi, who was described as “England’s best player” by analyst Ben Mattinson following his exploits at Euro 2024.

Technically sound and cool as you like, the 6 foot Guehi might not be the most physically imposing centre-half in the game, but he has a masterful understanding of the game and may yet bloom into a truly world-class star.

See, for example, how Guehi compared against Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk in the Premier League last season. To be sure, the 25-year-old isn’t on the Dutchman’s level, but his creative passing, firm defending and athletic robustness make an interesting comment on the player he could yet become.

Matches (starts)

34 (34)

37 (37)

Goals

3

3

Assists

2

1

Clean sheets

11

14

Touches*

64.9

90.4

Pass completion

84%

92%

Key passes*

0.5

0.3

Dribbles*

0.4

0.1

Ball recoveries*

4.3

3.1

Tackles + interceptions*

2.6

2.5

Clearances*

4.6

5.1

Duels (won)*

4.9 (59%)

4.7 (69%)

Errors made

2

4

In this way, you could argue that Liverpool are repeating their masterclass for Ekitike already. The 23-year-old has similarities to Isak, for he is mobile, powerful and pacy, with a keen footballing mind, but he’s still got a while to go before he reaches the same heights as the refined Newcastle superstar.

As you can see from the graphic below, Isak is far more clinical, and that while plying his craft in a more competitive division in the English top flight.

Howe is thought to be desperate to package his squad with more quality and quantity, but Liverpool are getting primed to steal another top target from them, one who was the subject of four failed bids from the club during the 2024 summer transfer window.

Having won the FA Cup with Crystal Palace last season, Guehi is no doubt looking to take the next step in his career, and where better to foster his developed qualities than at Anfield, where there is a clear pathway toward a nailed-down starting berth?

As per FBref, he even ranked among the top 12% of centre-backs across Europe’s top five leagues last season for shot-creating actions per 90. Just imagine the kind of ball-playing success Slot’s tactics could give rise to.

Arguably, Liverpool’s need for Guehi supersedes their interest in Isak, for Ekitike has the makings of a world-class centre-forward.

Guehi, however, is already a “monster in defence”, as claimed by Palace reporter Bobby Manzi, and would provide invaluable depth to a backline that has parted with Quansah and may yet lose the non-committal Ibrahima Konate, who is being pursued by Real Madrid.

Much hinges on Palace’s firmness vis-à-vis their £50m valuation. However, if Newcastle do decide to advance their intrigue to the next level, you wouldn’t bet against Liverpool leaping forward and striking a blow to the Magpies once again.

There are obviously two ways of looking at Liverpool's 3-2 victory over Atletico Madrid at Anfield on Wednesday evening. On the plus side, they scored another late winner. On the negative side, they needed another late winner.

Just three days beforehand, Liverpool had beaten Burnley 1-0 thanks to an injury-time penalty from Mohamed Salah. In doing so, they became the first team in Premier League history to win four consecutive matches with goals scored in the last 10 minutes – or later.

Consequently, there was an air of inevitability about the way in which Liverpool kicked off their Champions League campaign, with Virgil van Dijk deciding the game in the home side's favour with a 92nd-minute header.

Anfield unsurprisingly went wild – for the third time this season – but plenty of pundits were far less impressed by Liverpool's latest late show. "You want this to happen," former Chelsea striker Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink said on , "but when this happens five times in a row, that's a problem."

Is it really, though? Are Liverpool's last-gasp heroics papering over the cracks in Arne Slot's expensively assembled side? Or are the Dutchman's 'Mentality Monsters' showing signs of becoming an even more frightening foe?

Getty Images Sport'It should have been a more comfortable night'

Andy Robertson is always a good man for a frank assessment of a Liverpool performance and he openly admitted after the Atletico game that the players should have spared their supporters – and coaches – yet another stressful finale.

"We need to maybe get back to winning a bit simpler and a bit easier," the Scott told , alluding to the fact that the Reds had thrown away a 2-0 lead for the third time this season.

"The assistant manager (Spike Hulshoff) turned to me when Virgil scored and said he's getting too old for it, so I can't imagine what the fans are like!

"Obviously, it's a great thing to have, being able to keep going right to the end, but when you’re two up and you've played so well in the first half, it should have been a more comfortable night."

Unsurprisingly, that was a sentiment shared by Slot, who turned 47 on Wednesday and is already hoping that his next birthday will be a less nerve-racking affair. 

AdvertisementAFPSlot 'a little disappointed' by late winner

However, Slot was rightly keen to draw a distinction between the nature of the last-gasp victory over Atletico and the games that preceded it. Despite all of the claims to the contrary, there had been nothing fortunate about their triumph over Diego Simeone's side.

Atleti's xG was 0.61 (Liverpool's was 2.72), they created one 'Big Chance', in the dying seconds of the game for Alexander Sorloth, Marcos Llorente's first goal never should have stood, while his second took a wicked deflection off Alexis Mac Allister.

As a result, Slot confessed to feeling "a little disappointed" that Liverpool scored right at the death because it overshadowed what had gone before.

"I know that's going to be your headline and it's great to score a late winner," the Dutchman told reporters in his post-match press conference. "But I would have liked it more if we were saying, 'Did you see the few attacks we had before half-time when Florian [Wirtz] and Alex combined together, which led to almost Jeremie [Frimpong] scoring, or second half a great attack with Dominik and Flo and Mo that ended up on the post?'

"I can come up with so many great attacks we had today but probably no-one is talking about that. Everybody will probably talk again about the late game winner, which I understand because that is the story of this game and the story of the last five games.

"But, for me, it was a different game than the ones we have played before. It is not for the first time that we give away a 2-0 lead as well, but was different to the one we gave away against Bournemouth because this one had nothing to do with counter-attacks.

"So, yes, there is a lot to improve but there is a lot to like as well."

Slot is right, too, because Liverpool unquestionably played their best football of the season during the Atleti clash.

Getty Images SportSalah back to his best

The first six minutes were obviously sensational, with Robertson unintentionally diverting a Mohamed Salah free-kick past Jan Oblak before Liverpool's Egyptian king produced a characteristically composed finish after a couple of deft touches saw him escape the clutches of a pair of opponents.

Salah didn't stop there either. Despite being directly involved in three goals in his first four Premier League outings of the new season, Salah's form had become a cause for concern. He was struggling to get himself involved in games and even when the ball did come his way, he was miscontrolling passes that he normally would have killed instantly.

Against Atletico, though, nearly everything stuck – no matter how much pressure he was under – and, for the first time this season, he was a constant threat from start to finish.

Should he have scored a second goal after being teed up by Florian Wirtz? Absolutely, but the main thing was that Salah looked like his usual sensational self after four rather subdued showings.

The spotlight may have been fixed firmly on Alexander Isak before the game – but Liverpool's talisman had a goal and his assist to his name before the Swedish striker had even touched the ball.

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Getty Images Sport'Positively surprised' by Isak

Of course, the common consensus was that Isak would take time to get back up to speed, given this was his first start since last season due to his summer strike, so it was hardly surprising that the game rather passed him by during the early exchanges.

However, Isak's influence grew the longer the first half wore on and Slot, just like everyone else, was taken aback by the Swede's sharpness.

"I wasn't surprised by his quality because that's what we all know," the Reds boss said. "You don't have to be a manager to recognise how much quality he has.

"But I was positively surprised by how fit he was during that 60 minutes, even if that maybe tells you that it might be a difference to sign a 20-year-old from a different league or a 25- or 26-year-old that is used to playing in this league.

"Although he only trained for two weeks, he has so many games under his belt that he is probably more able to be ready for 60 than you would expect."

Perhaps even more pleasingly for Slot, Isak already looks to be operating on the same wavelength as Wirtz – with the pair linking up 11 times during Liverpool's Champions League opener.

South African league announces windows for next three seasons going into 2028

ESPNcricinfo staff03-Feb-2025The next edition of the SA20, season four, is set to kick off on Boxing Day 2025. This was announced on Monday, with the league firming up windows for the next three editions ahead of this season’s playoffs. Bringing the start of the league forward to Christmas week – prime time in the South African cricket calendar – was possible because South Africa do not have any home Tests scheduled over the 2025-26 summer.Seasons five and six will revert to second-week-of-January starts, likely beginning on January 9 in both 2027 and 2028, with the season stretching five to six days longer than the ongoing one. CSA confirmed to ESPNcricinfo that the dates announced were not specific start and end dates, but windows within which the league will be played.In 2025-26, South Africa travel to India for an all-format tour in November-December before returning home for the SA20, which will conclude by January 26. Then, South Africa host West Indies for a T20I series.Related

Started from the bottom now they're here – the MI Cape Town story

Batters find life tougher in the SA20, but is it all the pitches?

Root: 'T20 is about problem-solving, just on a much quicker scale'

Starting the SA20 on Boxing Day would have an impact on player availability, with the Ashes on in Australia, running till January 8. Joe Root for one, who was on the podium this season for most runs ahead of the playoffs, will be one of the players to almost surely to miss the start next time.Bringing next season up should ease the competition for players with the ILT20 a bit – for their first three seasons, both tournaments ran concurrently almost from start to final – but there will still be a significant clash with the Big Bash League in Australia and the Bangladesh Premier League, both of which usually begin in December.”Confirming the Betway SA20 window for a three-year period allows the League to bring certainty to all stakeholders and assists in securing our place when planning the global calendar,” SA20 commissioner Graeme Smith said. “We know fans respond particularly well to weekend and holiday fixtures, and with the ICC T20 World Cup in early February next year, our Season 4 dates provide the unique opportunity to capitalise on South Africa’s peak cricket season and key public holidays.”Early planning has also meant that we are able to look at an extended window from 2026-27 and this will optimise scheduling, logistics and the fan experience.”Spacing the games out more would be welcome by most players and support staff. Robin Peterson, MI Cape Town’s head coach, said on Sunday night after his team gave their bench game time in a dead rubber against Pretoria Capitals: “Definitely more space should be helpful, to be honest with you. It feels as though we play, we’re on a plane and then next day we play again. That’s one of the challenges of this tournament.”It’s not only that it’s tough cricket on the field; it’s the scheduling, the planning, who needs to take a break, how you put your squad together that adds an extra dimension to the thought process. I do feel that a little bit more downtime would be helpful.”A SA20 media release said decisions on the windows were taken into account by “a working group made up of representatives from both the League and Cricket South Africa”.SA20 windows for the next three seasonsSA20 season four: December 26, 2025, to January 26, 2026
SA20 season five: January 9 to February 14, 2027
SA20 season six: January 9 to February 13, 2028

انضم بول سكولز، النجم السابق لنادي مانشستر يونايتد، إلى قائمة منتقدي محمد صلاح، لاعب فريق ليفربول، في ضوء أدائه الذي يقدمه ذلك الموسم مع كتيبة آرني سلوت.

وتعرض ليفربول لثلاث هزائم متتالية في غضون الأيام القليلة الماضية، حيث خسر أمام كريستال بالاس في الدوري الإنجليزي بهدفين لهدف، قبل سقوطه بهدف نظيف أمام جالطة سراي في دوري أبطال أوروبا.

وعانى ليفربول من هزيمة قاتلة أمام تشيلسي بهدفين لهدف، يوم السبت الماضي، وخسر إثرها صدارة الدوري الإنجليزي خاصة بعد فوز آرسنال على وست هام بهدفين دون رد.

من جهة أخرى، يتعرض محمد صلاح للكثير من الانتقادات في الوقت الحالي بسبب ضعف مستواه مع ليفربول ذلك الموسم.

وقال بول سكولز، في تصريحات نشرتها صحيفة “ميرور” الإنجليزية: “لا يزال محمد صلاح يلعب في نفس المركز، لكن يبدو أنه يتخذ قرارات خاطئة في أغلب الأحيان”.

اقرأ أيضًا.. جيرارد ينتقد أحد الراحلين عن ليفربول: تصرفه مخاطرة.. ولم أكن لأفعل مثله

وأضاف: “إذا نظرت إلى العام الماضي، ستجد أن محمد صلاح سجل الكثير من الأهداف، لكنه في كثير من الأحيان يقطع الكرة من اليمين ويسددها فوق العارضة، وقد شهدنا بعض الأمثلة على ذلك يوم السبت (ضد تشيلسي)”.

وواصل: “يبدو أنه يتخذ قرارات خاطئة في أغلب الأحيان، لم يعد شابًا يافعًا، أليس كذلك؟ ومن الأفضل أن يحصل على قسط من الراحة خاصة مع ما يمر به الفريق”.

وأردف: “أعتقد أنه في كل مرة تشاهده، حتى عندما يكون رائعًا، يقوم ببعض التصرفات السيئة في ملعب كرة القدم، هل تفهم ما أقصده؟ كما لو أن الكرة ترتد عن ساقه أو ركبته ويفقد السيطرة عليها، ثم فجأة… يبدو وكأنه أفضل لاعب في العالم، في الوقت الحالي هو يكافح لإيجاد أفضل ما لديه”.

MatériaMais Notícias

O Palmeiras perdeu uma longa invencibilidade ao ser batido por 1 a 0, pelo Fortaleza, no Castelão, nesta quarta-feira (31). No entanto, o resultado classifica o Alviverde para as quartas de final da Copa do Brasil, por conta do 3 a 0 aplicado no Allianz Parque. O gol do Leão do Pici foi marcado por Lucero e não impediu a eliminação dos cearenses. O time de Abel Ferreira, que foi expulso, aguarda a definição do adversário em sorteio.

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+ Veja tabela da Copa do Brasil-2023 clicando aqui

Verdão começa bem, mas logo fica preso na marcação do Leão

Ao contrário do que se esperava, o Alviverde teve um início com bastante ímpeto, tentando jogar no campo do adversário. Acontece que os visitantes não conseguiram criar algo perigoso para tentar o gol. Dessa forma, o Fortaleza foi ficando mais confortável em seu estádio e armou uma marcação forte na saída de bola palmeirense. A estratégia deu certo e o Verdão ficou preso, sem conseguir concatenar jogadas. No entanto, foi em um escanteio que os donos da casa quase marcaram com o cabeceio de Brítez, que passou raspando a trave

+ Todos os jogos do Brasileirão você encontra no Prime Video. Assine já e acompanhe o seu time do coração!

Palmeiras mostra rotação abaixo, mas Fortaleza não consegue levar muito perigo

Embora tenha entrado em campo com uma vantagem de 3 a 0, o Alviverde não precisava ter feito um primeiro tempo tão submisso ao Leão do Pici. Alguns jogadores nem mesmo entravam em divididas e apenas Rony brigava por alguma coisa no ataque. Quando o time de Abel conseguia chegar à frente, a jogada não terminava. Assim, armava o contra-ataque ao adversário, que quase marcou em uma bonita trama que terminou em uma ajeitada de Galhardo para finalização de Lucero, mas Weverton salvou. A verdade é que a equipe cearense também não soube aproveitar de sua pressão e da falta de ímpeto palmeirense, que terminou a primeira etapa com apenas uma finalização, que foi para fora.

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+ ATUAÇÕES: Palmeiras tem noite ruim e joga o suficiente para se classificar na Copa do Brasil

Verdão e Fortaleza mexem, mas segundo tempo volta sem grandes emoções

Abel Ferreira começou a poupar o time já no intervalo, quando tirou Dudu e Rony para colocar Breno Lopes e Rafael Navarro. O nível técnico, que já era baixo, piorou. Enquanto isso, o Leão do Pici buscava algo diferente para movimentar o placar. Thiago Galhardo, com um chute perigoso de longe, depois Pochettino, com uma finalização que desviou no meio do caminho e quase “matou” Weverton.

Palmeiras falha no ataque e vê Fortaleza abrir o placar

A partir de um certo momento, o jogo começou a ficar mais aberto. Foi quando o Verdão achou espaço para buscar uma jogada de ataque para ficar ainda mais tranquilo na partida. Veiga recebeu cara a cara com João Ricardo e finalizou colocado, mas no meio do caminho, Rafael Navarro, impedido, desviou para a rede. O lance, que era para ser gol de Veiga, foi invalidado. Na jogada seguinte, Pochettino arranjou um chute na trave, que voltou para o meio da área onde Lucero estava para abrir o placar e dar um tempero no duelo.

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Alviverde toma alguns sustos, mas consegue segurar o Fortaleza

Depois de levar o gol, o Palmeiras pareceu ter sentido um pouco a pressão do momento. Sem conseguir muita coisa no ataque, acabou sem fechando na defesa e tomou alguns sustos na reta final da partida. Abel Ferreira, que reclamou demais da arbitragem, foi expulso e vai desfalcar o time na próxima fase da Copa do Brasil. Apesar de ter mais sorte do que juízo, o Verdão garantiu a derrota por apenas 1 a 0.

E agora?

Com o resultado, o Palmeiras se garante nas quartas de final da Copa do Brasil e elimina o Fortaleza da competição. O adversário da próxima fase será definido por sorteio, que será em data ainda não divulgada pela CBF. Enquanto isso, o Verdão volta suas atenções para o Brasileirão, no qual enfrenta o Coritiba, neste domingo (4), às 18h30, no Allianz Parque. Já o Leão do Pici atua pelo Brasileiro no sábado (3), às 16h, quando recebe o Bahia, no Castelão.

FICHA TÉCNICA
FORTALEZA 1 x 0 PALMEIRAS
Local: Castelão, em Fortaleza (CE)
Data-Hora: 31/5/2023 – 19h (de Brasília)
Árbitro: Savio Pereira Sampaio (FIFA-DF)
Assistentes: Bruno Raphael Pires (FIFA-GO) e Eduardo Gonçalves da Cruz (MS)
VAR: Wagner Reway (VAR-FIFA-PB)
Público: 43.271 torcedores
Cartões amarelos: Thiago Galhardo (FOR) Weverton, Piquerez e Rony (PAL)
Cartões vermelhos: –
Gols: Lucero (27’/2ºT) (1-0)

FORTALEZA: João Ricardo; Dudu (Romero, aos 32’/2ºT), Brítez, Titi e Bruno Pacheco; José Welison (Hércules, aos 11’/2ºT), Pochettino e Yago Pikachu (Calebe, no intervalo); Guilherme (Romarinho, aos 23’/2ºT), Lucero e Thiago Galhardo (Vinicius Zanocelo, aos 23’/2ºT). Técnico: Juan Pablo Vojvoda.

PALMEIRAS: Weverton; Mayke, Gustavo Gómez, Luan e Piquerez; Zé Rafael (Gabriel Menino, aos 15’/2ºT), Richard Ríos e Raphael Veiga (Naves, aos 39’/2ºT); Bruno Tabata, Dudu (Breno Lopes, no intervalo) e Rony (Rafael Navarro, no intervalo) (Flaco López, aos 30’/2ºT). Técnico: Abel Ferreira.

“There’s been no charges laid, but to have an opposition swarm the non-striker like that, we’ve got a duty of care to our player to make sure he’s okay”

Andrew McGlashan04-Jan-2025

No love lost between Sam Konstas and Jasprit Bumrah•Cricket Australia/Getty Images

Australia coach Andrew McDonald has accused India of attempting to intimidate Sam Konstas with the way they celebrated the wicket of Usman Khawaja late on the opening day at the SCG.In a dramatic finish to play, Konstas got involved in a verbal exchange with Jasprit Bumrah over Khawaja’s attempts to ensure it was the final over, with the umpire stepping in. Two deliveries later, Khawaja nicked the last delivery of the day to slip with Bumrah turning and advancing towards Konstas with visible aggression.Related

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McDonald spoke with Konstas after the incident to make sure the 19-year-old had not been shaken by India’s reaction to him.”My conversation with him was around whether he’s okay. Clearly, the way India celebrated that was quite intimidating,” McDonald said. “It’s clearly within the laws of the game, the rules and regulations. There’s been no charges laid, but to have an opposition swarm the non-striker like that, we’ve got a duty of care to our player to make sure he’s okay and in a headspace to go out there and perform.”Pressed on whether he felt India had gone too far, McDonald added, “It’s clear that’s acceptable because there was no fines or punishments, so I’ll leave that up the ICC – Andy Pycroft being the match referee – and the umpires out there. If they thought it was satisfactory then I suppose that’s the benchmark we are playing towards.”Konstas advanced to 23 on the second morning, which included using his feet to Bumrah to drive him down the ground and bringing out another scoop to deep third, before edging Mohammed Siraj into the slips. Bumrah, who was fielding at mid-on, did not immediately head towards the Indian huddle when the wicket fell and appeared instead to walk in Konstas’ direction.”We enjoy the way that he plays the game and we would also like to play the game aggressively,” Prasidh Krishna said after the second day’s play. “If we have somebody that comes up and says I can fight you, as a team we want to tell them we are here and you can’t take us for granted. We are all here, 11 of us versus you. If you can be as aggressive, that’s fine.”During his debut at the MCG, Konstas was shoulder-barged by Virat Kohli during his 60 off 65 balls in the first innings.Speaking before play on the second day in Sydney, Ricky Ponting said he did not like the way Konstas had inserted himself into the situation the previous evening.”I didn’t like Konstas getting involved,” he told . “That was not his battle to fight. It was between Khawaja and Bumrah. So, for the young man there, I hope that there was some talking to from the Australian dressing room last night because he should have stayed out of it, let his senior player try and handle the last couple of balls. And of course, when you play with the game, the game has a way of coming back and biting. That happened to Khawaja last night.”

Sunderland have unveiled their new striker, Marc Guiu, after he completed his season-long loan move to the Stadium of Light. Régis Le Bris is building a side he hopes can do more than just fight for Premier League survival, and Guiu may play a pivotal role in the team’s attack.

The deal is structured heavily in Chelsea’s favour, with Sunderland paying a loan fee, all of his wages and a fine if Guiu doesn’t receive an adequate number of minutes. In his interview that served as an introduction for Sunderland fans to their new striker, Guiu spoke about what he believes he can bring to the team.

When asked about his thoughts ahead of the new season, Guiu described it as an “opportunity to get this club to where it deserves”. The youngster will likely feature prominently, and given his team-based answers in the interview, fans may enjoy seeing him receive the minutes Chelsea demand.

Guiu is the ninth arrival at the club this summer, but Le Bris and Kristjaan Speakman are not done yet and have shifted attention to the other end of the pitch.

Centre-back next for Sunderland

While Sunderland have already conducted a number of big deals this window, the club aren’t done yet. A report from Dominic Shaw in The Northern Echo has stated that the club is “prioritising the capture of a central defender”. Shaw also added that another wide attacker is on Speakman’s shopping list, but the current priority is to bring in a centre-back first.

Sunderland entered this window with the budget available to them to build a dream squad, and they have made tremendous progress so far, but now is the time for Speakman and Le Bris to polish off the squad with some final touches.

Sunderland's search for a centre-back

Sunderland have been named as one of three Premier League teams that are showing interest in Fiorentina defender Pietro Comuzzo. Italian outlet tuttomercatoweb has reported that Le Bris’s team, alongside Nottingham Forest and Manchester United, have an interest in the centre back, but none of the three have yet to make a formal bid.

While the links have persisted last month, Fiorentina manager Stefano Pioli was asked about Comuzzo and the transfer rumours: “Comuzzo? He’s a strong player, he’s here to compete for a place and be a starter.”

Earlier in the window, Sunderland were also linked to Jhon Lucumí of Bologna. Unfortunately for Sunderland fans, Sky Sports’ Tom White dampened hopes that this rumour may become reality when speaking on the Haway the Podcast: “I know we have been in for him… Whether we’ve pulled the plug or whether he’s rejected us, I don’t know.”

While it looks at present like Sunderland won’t be able to make either of these deals happen, there is still plenty of time left in the transfer window for Le Bris to identify a new centre-back and bring them to the club.

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By
Callum Kemp

Aug 6, 2025

A return of 6 for 52 should not be described in terms other than glowing, but even Marco Jansen will tell you that none of the four deliveries he got wickets with at SuperSport Park on day three of the first Test against Pakistan on Saturday were a true reflection of his abilities.”I’ve struggled the whole game, to be honest,” he said after the day’s play. “I feel like I’ve not been as consistent as I should be – if that makes sense – regarding line and length. Everything wasn’t clicking.”That assessment applies to parts of the bowling in all three completed innings so far. In Pakistan’s first, Kagiso Rabada was by far the most threatening of South Africa’s attack but went wicketless, while Corbin Bosch admitted some of his wickets came off balls the batters didn’t need to play at.Related

• Abbas, Shahzad give Pakistan hope of defending 147

In South Africa’s first innings, Pakistan were at times listless, and offered too many boundary balls to Aiden Markram initially, and Bosch later on. Then, in Pakistan’s second innings, Rabada and Dane Paterson struggled for rhythm initially, and Bosch was off the mark before Temba Bavuma turned to Jansen to make something happen.Jansen’s fifth ball was short and wide, and Babar Azam, who had just got to his fifty, could not resist. He slashed it to deep point, where Bavuma had positioned Bosch, and Jansen received his first post-Christmas gift. Two overs later, Mohammad Rizwan got a short ball angling down leg and followed it with a half-hearted pull to be caught behind. In the over after that, Salman Agha drove leaden-footed at a full, wide ball. There are questions to be asked about all three batters’ shot selections, but South Africa always expected them to choose those kinds of strokes.”We know most of their batters like to play a positive brand of Test cricket. So we know that if we stick to our lines and lengths, they might leave one or two [balls], but their tendencies are they’ll go at one,” Jansen said. “We always knew that we’re in the game, and we always knew that something’s going to happen.”The most comical was yet to come when Saud Shakeel, on 84, was the recipient of a full toss that struck him on the pad, as he missed an attempted flick. Shakeel was hit under the knee roll, which says something about where Jansen planned for the ball to pitch before he got it a little wrong.Toni de Zorzi, Ryan Rickelton and Tristan Stubbs were dismissed late on Day 3•AFP/Getty Images

“I wanted to go for the yorker, but I probably missed it by a shin’s length,” Jansen said. “At the end of the day, people can say what they want. [But] he missed it, and it’s a wicket. So I’m happy for that.”There was laughter all around when Jansen said that, which is a reflection of how entertaining this Test has been, although the quality of cricket has sometimes been questionable. Because both sides have provided some underwhelming cricket, it created a contest, albeit perhaps not an elite one. That was saved for the last 40 minutes, when Pakistan’s seamers, while defending only 147, dished up spicy opening spells as the clouds gathered overhead to gawk on South Africa’s increasingly knotted nerves.Three of their top four were dismissed to the new ball being bowled on the right lengths, which was just short of a good length, even as the Pakistan quicks also took advantage of the extra bounce and nip on offer. Tony de Zorzi, Ryan Rickelton and Tristan Stubbs have all had their last say on this match, and South Africa could not be too unhappy with what happened to them.”The three wickets they got were three good balls, so it’s not like we threw our wickets away,” Jansen said. “That’s not to make it seem better. But as long as they get us out with good balls, there’s only so much you can do as a batter. You can only play what you see – you can’t pre-empt or pre-meditate what you want to do – because on this pitch, you’re going to get yourself in trouble.”If Jansen ends up batting in the chase, that might mean South Africa are in some trouble, although they bat deep and he has a plan.”My mental point of view is to be as disciplined as possible for as long as possible. We know that with the new ball, it moves quite sharply here – especially in the second innings of the game,” he said. “Once the ball gets older, it gets a lot easier to bat, and it’s a nice scoring ground. So with the new ball, [it is] definitely going to move sideways, and then the odd ball will shoot up and the odd ball will also keep low.”From my perspective, if the ball shoots up, just get your hands out of the way, and then if the ball keeps a bit low, just stay nice and tight in terms of your bat next to your pad. Those two are the difficult ones to keep out. The balls that move sideways, we’re used to that, so I think those are going to be the challenges for tomorrow.”Explained in those purely cricketing terms, it sounds as though South Africa have a good grasp of what is required of them. But there will be much more than just bat vs ball going on on Sunday. There is the expectation of securing this win to reach next year’s World Test Championship final, and the pressure of being South African in a chase. You may think there is also some cushioning because South Africa only need to win one out of this and the next Test. But putting themselves in a must-win situation at Newlands will come with its own set of mind games.South Africa will want to finish the job here, but for that, they will need the kind of steel that has not yet been on display at SuperSport Park. But with so much at stake, it may be time for something we’ve not seen so far.

Manchester United’s midfield continues to dominate transfer headlines, with Ruben Amorim intent on reshaping the heart of his side before the transfer window closes.

The club have already committed over £200m this summer on Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo and Benjamin Šeško, but despite this heavy spending there remains a glaring gap in midfield.

Amorim’s tactical blueprint demands an athletic, technically secure player to complement captain Bruno Fernandes.

So far, the Portuguese coach has opted for 33-year-old Casemiro, with mixed results.

United narrowly fell to defeat against Arsenal on the opening weekend before following up with a frustrating 1-1 draw at Fulham, leaving Amorim with just four Premier League wins since taking charge last November.

Midfielder pushing for Man Utd move

The club’s lack of European football this season adds further pressure to get domestic results right.

With last year’s disastrous 15th-place finish and Europa League final defeat to Spurs still fresh in the memory, United cannot afford another season of underachievement.

Transfer Focus

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Amorim knows the answer lies in midfield, and the search has become increasingly urgent.

According to reporter Ross Harwood, Brighton midfielder Carlos Baleba is now waiting for a deal to be finalised, hopeful that his long-anticipated move to Old Trafford can be sealed before the September deadline.

The journalist noted: “Baleba is eager to get this move before the window closes – he feels now is the only chance.”

The 21-year-old, described as “colossal” by journalist Aden-Jay Wood, has emerged as United’s primary midfield target.

However, there is also interest in Crystal Palace’s Adam Wharton and Sevilla’s Lucien Agoumé.

Baleba was visibly distracted during Brighton’s 2-1 defeat to Everton at the weekend, withdrawn at half-time following conversations with manager Fabian Hürzeler.

Reports suggest the player is not in the right frame of mind, desperate for the switch to materialise as he feels this window could represent his best chance.

United’s pursuit, however, is complicated by Brighton’s valuation. The Seagulls are holding out for £100m, a figure comparable to Palace’s price tag for Wharton.

Why Baleba fits better than Mainoo

The deal, if completed, would cap off another transformative summer for United’s squad.

But it is also a gamble, one that comes amid a backdrop of criticism regarding the club’s recruitment, with some questioning whether such heavy investment is sustainable without the cushion of Champions League revenues.

To understand why Amorim is pushing so hard for Baleba, it is necessary to look at United’s current midfield balance – and in particular, the situation surrounding academy graduate Kobbie Mainoo.

The 20-year-old remains a fan favourite, scoring a famous goal in the FA Cup victory over Manchester City and earning a starting role for England in the Euro 2024 final.

Yet under Amorim, opportunities have been limited.

Mainoo has started just 15 of the manager’s 44 games in charge, and this season has been an unused substitute in both league fixtures so far.

The reason lies in Amorim’s system, something he outlined over the weekend.

Preferring to deploy an attacking-minded player alongside his defensive midfielder, Amorim has little room for another deep-lying option unless Fernandes shifts into one of the number ten roles currently occupied by Cunha and Mbeumo.

With Fernandes unlikely to be dropped, Mainoo finds himself caught in a tactical squeeze.

Baleba, by contrast, offers qualities that fit directly into the Portuguese coach’s demands.

Aged 21 and under contract at Brighton until 2028, the Cameroonian midfielder made 34 league appearances last season, contributing three goals and one assist.

His athleticism, work rate and progressive tendencies stand out when compared with Mainoo’s more measured style.

The numbers underline this difference.

According to FBref, Baleba made more tackles (2.67 to 2.51) and blocks (1.59 to 0.87), highlighting his greater presence without the ball.

In terms of possession, the pair are evenly matched. Mainoo averaged slightly more touches (58.0 per 90 compared to Baleba’s 57.3 but trailed in pass completion rate (86.5% against 87.4%).

The statistics suggest both are technically secure, but Baleba’s edge in carrying, passing progression and defensive activity point to a midfielder more suited to Amorim’s high-energy, dual-pivot approach.

Matches Played

25

34

Starts

19

31

Shot-Creating Actions

34

66

Progressive Carries

22

43

Progressive Passes

65

118

Mainoo’s situation is not necessarily terminal. His talent is undeniable, and he could still evolve into a central figure at Old Trafford.

But in the here and now, Amorim requires an engine capable of covering ground, breaking lines, and complementing Fernandes’ creativity. That profile aligns more closely with Baleba than with the academy product.

Of course, there are risks. A £100m outlay would demand consistent excellence from the Cameroonian, and Brighton are renowned for extracting maximum value from departing players.

There is also the question of squad balance – investing heavily in yet another attacking-minded player while defensive reinforcements remain limited could backfire.

Yet the logic behind the move is clear. If Manchester United are to restore control and consistency in midfield, they need a player capable of combining technical quality with physical dominance.

Baleba, by all accounts, is eager to be that player.

Whether United can meet Brighton’s demands before the window closes will determine whether Amorim gets the midfielder he craves.

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ByEthan Lamb Aug 24, 2025

Graham Potter admitted that his recent face-swap meme trend "made my son laugh" amid pressure to turn around West Ham fortunes. Potter's reign is hanging by the thinnest of threads, and fans have already decided his fate; through 'ridicule'. After last weekend's bruising home defeat to Crystal Palace, the Hammers faithful unleashed their trademark gallows humour, flooding social media with pictures of his face swapped onto others.

Hammers fans showing no mercy

The Palace defeat lit the fuse. From then on, Potter’s face has been plastered onto everything from sitcom icons Del Boy and Rodney to the Chuckle Brothers. In one of the cruellest edits, supporters even swapped him onto the body of co-owner David Sullivan’s fiancee, Ampika Pickston, herself embroiled in a messy spat with fans online.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportPotter reacts to viral trend

Potter has admitted that he’s seen the memes and even revealed his teenage son found them hilarious. 

"It made my 15-year-old son laugh a lot," he told reporters. "You have to accept what comes with it. In part it's criticism, it's at times ridicule, but that's the environment we're in…I've got a few more things to think about than that."

Owners dithering on the axe

Despite the humiliation, the board have so far resisted pulling the trigger. A gap of nine days before the Hammers’ next clash, a daunting away trip to David Moyes’ Everton, seemed the perfect time for change. But club insiders suggest the hierarchy is reluctant to hand a new boss two nightmare fixtures right off the bat, with Everton and Arsenal looming before the October international break. That might just buy Potter a stay of execution, but few believe it will stretch beyond those two games.

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Big names circling the job

Nuno Espirito Santo, recently dismissed by Nottingham Forest, is already being touted as the frontrunner. Slaven Bilic, Kieran McKenna, Scott Parker, Sean Dyche and Gary O’Neil have all been linked as well. The shortlist is a clear sign West Ham’s owners are bracing for life after Potter, and it’s simply a question of when, not if.