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Harry Kane is still waiting on a first piece of silverware, but the Bayern Munich and England star does have a “trophy cabinet” for hat-trick balls.

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• All-time leading scorer for Spurs & Three Lions
• Has registered eight trebles for German giants
• Determined to break trophy duck in 2024-25

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Regular additions have been made to that haul down the years, with the 31-year-old striker making history as the all-time leading scorer for Tottenham and his country. During his time in the Premier League, Kane bagged eight trebles for Spurs – with only three players (Sergio Aguero, Alan Shearer and Robbie Fowler) registering more.

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• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Kane bagged four hat-tricks during his debut campaign at Bayern, and has already matched that return through just 19 appearances this season – with four goals recorded in a Champions League clash with Dinamo Zagreb back in September.

• WHAT KANE SAID

  Kane has now told supporters at a fan club meeting in Bavaria of what happens to his match balls, with his son putting that ever-growing collection to good use: “We store them at home, we have a trophy cabinet for them. But my son Louis plays with most of them in the house. If I don't bring a hat-trick ball home, he's disappointed.”

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  WHAT NEXT?

  For England, with 69 goals to his name in total, Kane has hit five hat-tricks – putting him level with Gary Lineker and one behind Jimmy Greaves. He has been nursing a knock of late, preventing him from turning out for Bayern, but should be back shortly as he looks to bring a barren run on the trophy front to a close.

GOAL reviews key takeaways from Americans playing in Europe, including another huge performance by the Fulham star

It was the final weekend of 2024, capping a wild and unpredictable year of American soccer. Injuries sidelined several stars but, even without them, the closing weekend was something of a high for the U.S. men's national team's players abroad.

Antonee Robinson has been the story in the final months of 2024, and that fittingly continued Sunday. Another week, another assist for the Fulham star – and let's be honest, he may not be a Fulham star for much longer with such performances. Robinson is in the same company as Christian Pulisic as the best USMNT star in Europe at the moment, which really is saying something, isn't it?

Others played well, too. Robinson wasn't even the only USMNT left-back to create a goal this weekend, as surprising as that is. The other was Kristoffer Lund, although Weston McKennie made his mark in that position, too. Weirdly enough, it was a weekend of left-backs as we get ready to leave 2024 behind.

Elsewhere, Brenden Aaronson was the guy. His massive goal for Leeds could be one we look back on in six months as they push for promotion to the Premier League.

A new year is coming and with it a transfer window and potential shakeups. Who knows how things will look even next week. But as the book closes on 2024, it'll be Robinson who remains the headliner heading into what could be a career-changing 2025. GOAL looks at key takeaways from Americans Abroad.

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  Injuries dampen holiday season

  The weekend was particularly quiet for Americans Abroad. Winter break was a big reason, but injury absences have also made their mark on this holiday season.

  Christian Pulisic is the major one, of course. The hope was that he could feature this weekend after recovering from a calf injury, but a late ankle setback ended those hopes. Now, Milan will have to wait on Pulisic, alongside teammate Yunus Musah, who is also out of action.

  Juventus were missing Tim Weah, meanwhile. Tyler Adams didn't suit up for Bournemouth, ending the hopes of a showdown with Fulham and Robinson. Folarin Balogun, meanwhile, is a long-term injury absence, too.

  It's tough for several USMNT stars at the moment. Injuries have arisen at rough time. Fortunately for the U.S., there are no meaningful national team games until March. But, even so, these absences have dampened the holiday season.

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  More proof Robinson is the Premier League's best

  Antonee Robinson has surely heard the talk and, more importantly, he's surely heard the hype. He's been dubbed the Premier League's best left-back, and he continues to provide evidence to that fact.

  Sunday's proof came in the form of an assist, as he teed up Harry Wilson in a 2-2 draw with Bournemouth. It was his seventh assist of the season. Only Mohammed Salah and Bukayo Saka have more in the Premier League this season. Robinson is playing with the elite, and he's doing it from a position that very rarely gets attention.

  Robinson has to be feeling that love now. He's being linked with big moves and – and he's earned it. He's also proven that he can produce at Fulham so, in that sense, it's a win-win for him and the USMNT. No matter where he is playing come February, there will be reason to be excited about everything going on with the fullback.

  His consistency is unmatched. His passing has been fantastic. His defending has made the difference. Right now, Robinson is the man to watch, and he's proving it every time he takes the field.

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  Aaronson furthers Leeds' promotion push

  Whatever confidence was lost over the last few years, Brenden Aaronson has rediscovered. Leeds were playing away from home and needing points to continue their promotion push. It was Aaronson who went out and got them.

  The USMNT midfielder provided a great run and a better finish, sliding a shot into the back of the net in Leeds' 1-0 win over Derby County. With the win, Leeds go atop the Championship table and, in this sort of form, they may not be in the Championship for long.

  Aaronson has been a big part of that success. He now has seven goals, good for second on the team behind only Joel Piroe. It's a huge haul given how much he struggled over the last few years. Speaking to GOAL this fall, Aaronson set a mission to score 15 goals. That's looking entirely attainable.

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  Another left-back steps up

  Robinson wasn't the only USMNT left-back to stand out this weekend. Kristoffer Lund did his thing, too.

  The defender isn't known as a goalscorer, but he found the back of the net in Serie B on Sunday to help Palermo earn a point against Citadella. The goal was his first of the campaign after scoring twice for Palermo last season.

  Lund isn't going to threaten Robinson for his job any time soon. The Fulham star is far and away the best at the left-back position. That backup position, though, is still up for grabs, and it could be argued that Lund had fallen down the pecking order. He wasn't in November camp and there are several young stars – namely Caleb Wiley and John Tolkin – looking to make their own USMNT leap.

  Scoring on Sunday won't hold them off, but it is a good step for Lund. He is just 22 – two months older than Tolkin. Lund is still an evolving player, one who is improving in Serie B. Because of that, he's one to keep an eye on on the road to 2026.

Into the final week of the transfer window, a summer-long saga is finally reaching its conclusion, according to Fabrizio Romano, with one Chelsea outcast now reportedly set to get his move.

Chelsea transfer news

The Blues have once again stolen the headlines throughout the summer, welcoming a whole host of fresh faces and opening themselves up to the same questions about Todd Boehly's supposed strategy. Sky Sports pundit and former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher took aim at the west London club following the announcement of Joao Felix's arrival – Chelsea's 10th signing of the window.

Chelsea followed that up by losing against champions Manchester City on the opening day as their problems continued to look unsolved. That said, the final week of the window could go a long way towards repairing what needs fixing, and perhaps answering Carragher's question, with sales mooted.

He's available: Chelsea plot move for £40m dream Osimhen alternative

Chelsea looking at Osimhen alternatives

By
Connor Holden

Aug 24, 2024

According to Romano, Napoli have reached a verbal agreement to sign Romelu Lukaku in a deal worth €45m (£38m) including potential add-ons. After much toing and froing, the Italian giants are seemingly set to finally get their man.

Of course, it's no surprise that Antonio Conte is the manager who has come swooping in to end Lukaku's Chelsea nightmare, given the success that they had together at Inter not so long ago.

"Excellent" Lukaku leaves a Chelsea flop

The curse of the Chelsea No 9 has no limits. Whether you're Alvaro Morata, Fernando Torres or Lukaku, it seems as though it will infect what many believe to be Golden Boot contenders and turn them into goal-less tools of frustration at Stamford Bridge.

When Lukaku returned to the club in a big-money deal worth a reported £97.5m, he ticked every box. This was a proven goalscorer in the Premier League who had refound his best form in Italy.

All signs pointed towards him being the signing of the summer in 2021 rather than a transfer flop. Yet, here we are, three years, an early controversial interview, and a distinct lack of goals later, and Lukaku is heading for the exit door with a whimper rather than a roar.

Joining up with Conte again, the Napoli boss will undoubtedly be pleased to see Lukaku, having praised the Belgian earlier this summer, saying when asked about a potential reunion (via Sportskeeda): "He's an excellent player, top player. There's nothing else to say. You always hope to have a player like Romelu on your side and not against you."

Sarina Wiegman is concerned by the 26-year-old's lack of game time ahead of Euro 2025, but she still might not get a well-needed winter transfer

It’s rare nowadays that the January transfer window throws up any truly blockbuster deals, with the drama often lacking as clubs wait until the summer to properly make statement signings. There are usually a few big names linked with winter moves, however, and in the women’s game, one of the main ones this month will be Chloe Kelly.

Despite being an integral member of the Manchester City team ever since she joined back in 2020, Kelly’s game time has plummeted this season. Having ranked among the top five outfield players for minutes in three of her previous four campaigns, excluding the 2021-22 season in which she was recovering from an ACL injury, the England winger is right near the bottom of that list this term, with only academy products and players who have been sidelined getting fewer opportunities.

With the 2025 European Championships looming, Kelly desperately needs to be playing in order to secure her spot in Sarina Wiegman’s England squad. But while all this sounds like the recipe for a January transfer, it still feels somewhat unlikely that an out route will materialise.

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  Contract standstill

  There are a few reasons why that is the case. First, Kelly’s contract expires in six months and there has been little movement on the front when it comes to a renewal. As such, it’s only natural that any potential buyers would be keen to wait until the summer to snap her up, rather than coughing up a fee now for a player who will be available on a free soon enough.

  Of course, some suitors may feel it necessary to strengthen in this January window, and thus be more tempted to pay a fee, but it’s often more unlikely.

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  Injuries galore

  What about a loan, then? That feels even more unlikely, owing to Man City’s injury list. Going into the winter break, head coach Gareth Taylor was without Lauren Hemp, Risa Shimizu, Vivianne Miedema, Khadija Shaw, Alex Greenwood and Sandy MacIver, with Kelly also suffering a knock in December while both Naomi Layzell and Laura Coombs were only just returning from setbacks of their own right towards the end of 2024.

  While it would be easier, though still tough, to point to a decent fee as a good reason for choosing to part ways with Kelly despite being in this situation, it’s not as justifiable with an unprofitable loan deal, especially given how many of those injuries concern City’s forward line. It would be a surprise for the club to sanction such a deal in these circumstances, without lining up a new face.

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  'Concern' for England

  If Kelly’s contract situation was different, or City’s squad was in a healthier place, it’d be easier to see an exit for the winger this month. Perhaps if City get another forward in – and they’ve been linked with a January move for Mexico sensational Lizbeth Ovalle – that will all change. But at the moment, it’s tough to see a path out of the club and towards the game time Kell craves as she targets a place in the Lionesses’ Euro 2025 squad.

  Kelly is battling for a spot in a competitive area when it comes to England, with the likes of Hemp, Lauren James, Beth Mead, Aggie Beever-Jones and Jess Naz all icompeting for spots, while versatile players such as Jess Park, Laura Blindkilde Brown, Grace Clinton and Fran Kirby all also able to operate out wide. Wiegman has already admitted that she’s concerned about Kelly’s game time and when the likes of James and Hemp return to fitness, it’ll become more difficult for the 26-year-old to get into the squad if her club minutes don’t increase.

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  Taking chances

  The good news is that there should be opportunities in the coming weeks. While Hemp, Miedema and Shaw have all been pictured in training during City’s trip to the United Arab Emirates, it’s unclear at the moment just how fit they are and it’s certainly unlikely they’ll be rushed back given their importance to the team’s ultimate goals this season.

  Despite a lack of opportunities, Kelly has shown some positive signs this season, making a strong impact off the bench at Everton in City's last outing. It couldn't inspire a comeback win, but it was a reminder of her quality and how dangerous she can be out wide.

  Her focus has to be on continuing to take those chances when they come, to impress Taylor to get more, and also make a mark on Wiegman to remain in her England squad and in her thinking for Euro 2025.

One of the biggest, and arguably more surprising transfers of the summer window in 2024 was that of Julian Alvarez from Manchester City to Atletico Madrid. The Argentine World Cup winner departed the Etihad Stadium after just two seasons in an £81m move.

His short time at the eight-time Premier League champions was hugely successful. The 24-year-old pulled on the sky blue shirt 103 times, scoring 36 times and grabbing 18 assists. That included a very impressive 11 goals and nine assists in 36 games last season.

He also has quite an outstanding trophy cabinet to show for his efforts during his time under Pep Guardiola, winning seven. As part of those seven trophies, he won the treble at the Etihad Stadium in 2022/23, which included the Champions League, the Premier League and the FA Cup.

There has been plenty of noise surrounding his replacement this summer, and City did not end up bringing anyone in. However, they may well have had his dream replacement right under their noses but sold him a few years ago. That player is Ferran Torres.

Torres’ record at Barcelona

The Spain international made the move back to his native country in December of 2021, ahead of the 2022 January transfer window. It was a deal that represented a brilliant piece of business for the Cityzens.

They paid the Euro 2024 winner’s former club Valencia just £20.87m to acquire his services in August 2020 and received superb profit. Specifically, that was £46.7m from Barcelona up front and £8.5m in add-ons.

His time at Barca, has, on a personal note, been successful so far. He has played 117 games for the La Liga giants, scoring 26 goals and registering 14 assists. That includes a particularly successful 2023/24 campaign, his best yet in that famous blue and red shirt.

Had the winger still been at the Etihad Stadium nowadays, he could have been a perfect replacement for Alvarez while also providing some fierce competition to one of City’s current stars, Jack Grealish, whom he has begun to outperform.

Jack Grealish’s record at Man City

Since joining City in 2021 for a then-British record £100m, Grealish has certainly struggled to fully settle into a hugely successful side. The Cityzens have dominated English, and for a time, European football whilst the Englishman has been at the club, but he has never really looked like the same player he was at Aston Villa.

In 127 games for Guardiola’s side, the 28-year-old has scored just 14 goals and registered just 18 assists. His most productive campaign so far was in 2022/23, where Grealish scored five goals and assisted seven in 28 Premier League games.

He has certainly struggled to recapture the form he showed as a Villan, which earned him his big move to Manchester. His best season in England’s top flight for his boyhood club brought him six goals and ten assists.

The City number 10 has been outscored by Torres since he departed the club in the winter of 2021/22. This certainly could suggest a miscalculation on City’s part to sell the Spaniard to Barcelona, and he could have given the Englishman some stern competition for his place in the team.

Interestingly, the duo have played six times with each other, and have featured in the same team for a combined 385 minutes. Had Torres stayed at the Etihad Stadium, City fans could well have seen this duo play together more often, and even compete for a direct place in the lineup.

Either way the “special” Torres, as football scout Antonio Mango described him, could have been their ideal replacement for Alvarez this summer, not least due to his flexibility to feature through the middle or on the flanks.

As it is, the versatile star is now shining away from Manchester, with there a question to be asked as to whether he was moved on too soon.

Man City messed up with £300k sale who's now worth more than Lewis

The Cityzens allowed the talented young defender to move on before his career flourished.

1

By
Dan Emery

Sep 6, 2024

Liverpool have been rocked as one of their squad members has strongly suggested he wants to leave Arne Slot's side in the windows to come.

Liverpool stars on international duty

After Slot's perfect start to the Premier League season, the majority of his players headed off on international duty to represent their nations. As usual, Mohamed Salah impressed for Egypt despite not finding the back of the net in his side's 3-0 win over Cape Verde.

Japan international midfielder Wataru Endo also starred in a 7-0 thrashing of China, with the Liverpool man kicking off the scoring in the rout.

Liverpool struck gold selling Anfield sensation for stunning 1570% profit

He’s never quite recaptured his Merseyside magic…

By
Angus Sinclair

Sep 10, 2024

Dutch trio Virgil van Dijk, Ryan Gravenberch and Cody Gakpo all impressed against Bosnia and Herzegovina, with the forward getting on the scoresheet in their 5-2 win.

But it was a less enjoyable international break for some of their teammates; Dominik Szoboszlai endured a tough 5-0 defeat against Germany, while Andy Robertson's Scotland conceded five times across their two games on the way to a pair of late losses against Poland and Portugal.

There was also defeat for Ibrahima Konate, who was at the heart of defence during France's 3-1 defeat to Italy and was promptly dropped for their subsequent win over Belgium. At U21 level meanwhile, Jarell Quansah helped England take four points from their two games, keeping a clean sheet against Northern Ireland. Now, the international break has thrown up some disappointing news.

Liverpool youngster wants out after starring for Ireland

That comes as no.2 goalkeeper Caoimhín Kelleher has confirmed his desire to leave the club, admitting that he tried to do so over the most recent summer transfer window. Kelleher impressed despite ending on the losing side against England in Ireland's Nations League opener, with Irish publications full of praise for his performance.

One report, who gave him the joint highest rating of any player in the Irish side, explained:

"Kelleher made a super one-on-one save up against Anthony Gordon in the lead-up to Declan Rice's opener. He could not have done anything more for either of England's first half goals.

Though his distribution was sometimes lacking, he was a strong presence in the Irish box and was solid when called upon.

Made a brilliant save in injury time to prevent Saka from making it three."

Meanwhile, his 7.8 rating was far and away the best of any of his side according to popular app sofascore, and one prominent Irish football twitter account dubbed him "the only positive" from the defeat.

But speaking ahead of his side's second game of the international break, Kelleher emphasised his desire to leave Anfield, with the Reds having agreed to sign Giorgi Mamardashvili from Valencia next summer.

“I’ve made it clear in the last few years that I want to leave to be number one. Sometimes from the outside looking in, it looks like maybe that’s 100% my decision but maybe at times it’s not always in my hands as well”, he explained.

He had been subject to offers from Nottingham Forest both in January and in the summer window, with the latter offer consisting of £7m plus Matt Turner, a bid which the Reds turned down. Now, they may be forced to finally cave in to his wishes when 2025 rolls around.

The San Diego Wave center back, who has been linked with a European move, has left Emma Hayes' squad with a minor injury

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• Naomi Girma set to leave USWNT camp
• Star center back has "minor calf issue"
• Chelsea, Arsenal, Lyon reportedly interested

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Emma Hayes has lost a key part of her squad for January, as star defender Naomi Girma has left the USWNT training camp with a minor issue, U.S. soccer announced Thursday. She won't be replaced on the squad. Her departure comes amid growing transfer talk that the center back will leave San Diego Wave soon.

  reported Wednesday morning that a European move is possible for the Olympic Gold-winning defender, with Women's Super League and Division 1 Feminine clubs alike interested in securing her services.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Hayes will now be working with a depleted squad over the next week in Fort Lauderdale, FL. Star attacking trio Mal Swanson, Trinity Rodman and Sophia Smith have all been rested for the camp. Lindsey Horan and Rose Lavelle are also both absent.

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  DID YOU KNOW?

  If Girma is to leave San Diego, her transfer fee could be the biggest in women's football history. Reports have suggested that she could cost upwards of $1 million.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR GIRMA?

  The center back will return to San Diego to rehab her injury. Her long-term future, though, is unclear. San Diego has already made a significant offseason move, parting ways with Jaedyn Shaw in a $300,000 deal with North Carolina.

The tide has completely turned for the England international, who continued his impressive resurgence in Sunday's memorable FA Cup win at Arsenal

"It ain't about how hard you hit. It's about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward. How much you can take and keep moving forward. That's how winning is done!"

Those inspirational quotes from Rocky Balboa have been bandied about excessively since the film's release in 2006, but franchise creator and star Sylvester Stallone, one of Hollywood's biggest Premier League fans, would probably agree that Harry Maguire is as close to the embodiment of those words as anyone.

Maguire has taken so many hits since his record-breaking move to Manchester United from Leicester City in August 2019. Most players would have stayed down in the face of seemingly endless setbacks and vitriol, or at the very least accepted that they are not cut out for the intensity and pressure of football at the highest level.

But that has never been an option for Maguire. Against all the odds, he's kept moving forward, backing himself through the darkest periods to eventually emerge on the other side as a true winner. Maguire has silenced his critics, and is now playing a leading role in an exciting revolution under Ruben Amorim. It's been a long road, but United's unbreakable £80 million ($96m) man is finally living up to his price tag.

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  Dignified and defiant

  Maguire's first three seasons at United were not a disaster, but he was by no means the transformative signing Ole Gunnar Solskjaer had hoped he would be. The Red Devils extended their trophy-less run to five years on the Norwegian's watch, and they were seventh in the Premier League table when he was relieved of his managerial duties in November 2021.

  Things got even worse under Solskjaer's interim replacement Ralf Rangnick, and Maguire became a scapegoat for the team's poor performances. By the time Erik ten Hag took over in May 2022, Maguire was considered the weakest link in the starting XI, and the Dutchman acted by signing one of his former Ajax favourites, Lisandro Martinez, who quickly became the first-choice centre-back partner for Raphael Varane.

  Maguire was restricted to just 16 starts across all competitions in 2022-23 as United lifted the Carabao Cup and finished third in the Premier League, and although he remained dignified in a reduced role, serious questions were asked over his future at Old Trafford. West Ham saw an opportunity to sign him for a cut-price fee, and the move seemed inevitable after Ten Hag confirmed that he was stripping Maguire of his captaincy duties.

  But he was never going to leave without a fight. "After discussions with the manager he has informed me he is changing captain," Maguire said in a defiant post on social media. "He outlined his reasons to me and whilst I'm personally extremely disappointed, I will continue to give my all every time I wear the shirt."

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  'Toughest moment of my career'

  Maguire's proposed switch to West Ham eventually fell through, and true to his word, he gave blood sweat and tears to the United cause upon his return to action. The former Leicester ace gradually won his place back, in part due to Martinez being laid low with serious injuries, and looked like a player reborn without the weight of the captaincy.

  A miraculous FA Cup triumph aside, United were a complete shambles last season, posting their worst-ever Premier League points total on their way to a humiliating eighth-placed finish, but Maguire was one of the few who could still hold his head up high. He delivered some colossal performances in defence while all those around him seemed to be losing their heads, most notably in a crucial 2-1 victory at Aston Villa.

  There was to be a cruel twist of fate for Maguire, though. He picked up a serious calf injury that kept him out of United's final few games of 2023-24, and he was omitted from Gareth Southgate's England squad for Euro 2024 as a result. Maguire described that blow as the "toughest moment of my career to date" in an interview with , but it only strengthened his resolve.

  The 31-year-old vowed to bounce back with United, adding: "I'm part of the future and it is time to crack on and make this club successful again, challenging for the big trophies. That's what this club demands."

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  'Perfect in the middle'

  Despite United plunging to new depths as a collective, Ten Hag was inexplicably given a contract renewal and another £200m ($61m) to spend on transfers last summer, with Dutch centre-back Matthijs de Ligt one of five new arrivals. The former Bayern Munich man was a direct replacement for Varane, who left the club as a free agent, and Maguire found himself pushed down the squad pecking order once again.

  Maguire's misery was compounded when he suffered a muscle injury in early October, which forced him to sit out nine games across all competitions. January transfer rumours then began to surface, and United were reportedly ready to listen to offers as low as £10m for the towering centre-half. But as ever, he refused to pay attention to any of the outside noise.

  By the time Maguire returned to full fitness in December, everything had changed. Ten Hag was finally sacked after breaking his own record for the worst start to a season in United's history, with charismatic tactician Ruben Amorim drafted in from Sporting CP to replace him.

  Amorim started Maguire for the first time in the Premier League when United faced Manchester City in the derby at Etihad Stadium, and he proceeded to shut down Erling Haaland as the visitors earned a dramatic 2-1 victory. Maguire won all of his ground duels, posted a 100 percent tackle success rate and also made five interceptions after slotting in between De Ligt and Martinez seamlessly, much to the delight of Amorim.

  The Portuguese coach said after seeing his 3-4-3 formation system properly pay off for the first time at United: "Maguire is perfect when you play with three defenders. He is perfect in the middle."

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  Unsung hero

  Maguire has been a fixture in Amorim's line-up since that encouraging derby display. No one is talking about a winter transfer for Maguire anymore, with the club having taken up the one-year extension option in his contract earlier this month, and United are slowly becoming a forced to be reckoned with again.

  The Red Devils rounded out 2024 with three consecutive defeats against Bournemouth, Wolves and Newcastle, which effectively ended their faint hopes of making the top four, but Amorim had openly admitted a "storm" was inevitable after his appointment. The 39-year-old is attempting to give United a proper identity for the first time since the Sir Alex Ferguson era, and it will take time for his vision to bear fruit, especially given the fact he inherited a squad full of players that are not ideally suited to his preferred formation.

  But United showed real signs of progress in all areas of the pitch in a 2-2 draw with league leaders Liverpool at Anfield on January 5, and followed up that surprise result by knocking Arsenal out of the FA Cup at the third-round stage. Amorim's men avenged their 2-0 league defeat at Emirates Stadium just over a month ago in thrilling style, holding the Gunners to a 1-1 draw after extra-time despite playing the final 60 minutes with 10 men due to a stupid Diogo Dalot red card, before winning a nerve-shredding penalty shoot-out.

  United's goal-scorer Bruno Fernandes took most of the plaudits alongside back-up goalkeeper Altay Bayindir, who saved a penalty from Martin Odegaard in normal time and repeated the trick against Kai Havertz in the shootout, but Maguire was the unsung hero. He was powerful and courageous throughout, making more clearances and blocks than any other player while commanding his team-mates to keep their shape like a general on the battlefield.

Where did it all begin? Jurgen Klopp dug Liverpool out of the trenches after replacing Brendan Rodgers at the helm, crafting a dynasty that restored the Premier League side as a global superpower.

He was a brilliant manager, and he worked wonders on Merseyside, inculcating an absorbing style of football that claimed silverware across every front. The whole gamut.

Partnered with Michael Edwards' transfer expertise, Liverpool thrived, and one of the biggest masterstrokes, if not the biggest, has got to be the £34m signing of Mohamed Salah from AS Roma.

The legend of Mohamed Salah

Salah earned a second shot at the Premier League back in 2017, having flattered to deceive as a younger, unpolished prospect with Chelsea, scoring two goals for the Blues before moving to Italy.

You know the rest… he's now one of the finest forwards in Premier League history, having scored 214 goals and added 92 assists across 352 appearances, hailed for his "world-class" ability by analyst Raj Chohan, among many others.

The Egypt international is an extraordinary forward, with peak athleticism, deadly finishing and elite-level technique and creativity that makes him a unique attacking asset.

Salah turned 32 in July, but he's started life under Arne Slot with utter dispatch, posting three goals and three assists apiece across Liverpool's opening three Premier League fixtures, recently tearing Manchester United to shreds.

He continues to shine as Liverpool's centrepiece, but what if the signing of Salah was not actually Liverpool's watershed moment?

It was actually an outgoing transfer that had the biggest effect on Klopp's dynasty and the present-day fortunes of Slot's Reds. It was the sale of Philippe Coutinho.

Selling Coutinho was Klopp's watershed moment

It was, at the time, as if a hole had ripped Liverpool's beating heart asunder. Klopp's tenure was in full swing, and the Merseysiders were starting to establish themselves as an incredible attacking force.

The iconic front three: Salah, Sadio Mane, Roberto Firmino. They enjoyed over five years together and won it all during that timeframe, but for five balmy months, they were supplied by the ball-playing brilliance of Coutinho.

Coutinho only made 14 Premier League in 2017/18, before he fled during the winter, but what a masterclass in scoring, in assisting, in dominating. Lucas Leiva, former Redman, hailed him as a "magician" and, honestly, it's fitting.

But alas, Coutinho had caught wind of Barcelona's interest, and, let's be frank, was playing out of his skin to convince Barcelona to pay the big bucks to secure his signature, having enjoyed several successful years in England, joining Liverpool from Inter Milan for just £8.5m in January 2013.

In August 2017, the former Brazil international handed in a transfer request as he sought to force his way through to Catalonia, and though this was rejected by Klopp and Co, La Blaugrana returned in January with an offer that could not be refused.

Barcelona paid £146m to bring Coutinho from Anfield to Camp Nou in January 2018. Look, he was rather irreplaceable, but he wasn't that irreplaceable. That's quite the payday for FSG, no doubt giddy and in need of a lie down upon the official bid.

After all, that sale meant that he left for 1570% more than was once paid for, which can only go down as brilliant business.

It was the most important bit of transfer business that Liverpool have conducted in a long, long time. More so than the signing of Salah, more so than the signing and sale of Luis Suarez, an iconic centre-forward of which Liverpool may never see the like of again.

Why? It opened up a world of opportunity, of course. Liverpool went on to sign Virgil van Dijk (£75m) and Alisson Becker (£67m), in the year that followed, ending a Klopp side that teemed with attacking talent but suffered for its defensive fragility.

They revolutionised the squad, proved to be transcendental deals that took a good team and turned it into a great one. It's a Liverpool side that still enjoys the veteran performances of both players today, and looks ready to tackle the obstacles for the biggest prizes under Slot's leadership.

Coutinho made it all very real. He proved to be the winning lottery ticket toward a golden age. We love him for his performances in Red, but we thank him for moving to Barcelona and sparking the most illustrious of periods.

Liverpool dud who left in 2016 would now cost more than Nunez in 2024 money

This expensive dud really struggled when he was on the books at Liverpool.

By
Kelan Sarson

Sep 9, 2024

It’s a new season and a new European format, yet it was the same old Manchester United on Wednesday night, with the Red Devils slipping to a 1-1 draw at home to FC Twente on their first Europa League outing of the campaign.

Having finished bottom of the group in a calamitous Champions League run in 2023/24, Erik ten Hag and co would have been looking to get going in a far more positive fashion this time around – although former Rangers man Sam Lammers, aided by first-half goalscorer Christian Eriksen, put paid to that following his clinical second-half strike.

The hosts had taken a deserved lead at Old Trafford following a thumping finish from a resurgent Eriksen on what was his fourth successive start, although there appeared to be a lack of impetus to want to go and kill the game off – a fact that was duly punished.

Having been held to a goalless draw away to Crystal Palace last weekend, United – who have missed the most ‘big chances’ in the Premier League this season – appear to be lacking that cutting edge in front of goal, with the 7-0 thrashing of League One side Barnsley perhaps representing something of an anomaly.

The 3-0 victory over a winless Southampton is the only other game this season in which Ten Hag’s men have scored more than once, with a solution needing to be found to get the attacking unit firing again, even if it comes at the expense of Bruno Fernandes.

Bruno Fernandes' performance vs Twente

The star man of the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era, Fernandes has so often been the shining light in recent times, having chalked up 149 goals and assists in just 241 games for the club to date.

Even with four assists to his name across all fronts this season, however, the 30-year-old hasn’t quite looked like his usual self, particularly over the past week or so, having even lost possession on 34 occasions during a grim outing at Selhurst Park.

In what was a largely controlled performance in south London, the former Sporting CP star was far more chaotic, seemingly working at odds with those around him.

The same was true again on Wednesday evening, as he provided just a solitary key pass from his 76 touches, while also completing just two of his five dribble attempts and losing the ball 19 times.

That latter metric can be somewhat misleading, as it merely illustrates his desire to create and make things happen for his side, although at present, nothing is seemingly working in his favour.

While Ten Hag would have to be a brave man to oust his captain in the coming weeks, it’s certainly worth considering a new approach which could allow the frontline to finally click into gear.

Man Utd's attacking solution

One of the key issues facing United is the lack of a reliable goalscorer to lead the line, with new man Joshua Zirkzee – who has missed four ‘big chances’ in the league – operating far more comfortably in his side self-styled, ‘9.5’ role.

As MEN journalist Samuel Luckhurst stated following the midweek stalemate, the Dutchman offers ‘productive link-up play outside of the box without looking like scoring inside the box’, handing Ten Hag something of a dilemma over who to select.

With Rasmus Hojlund now available once again, the easy solution would be a straight swap of the Dane for Zirkzee, yet with the latter man having shown glimpses of his innate link-up play of late, it could be time for Ten Hag to try something new instead.

The solution staring the 54-year-old in the face could be to drop Zirkzee into more of a number ten role, with the 23-year-old operating in such a berth anyway, while the returning Hojlund can then slot in as the leading, orthodox number nine.

With the former Atalanta man having only just made his return from injury at Palace after limping off against Arsenal in pre-season, the United boss hasn’t been able to trial this duo as yet, although Fernandes’ limp form could provide the perfect opportunity.

With Zirkzee – who ranks in the top 16% among European forwards for progressive passes – acting as the link between midfield and attack, the Red Devils would then have a proper focal point in Hojlund to lead the line, with the 21-year-old more likely to stretch a backline as he is “lightning quick”, as per Owen Hargreaves.

Operating with two, towering forwards in a frontline may be a relic of the past, but at a time when United – who only scored 57 league goals last season – are looking blunt in attack, a Hojlund-Zirkzee partnership may be the ideal way to sharpen things up.

That may represent bad news for Fernandes, but having relied so much on the Portuguese playmaker for so long, the Old Trafford side may now need to find a new way to win.

Lost the ball 19x: Ten Hag must drop 4/10 star who cost Man Utd vs Twente

He was worse than Christian Eriksen on Wednesday night…

1

By
Joe Nuttall

Sep 26, 2024