تحدث الدولي الفرنسي كيليان مبابي، لاعب الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي ريال مدريد عن زميله فينيسيوس جونيور وعلاقته القوية به خاصة مع بداية الموسم الحالي.
ويتواجد مبابي بالرغم من إصابته مع معسكر منتخب فرنسا، من أجل الاستعداد لمواجهتي أذربيجان وآيسلندا، ضمن تصفيات قارة أوروبا المؤهلة لبطولة كأس العالم العام المقبل.
وقال مبابي، في تصريحات نقلتها صحيفة “آس” الإسبانية: “لاعبان مشهوران في فريق واحد يقدمان الكثير من الأشياء للجماهير على أرض الملعب، علاقتي بـ فينيسيوس جيدة جدًا وتحسنت كثيرًا هذا العام، تعرفنا على بعضنا البعض بشكل أفضل إنه لاعب رائع، وشخصيته رائعة جدًا”.
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وأوضح: “نعلم أن الناس يتحدثون عنا في كل شيء لكن هدفنا واحد وهو مساعدة ريال مدريد على الفوز بالألقاب، أعتقد أنه إذا أردنا الفوز بالألقاب، فعلينا أن نكون في أفضل حالاتنا ونساعد الفريق بأكمله”.
وأردف: “أعتبر الأمر طبيعيًا، لأنه في اليوم الذي أواجه فيه مشكلة خطيرة، والتي آمل ألا تحدث أبدًا، سأخبرهم أنها خطيرة وسيستمع الناس ويفهمون أنني أعتقد أنها خطيرة”.
وأتم مبابي قائلًا: “إنما في حياة لاعب كرة قدم مشهور أو لاعب ريال مدريد، هذا ليس خطيرًا”.
In response, Brathwaite and Carty took the hosts to 70 for 1 at stumps
Hemant Brar01-Dec-2024Jayden Seales registered astonishing figures of 15.5-10-5-4 as West Indies bowled out Bangladesh for 164 on the second day of the second Test at Sabina Park. Seales’ analyses were the most economical in Test cricket since 1977 (minimum 60 balls). In response, West Indies lost Mikyle Louis early but Kraigg Brathwaite and Keacy Carty took them to 70 for 1 before bad light forced early stumps for the second successive day.It was Shamar Joseph, though, who first rocked the Bangladesh innings. At one stage, the visitors were 83 for 2. In the next 34 balls, they collapsed to 98 for 6 as Shamar picked up three of the four wickets to fall.He first ended a patient stand of 73 between Shadman Islam and Shahadat Hossain by castling the latter for 22. Soon after, he had Jaker Ali caught behind with a short ball. The batter was late on the pull; he top-edged it onto his shoulder and the ball lobbed behind the stumps for an easy catch to Joshua Da Silva.In his next over, Shamar found the outside edge of Shadman to provide Da Silva his fourth catch of the innings. In between, Seales had Litton Das caught at first slip for 1.After lunch, however, Shamar and Alzarri Joseph overused the short-ball ploy against Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Taijul Islam. The two batters hung around for 116 balls and added 41. Eventually, Taijul fended a short ball from Alzarri to third slip.Seales then snared the last three wickets for five runs. Taskin was the first to depart. He tried to pull a short ball but the edge flew behind the stumps. Da Silva leapt and parried it towards second slip where Alick Athanaze dived backwards to pouch it with both hands.Seales had Mehidy top-edging a hook into the hands of fine leg in the same over before uprooting Nahid Rana’s leg stump to wrap up the innings.The Bangladesh seamers also started miserly, giving away only 16 runs in the ten overs before tea. After tea, Rana breached the 150kph mark multiple times and had Louis caught behind for 12.Taijul also found help from the surface and neither Brathwaite nor Carty could get him away. Seven of his ten overs were maidens but he could not pick up a wicket.
Sunderland have their eyes on a move to sign a “terrifying” £50m+ star after picking up Chelsea forward Marc Guiu on a season-long loan.
Sunderland signing Marc Guiu on loan from Chelsea
The Black Cats have been extremely busy in the transfer market ahead of their Premier League return, spending more than £125m on eight new players.
Habib Diarra
Strasbourg
£30.5m
Simon Adingra
Brighton
£21m
Enzo Le Fee
Roma
£19.4m
Noah Sadiki
Union Saint-Gilloise
£15m
Granit Xhaka
Bayer Leverkusen
£13m
Reinildo Mandava
Atletico Madrid
Free
Chemsdine Talbi
Club Brugge
£18m
Robin Roefs
NEC Nijmegen
£9m
Eight will soon become nine as well, with Guiu arriving in the North East on Sunday afternoon to seal his move to the Stadium of Light for the 2025/26 season.
Guiu will therefore rival Wilson Isidor and playoff final scorer Eliezer Mayenda for a starting centre-forward spot in Regis Le Bris’ side, with Sunderland’s first game against West Ham United on Saturday August 16.
After the 19-year-old, though, Sunderland are looking to bolster their attacking ranks even further and are now being linked with an ambitious move for another Bundesliga star after landing Granit Xhaka.
Sunderland keen on £50m+ Lois Openda
According to Sky Sports reporter Florian Plettenberg on Saturday, Sunderland are showing an interest in RB Leipzig striker Lois Openda.
However, with Leipzig stars Xavi Simons and Benjamin Sesko also linked with moves to the Premier League, it could be a tricky deal to persuade the Bundesliga side to sell.
Earlier in the window, it was claimed that Leipzig placed a €60m (£52m) asking price on Openda’s shoulders, with the “terrifying” forward under contract until 2028.
Arriving in 2023 from Lens, Openda, a Belgium international, has scored 41 goals in 90 appearances for his current employers. The 25-year-old was linked with a move to Tottenham last year which resulted in Spurs pundit John Wenham hailing the speedy striker.
“I watched Openda in the Champions League a couple of times this year and I was impressed. He has a real mix of pace and excellent finishing ability. He looks like someone who could also play out wide.”
A £50m+ transfer would smash Sunderland’s transfer record, which has already been broken this summer, so a move could be one to keep an eye on following Plettenberg’s update.
Manchester United have been one of the absolute biggest clubs in the world now for over 30 years, largely thanks to their Premier League dominance under Sir Alex Ferguson. They are massive and boast arguably the largest overall fanbase in football.
That, of course, means there are quite a few famous names amongst the fans. We thought we’d pick out some of them – but this is far from an exhaustive list. Also worth mentioning that we’ve gone for actual fans here, not just famous people who wore a shirt once.
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We’ll start with an unusual one here – but we’re going back some way for the proof. Justin Timberlake publicly outed himself as a United fan back in 2007, largely thanks to former striker/midfielder Alan Smith.
"I'm a Red! I'm mates with Smithy so he' ..Read more at:http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/2148088.cms?utm_source=contentofinterest&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=cppst "I'm a Red! I'm mates with Smithy so he' ..Read more at:http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/2148088.cms?utm_source=contentofinterest&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=cppst "I'm a Red! I'm mates with Smithy so he' ..Read more at:http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/2148088.cms?utm_source=contentofinterest&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=cppst "I'm a Red! I'm mates with Smithy so he' ..Read more at:http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/2148088.cms?utm_source=contentofinterest&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=cppst"I'm a Red! I'm mates with Smithy so he' ..Read more at:http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/2148088.cms?utm_source=contentofinterest&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=cppst"I'm a Red! I'm mates with Smithy so he' ..Read more at:http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/2148088.cms?utm_source=contentofinterest&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=cppst"I'm a Red! I'm mates with Smithy so he' ..Read more at:http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/2148088.cms?utm_source=contentofinterest&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=cppst
“I’m a Red!,” he said back then. “I’m mates with Smithy so he’s my favourite player but [Cristiano] Ronaldo isn’t bad either. I really like [Wayne] Rooney too.
“Smithy hooked me up with some tickets, so I went to watch the home game against West Ham.”
We won’t go as far as to say he’s a die-hard fan but there’s certainly a link there!
Eamonn Holmes
Sticking with celebrity glamour, TV presenter Eamonn Holmes is a long-time fan of United. In fact, he even started the eulogies at the funeral of United legend and fellow Northern Irishman George Best.
Holmes has been very openly a massive fan for decades now, from wanting to name his son after Sir Alex Ferguson, to just this month criticising the new third kit.
The presenter actually featured alongside Ferguson on “Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?” back in 2004. He’s the only person on this list to have done that.
Rory McIlroy
Rory McIlroy is another who has worn his United support proudly on his sleeve for some time now. The golfer even found the nerve to out himself as a fan in front of a Liverpool crowd back in 2014. It wasn’t received well.
But after winning the Open that year, McIlroy was invited to parade the Grey Jug around Old Trafford. It was an invitation he quickly accepted.
Just this week, too, McIlroy moved to offer support to under-fire defender Harry Maguire.
“Absolutely [I feel sorry for him],” he told Sky Sports.
“I am sure Harry wakes up every morning, goes to work and tries his best just like we all do and when your life and career are laid bare like that and everyone sees everything… you could make 20 great passes in a game and the one pass that doesn’t go quite right is the one that everyone is going to concentrate on.”
Luke Littler
Darts sensation Luke Littler has helped transform the sport in recent years, but away from the oche, Littler is a die-hard Man Utd supporter.
After bursting onto the scene, Littler was left starstruck after receiving a message from Red Devils icon David Beckham. He won the World Championship in 2025 and even took the trophy to Old Trafford.
Olly Murs
Olly Murs is a loud United fan – he has a box at Old Trafford and recently gave a tour of the stadium for the club’s official website.
He can frequently be seen talking about the club over the years, too, and explained exactly why going to see the club means so much to him in an interview with the Guardian last year.
“Taking my dad to Manchester United matches. He’s a massive fan, but couldn’t take us when we were kids. It’s far from Essex; we couldn’t afford it. When I got into this industry, one of my first purchases was a box at Old Trafford. Being able to take him means a lot.”
A passionate fan of United, then – it’s what you love to see.
Conor McGregor
MMA star Conor McGregor.
Conor McGregor’s support for Man Utd really came into the public consciousness last year when there was talk he would front a bid to buy the club. Now, it quickly became evident that he lacked the funds to make that happen.
Still, McGregor certainly wasn’t just after the publicity. He’s talked about his support for the club before, including a lengthy interview with the official club site back in 2021.
“I was attracted to the success and winning mentality of the club and people surrounded by United. Irish legends like Denis Irwin and Roy Keane were dedicated to their craft and had that winning mentality.
“Roy Keane was one of the best midfielders European football has ever seen. Opponents would be mentally beaten before they’d even stepped on to the pitch to face him.”
It’s a good read and rare that you see this much talk about the club from a ‘celebrity’ fan. McGregor does also have allegiances with Celtic, we should say, but there’s no doubt that he has plenty of support for United.
Dave
Multi-award-winning rapper Dave is a big United fan – you only need listen to his music to find that out. His 2021 release “We’re All Alone in This Together” featured several shout-outs to the club.
Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Anthony Martial both got name-dropped. Even youngster Amad Diallo was mentioned in a track. Then if you go a touch further back, you’ll find Dave Tweeting like a typical fan back in 2019, primarily with Paul Pogba propaganda.
Angry Ginge
One of the most famous British YouTubers and Twitch streamers around today, Man Utd is part of Angry Ginge’s personality.
Known for his ‘Yanited’ outbursts, Angry Ginge, real name Morgan Burtwistle, is also a season ticket holder at Old Trafford. He even played at the stadium for Soccer Aid 2025, coming up against Carlos Tevez.
Richard Ashcroft
Sticking with the musician theme, Richard Ashcroft has been a United fan since childhood. He’s another to give an interview with the official club site where he explained how he got on board with United.
“I come from such a hybrid area. Skelmersdale, built near to where I was brought up, was a new town for Liverpool. So there was a real mixture of football supporters at school. There were United fans, and Liverpool and Everton fans whose families had moved from Liverpool to Skelmersdale.
“But essentially it was an old friend of mine. There was a family who lived across the road who used to go to watch United. They took me to my first match when I was about 10 or 11.”
The Verve frontman then talked about that first trip to Old Trafford – something that’s clearly stuck with him through it all.
“It is that cliche moment of seeing the stadium and the green of the pitch for the first time. When I first started going to Old Trafford it was when Ron Atkinson was the manager, and we would always be ‘nearly there’ in the league, but with amazing crowds.
“Everyone packed into the Stretford End – those were the days!”
Brian O’Driscoll
Rugby icon Brian O’Driscoll is another huge Red Devils supporter, with the Irishman admitting he went against the majority of Liverpool fans in Dublin growing up to follow Man Utd.
His first idol at Old Trafford was Mark Hughes, and he revealed his favourite ever goal was Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s winner against Bayern Munich in the Champions League final in 1999.
Usain Bolt
Usain Bolt has never hidden his allegiance to Man United, going all the way back to his heyday of 2012. The fastest man in history was a guest of honour at Old Trafford in Alex Ferguson’s final season, in fact.
Then, of course, there was that spell where Bolt attempted to break into top-level football, publicly admitting that while he had trials with Borussia Dortmund, his real dream was to play for United.
"One of my biggest dreams is to sign for Manchester United. If Dortmund say I'm good enough, I'll crack on and train hard."I've spoken to Alex Ferguson and I told him he needs to put in a good word. He told me if I get fit and ready, he will see what he can do."
Tyson Fury
It’s pretty unusual to get this far through a list like this without finding a proper local fan but here’s one. Tyson Fury is from Greater Manchester and has been vocal about his support, particularly over the last few years.
But he’s clearly a fan who does know his stuff. Fury even went against the grain and predicted that United would potentially be a better side without Cristiano Ronaldo last year – months before Erik ten Hag moved the player on.
“When you have a superstar like Ronaldo, everybody relies on him to score goals and if he wasn’t there they’d be scoring the goals themselves, like they did the season before last.
“I’m not saying he’s a bad asset, he’s a great asset, but sometimes with a star player, he carries the team and the young people are overshadowed by it all, they don’t get their chance to shine because ‘the great Ronaldo’ is on the pitch.”
You’ll frequently find Fury’s support on social media, too, be it celebrating the EFL Cup or welcoming Mason Mount to the club.
Stormzy
Stormzy went viral last season after appearing on Sky Sports’ coverage during a United game where he admitted to being starstruck by the occasion. After all, here was a lifetime fan of the club, at Old Trafford, getting to talk about the team on Monday Night Football.
But how did Stormzy actually become a fan? He explained in an interview with Soccer AM a few years ago that it was simply a case of a stars aligning.
“I always get stick.
“There’s probably even people watching now saying ‘hear his accent what’s he doing supporting United?’ But that’s just how the stars aligned for me.
“When I was younger I didn’t have a big brother or like a dad who supported United so it all kinda came from me.
“Cockney Red what can you do?”
Stormzy also took part in Paul Pogba’s announcement video for the club back in 2016 but infamously spoiled the signing by posting the video too early. We can hardly blame him for being excited, mind.
Russell Martin is now leading Glasgow Rangers’ pursuit to bring a “class” £18 million midfielder to Ibrox with Joe Rothwell, according to a recent report.
Rangers chasing multiple Ibrox targets as they close in on Rothwell
The Gers have already added Max Aarons to their squad since the appointment of Martin, but as the Scottish side don’t have long to wait until they return to competitive action, the club are working on multiple transfers to try and get their business done as early as possible.
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The next arrival at Ibrox is Joe Rothwell, who has joined Rangers on a permanent basis after both the Scottish side and AFC Bournemouth agreed a transfer fee. The 30-year-old has worked with Martin before at Southampton in the 2023/24 season, and his relationship with the now Rangers boss seems to have swung him to favour a move to Scotland, as he also had offers from teams in La Liga.
As well as moving for Rothwell, the Gers are also looking to sign not one but two more new midfielders. Current Rangers midfielder Nicolas Raskin is being linked with a move away, as several Premier League teams are interested in a potential deal.
Therefore, Rangers are looking at players who could replace him, and according to The Scottish Sun, the Gers are chasing a permanent deal for Metinho and are ready to ramp up their efforts to get a deal completed.
Martin leading Rangers move to sign £18m midfielder with Rothwell
As well as Metinho, according to TEAMtalk, Rangers are in talks with Southampton over a deal to sign Flynn Downes.
The report states that Martin is keen to reunite with the player once again after signing him in the summer of 2023 from West Ham United in a deal that was worth £18 million for Southampton, and before that, Martin worked with Downes during his time as Swansea City manager. It doesn’t state what type of deal Rangers are looking to do, as the midfielder is still under contract at St Mary’s until the summer of 2028.
The 26-year-old, who has been dubbed “class” by Dan Woffenden, has been a regular in the Southampton team in the two seasons at the club. In their promotion-winning campaign, Downes played 33 times in the regular season, as well as a further three games in the play-offs. Last season, Downes started 25 of the 27 Premier League games he featured in.
Flynn Downes’ Southampton stats
Apps
66
Goals
3
Assists
3
During his time at Swansea, Martin labelled Downes “incredible” and a player who does the “dirty work perfectly well”. Martin said: “Flynn was incredible; it’s difficult to single people out, but he does the dirty work perfectly well. He enables other people to do their roles brilliantly; he knows exactly what his role in the team is.”
West Indies captain Hayley Matthews will miss the third and final ODI against Sri Lanka due to an illness, Cricket West Indies (CWI) has announced.Matthews missed the second ODI in Hambantota too, as West Indies were rolled over for 92 in 31 overs with Sri Lanka chasing down the target in 21.2 overs and winning by five wickets. Shemaine Campbelle led the West Indies unit in the second game and is likely to continue as captain for the third ODI which will be played in Hambantota on June 21.CWI was, however, hopeful of Matthews recovering in time for the three-match T20I series which gets underway from June 24 at the same venue.”West Indies Captain, Hayley Matthews has been ruled out of the ongoing ODI Series against Sri Lanka due to illness,” read a statement from CWI. “She will continue to be monitored by the CWI Medical Team and will hopefully recover in time for the T20I series. Everyone at CWI wishes her a speedy recovery.”Matthews has been the lynchpin of the West Indies unit in the last year and a half. She is comfortably the highest run-scorer for West Indies in ODIs since the start of 2023 with 519 runs in nine games, averaging 74.14, which includes three centuries. With the ball, she has picked 11 wickets during this time frame, the joint-highest with Afy Fletcher.West Indies have already conceded the three-match ODI series by a 2-0 margin. They lost the opening game last Saturday by six wickets before going down again on Tuesday. Matthews played the first ODI where she scored 38 off 53 balls and went for 33 runs off her five overs without picking a wicket.The three T20Is will be played on June 24, 26 and 28 with all the matches being played in Hambantota.
It has been a long and rather dismal campaign for Arsenal this season.
Mikel Arteta’s side have once again failed to claim the Premier League title, although instead of just losing out to Manchester City, they have fallen miles short of Arne Slot’s Liverpool.
Going into the final game of the season, the North Londoners are 12 points off the Reds and, perhaps even more worryingly, have scored 18 fewer goals.
Arsenal manager MikelArtetalooks dejected after the match
This evident weakness in the Gunners’ attack is something the board are clearly aiming to deal with in the summer, as reports have linked them to a whole host of incredibly talented players, including Nico Williams.
However, even with his lofty price tag, one of Arsenal’s own stars is worth millions more.
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Arsenal have been credited with an intense interest in Williams for the best part of a year now, and according to reports from earlier this month, he remains a ‘top priority’ ahead of the summer transfer window.
Athletic Bilbao'sNicoWilliamscelebrates scoring their third goal
The story confirms that the North Londoners will need to activate the release clause in his contract to bring him to the club, which stands at a cool £48m.
With that said, then, what is it about the young winger that has made him such a firm target for the Premier League runners-up?
First and foremost, he’s a direct left-winger who can both score and create goals with relative ease.
For example, in 37 appearances for the Athletic Bilbao last season, the Pamplona-born dynamo scored eight goals and provided 18 assists, which comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 1.42 games.
Spain'sNicoWilliamsin action with Netherlands' Jeremie Frimpong and Donyell Male
He’s not been quite as sensationally effective this season, but he’s still been a useful outlet, scoring 11 goals and providing seven assists in 44 games, which is an average of a goal involvement every 2.44 games.
On top of his raw output, he has also shown an ability to deal with the biggest games.
He opened the scoring for Spain in their European Championships Final triumph against England last summer and also provided an assist in the final of last season’s Copa de Rey, which Bilbao won.
In all, it would be fair to say that Williams more than justifies the price tag Arsenal would have to pay for him, although if he does join the club, he’d have to hit the ground running to see his valuation match that of one of his new teammates.
The Arsenal star worth millions more than Williams
To tell the truth, there are actually several players who are worth more than Williams in the Arsenal squad, but in this case, we are talking about one of the club’s breakout stars from this season: Ethan Nwaneri.
Yes, even though this year has been the teenager’s first proper taste of regular first-team football, he’s been so impressive that his valuation has skyrocketed.
For example, Football Transfers now value the 18-year-old at a whopping €74.3, which is about £63m, or around £15m more than the fee the Gunners have to pay to sign Williams.
Now, this might all sound rather absurd to some of you, but there are some reasons for this, chief among them being the fact that the often “unplayable” gem, as dubbed by Jack Wilshere, has already scored nine goals and provided two assists in 36 appearances, totalling 1303 minutes this season.
In other words, the Hale Ender is currently averaging a goal involvement every 3.27 games, or more importantly, every 118.45 minutes, which is undeniably brilliant.
Moreover, given how he’s adapted to senior football so seemingly, there is no telling what his ceiling may be.
With that said, how does he stack up with the Bilbao gem when we compare their underlying numbers from this season?
Non-Penalty G+As
0.66
0.47
Progressive Passes
3.30
3.19
Progressive Carries
4.84
5.31
Goals per Shot
0.18
0.10
Goals per Shot on Target
0.50
0.26
Passing Accuracy
80.2%
70.7%
Key Passes
1.32
1.83
Passes into the Penalty Area
1.43
1.31
Passes into the Final Third
1.76
1.08
Crosses into the Penalty Area
0.66
0.38
Shot-Creating Actions
2.41
5.12
Successful Take-Ons
3.52
2.96
Well, it might surprise some people to find out that overall, it’s the youngster who comes out on top, as in the majority of relevant metrics, he does better.
The metrics include, but are not limited to, non-penalty goals plus assists, progressive passes, goals per shot and shot on target, passes into the penalty area and final third, crosses into the penalty area, successful take-ons and more, all per 90.
Ultimately, Arsenal should do what they can to sign Williams this summer, as he looks like he could add some much-needed dynamism to their left-hand side.
Still, in Nwaneri, the club already have another young talent who could further establish himself in the first-team next season.
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Given the high standards he’s set for himself in 2024/25, Liverpool boss Arne Slot has a huge job on his hands this summer to continue the process made in recent months.
The Dutchman took the reins from Jürgen Klopp last summer, offering a seamless transition and leading the side to Premier League glory at the very first attempt.
He managed to achieve such a feat with multiple games to spare, winning 25 matches out of a possible 35 to date, losing on just three occasions, with one coming on home soil.
Liverpool manager ArneSlotlooks on before the match
However, the Dutchman faces a huge task on his hands next time around to maintain such a success and hand the club an opportunity to make it back-to-back titles.
If such an achievement is to happen at the same point in 12 months time, this summer transfer window will be crucial, with the hierarchy needing to hand Slot the funds to make the additions he needs.
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With the transfer window just around the corner, numerous names have been mentioned over a potential move to join Liverpool, including Bournemouth’s left-back Milos Kerkez.
The Hungarian has been on their shopping list for many months now, with the Reds still in the hunt for his signature, leading to a potential saga throughout the off-season.
However, the opposite side of the pitch could also be in line for investment, with Slot’s men closely monitoring a move for Bayer Leverkusen right-back Jeremie Frimpong, according to reports in Spain.
They state that the Reds are to submit an offer in the region of £34m for the 24-year-old star, who’s made 47 appearances across all competitions for the German outfit this campaign.
It also claims that the Dutchman is the manager’s key target for the upcoming window, with Frimpong having the tools to come into the side and soften the blow of one player’s pending departure.
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Over the last couple of days, Liverpool fans have been left dismayed after right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold confirmed he would be ending his 20-year stint with his boyhood club.
Liverpool'sTrentAlexander-Arnoldwalks off the pitch
The 26-year-old has racked up over 350 appearances after making his first-team debut back in the summer of 2016, winning a staggering six major trophies – including two Premier League titles.
However, after such an impressive stint at Anfield, it’s going to be tricky to replace such a talent, which could subsequently have an impact on their ambitions of going back-to-back in the Premier League next campaign.
Trent Alexander-Arnold’s Liverpool Career by Competition
Competition
Apps
Goals
Assists
Premier League
257
18
67
Champions League
60
2
13
FA Cup
13
1
3
Carabao Cup
10
0
6
Europa League
5
0
2
Club World Cup
2
0
1
CL Qualifying
2
0
1
Community Shield
2
1
0
UEFA Super Cup
1
0
0
Stats via Transfermarkt
It’s a positive sign that the hierarchy have already wasted little to no time in targeting a replacement, with Frimpong having the tools to do just that – or even provide an upgrade on the Englishman.
When comparing the pair’s respective stats from 2024/25, the Leverkusen star has managed to outperform him in numerous key areas – with the fee touted potentially being a bargain for the Reds.
The Dutchman, who’s been labelled “one of the best wing-backs in Europe” by scout Jacek Kulig, has managed to complete more progressive carries per 90 this campaign – handing Slot an added attacking threat from full-back.
He’s also managed to complete more of the passes he’s attempted, but whilst also attempting more take-ons – highlighting the threat he poses with the ball at his feet.
Defensively, he’s been just as impressive, winning more tackles against players attempting to dribble past him – with Frimpong able to offer added stability, something which Trent often struggled with at Anfield.
£34m for a player of his calibre in today’s market is an absolute steal, allowing the club to land a player who can fill the role for many years, given his tender age.
Jeremie Frimpong for Bayer Leverkusen
Whilst losing Trent will be a huge disappointment to many, the Leverkusen star has the chance to allow supporters to forget about his departure and play a key role in any success endured under Slot in the years to come.
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Liverpool appear to be making a huge move to land a new striker for Arne Slot this summer.
With the Premier League still yet to be decided, Liverpool still need to win four games to claim the title after only a second league defeat against Fulham yesterday.
Arne Slot’s men simply weren’t at the races, unable to produce the performance that they have done so many times over the last couple of months, which has led them to the summit of the division.
The Reds will be hoping to make amends against West Ham United next week, aiming to close in on a first league title since Jürgen Klopp’s triumph back in 2019/20.
Despite the heights achieved during the Dutchman’s first year at the helm, the showing against the Cottagers was one of the worst of the campaign with countless players way off the pace.
As a result, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see various players dropped from the starting eleven, with changes needed to prevent such a defeat from occurring in the near future.
Liverpool’s poor performers against Fulham
Curtis Jones has been forced to operate at right-back in recent weeks after the injuries suffered by Trent Alexander-Arnold and Conor Bradley – doing an admirable job against local rivals Everton.
However, the same can’t be said for his showing in the capital yesterday, contributing to an error that led to a goal, whilst also failing to win any of the two tackles he entered.
He wasn’t alone in failing to deliver, with Dominik Szoboszlai producing one of his worst displays in recent memories, uncharacteristically so given his rise under Slot.
The Hungarian failed to create a single chance for any of his teammates, whilst also losing 100% of the ground duels he contested, ultimately being a passenger during the loss.
Despite the showings from the aforementioned players, one other star failed to deliver, with the manager needing to offload him when the summer transfer window opens.
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Brazilian midfielder Fabinho was a fan-favourite during his time at Anfield, starring in the heart of the side and making over 200 appearances during his five years as a Red.
fabinho-liverpool-premier-league
However, his last season on Merseyside was one to forget, falling way below the expectations he’d set for himself given the heights he achieved after helping Klopp’s side win the league title.
He would leave in a £40m deal to join Saudi Arabian outfit Al-Ittihad in the summer of 2023, with one player potentially suffering the same fate in the form of left-back Andy Robertson.
The Scottish international will go down as one of the biggest bargains in the club’s history, making over 300 appearances and notching 66 assists after joining for just £8m back in 2017.
Whilst he’s achieved some impressive performances over the years, he’s rapidly declined in recent months, with the club targeting Milos Kerkez as a replacement this summer.
Liverpool's AndrewRobertsoncelebrates after the match
The 31-year-old once again failed to impress against Fulham, also making an error leading to a goal before being replaced with just eight minutes remaining.
He also failed to complete any of his attempted crosses, coming out on top in just 50% of his tackles and being dribbled past once in the process.
Minutes played
82
Touches
59
Crosses completed
0/2
Tackles won
1/2
Possession lost
10x
Dribbled past
1x
Errors leading to goals
1
Robertson also lost possession 10 times during the defeat and was unable to produce the goods as he did during his early days as a player on Merseyside.
As a result of his showing, he was handed a measly 4/10 match rating by The Express’ Jack McEachen, with fellow journalist Lewis Steele labelling his showing as “awful”.
Given his age, it’s likely that he’s going to continue declining over the next couple of years, with Slot needing to offload him this summer to allow for fresh blood in the backline.
He’s been an incredible servant to the club, helping them win countless major honours, but ultimately his showing against the Cottagers was further evidence that he’s unable to cut it at the top level.
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Kelly Castle and Sophie Luff, the old guard of domestic women’s cricket, are now at the vanguard of a new era
Andrew Miller22-Apr-2025Unless you were deeply invested in the rise of English women’s cricket, you could be forgiven for not having previously heard of Kelly Castle and Sophie Luff. At the ages of 27 and 31 respectively, each has been a county cricketer for more than a decade already – providing solid, dependable presences in the previously amateur ranks of Essex and Somerset, including six years each as captain. However, throughout that time, neither player has come especially close to international recognition nor, in Castle’s case, attracted the attentions of the Women’s Hundred.Now, however, Castle, Luff and their ilk are at the vanguard of a brand-new era for their sport. Last April, Essex and Somerset were chosen as two of the eight initial Tier 1 women’s professional set-ups, and this week each player will be helping to launch her county’s Metro Bank One-Day Cup campaign: Castle, up at Chester-le-Street, where Essex take on Durham, and Luff down at Beckenham for Somerset versus Surrey.How each player fares individually will be of less relevance than what they represent. At a time when the depth of English women’s cricket is under scrutiny like never before, amid the failings of the national team at the T20 World Cup and the Ashes, the rebooted county game is intended to create the sort of pyramid structure that has never previously existed within the sport.And what that may entail – more urgently even than the identification of a new golden generation to challenge the current stars of the international set-up – is the expansion of this middle tier of “solid pros”: the likes of which have shored up the men’s game for generations but which, due to the fast-tracked nature of the women’s elite game, have not yet had a chance to take proper root among their female counterparts.”I’ve been here for a long time, so it’s cool to see a full-circle moment,” Castle tells ESPNcricinfo ahead of a transformative season. “For a lot of us girls, no matter where we played, we didn’t know if we could play professional cricket, unless we got to international level. So now, it’s great to see that it can be a career and, for that to happen at the club that I’ve grown up playing at, is pretty cool.”The professional experience isn’t brand-new to either player: in 2020, both were among the initial tranche of 41 regional players to be handed groundbreaking full-time contracts. And yet, seeing as Castle had been one of just five initial pros within the now-disbanded Sunrisers squad, and Luff one of six at Western Storm, even that seminal step-up was limited compared to the opportunity that awaits the women’s game this summer.”I never envisaged I’d be a professional cricketer first and foremost, particularly not at domestic level,” Luff, who has been named as Somerset’s first professional captain, tells ESPNcricinfo. “It just wasn’t an option when I was growing up. I chased the England dream for a long time and that ship’s probably sailed. But the fact that I can be a domestic professional cricketer, playing in front of a lot of people and getting paid pretty well, it’s come an awful long way, and I think it’s only going to grow.”When I first started at Western Storm there were three professional players on a retainer, then it went to six in the first winter. Now we’ve got a full squad of players, some of whom are rookies obviously. But the fact that we’ve got a full squad of girls in training week in, week out, makes a huge difference. I’m really excited to see what difference that makes moving into the season.”Those rookie contracts, worth £20,000 for this first year, will have a crucial part to play in the expansion of that pyramid. Notwithstanding the growth of the women’s game in recent years, there’s still a significant element of chance that dictates the ability of young players to rise through the sport’s existing ranks, as Castle’s own story relates.Sophie Luff will be Somerset’s first professional women’s captain•Getty ImagesHad it not been for the fact that her primary-school teacher in Southend was Australian, Castle says she would never have got a taste for the sport in the first place. And thereafter, having followed the familiar path of being a token girl in the local boys’ cricket team, she made her first appearance for Essex as a 13-year-old in 2011, and so was in position to ride the wave as the first stirrings of professionalism began.”I remember thinking, if I’m not playing for England by the time I’m 15, then I’ll need to give up, which is crazy,” Castle recalls. “And then, there was always something else that just kept me going, until I’m 17 … until I’m 19 … I was in my third year of university when there were murmurs around professional cricket happening, and because I’d always worked in cricket, I managed to transition in when I’d finished. I still do a lot of coaching on the side, just to keep myself busy. It feels as though the sport is getting there, but there’s still a lot of stuff to do.”To judge by the new narrative that surrounds the county game, however, the changes this season have already been stark. The ethos of one club, two teams has been a feature of the formative years of the Hundred, but already that seems to have been adopted across the board.Wherever you look, there’s a new recognition of the importance of the women’s set-up, whether it’s Surrey factoring a bespoke women’s changing room into their plans for a multi-million pound redevelopment of the Kia Oval pavilion, or Essex talking excitedly about their plans for expansion at Chelmsford, a project that simply could not have been possible when the club only catered for its men’s team.”We get to come to the same place every day for work,” Luff says of the experience down at Taunton. “The girls have a familiarity around where they’re coming to train and the infrastructure here has been brilliant, the way that we’ve been welcomed into the club.”The one thing that I really took away from our first week here was we met every department,” she adds. “It felt like Western Storm in the previous era was just a cricket team that existed as cricket players and cricket staff – whereas coming here, there’s a lot more that goes into a county cricket club than just the cricket on the pitch.Related
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“We’ve had great access to the facilities. Our changing rooms have been upgraded. We’ve got lockers in, the gym’s been extended to accommodate more people basically. And I think the men have probably seen some benefits from us coming in as well, which is nice.”However, it’s not simply the Tier 1 teams that have got the memo. As Beth Barrett-Wild, the ECB’s Director of Women’s Professional Game, noted earlier this month, some of the most interesting dynamics are set to occur within the new Tier 2 set-up, where a lot of ambitious amateur players will be seeking to make a name – and maybe ultimately a career – for themselves this summer.At Middlesex, for instance, where there was initial “shock” and “frustration”, according to their head of women’s cricket, Marc Broom, at the club’s failure to secure Tier 1 status, there has been a determination to prove the ECB’s decision-making wrong.”We’re going to treat you like professional cricketers, and we want you to act, train and play and think like professional cricketers,” says Broom, whose players stormed out of the blocks in their opening fixture earlier this week, bowling Kent out for 66 at Radlett en route to an eight-wicket victory.”Everything we’re going to be able to provide you is what we would try and provide a professional cricketer. The difference is your contact time with coaches is going to be less than a pro. The money you receive back is going to be less than a pro, and the time you’ve got available to commit to this is going to be less than a pro.”That would sound like an unpalatable prospect to most amateur players, were it not for the new incentives that the tiered structure has put in place.”My job is to create the best environment for these players and set them on the right journeys,” Broom says. “If, at the end of this year, every single player in this squad got signed by a Tier 1 county, I would be holding my hands up saying, ‘I’ve done my job’.”Additional reporting by Valkerie Baynes