Category Uncategorized

Two big Italian clubs are worried that Liverpool are “really serious” about a highly-rated player they both want to sign this summer.

Van Dijk demands more after Community Shield defeat

The Reds lost to Crystal Palace in the Community Shield on Sunday afternoon, losing on penalties after a 2-2 draw, never quite getting going after a promising start. Captain Virgil van Dijk conceded a penalty and wasn’t at his imperious best, and speaking after the game, he demanded more from Liverpool with the new Premier League season approaching.

“We all have plenty of experience, winning and losing. What kind of impact it should have is that we realise we need a couple of things that we have to improve as a team if we want to retain the title, which obviously will be a very big job in itself.

“We have a recovery day tomorrow and then we fully focus on Bournemouth, which will be a very tough game. But I’m really looking forward to the start of the Premier League. Friday at home with our fans, we know it’s going to be emotional obviously with everything that is going on and happened. But I’m really looking forward to it.”

Liverpool supporters will be hoping to see more transfer business completed at both ends of the pitch this month, and now a new update has emerged regarding their pursuit of a new centre-back.

Liverpool "really serious" about signing "complete" ace

According to Tuttosport [via Sport Witness], Liverpool are “really serious” about £34.6m-rated Parma centre-back Giovanni Leoni, amid plenty of interest in him this summer.

Both Inter Milan and AC Milan are also keen on signing the 18-year-old, with the report stating that the Serie A giants need to “watch out” for the Reds hijacking a move for him. Meanwhile, Parma Live claim that the Merseysiders are “in pole position” to get their man.

A new centre-back is imperative for Liverpool before the transfer window closes, with rumoured target Marc Guehi impressing for Palace against them on Sunday.

Leoni could be a cheaper option than the Eagles captain, however, as well as being seven years younger, with scout Jacek Kulig among those who admire him, describing him as a “complete” player.

At just 18, Leoni is already an established player at a high level, starting 14 matches in Serie A for Parma last season, as well as averaging 3.6 clearances per game.

Fabrizio Romano: Liverpool now eyeing "one of the best wingers in the world"

Liverpool have identified a promising young transfer target for the event they don’t get Isak

ByCallum Kemp Aug 10, 2025

Unlike Guehi, the Italian is also more likely to be content with a squad role at Liverpool to begin with, given his age, and he could prove to be an ideal understudy to Van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate.

How strong will Wolverhampton Wanderers be this season?

Last time round, Wolves were rooted in the relegation zone when Gary O’Neil was sacked, only for Vítor Pereira to come in and save them, most notably enjoying a six-match winning streak in the Premier League, the club’s best sequence since 1970.

However, as the Old Gold prepare for an eighth consecutive campaign in the top-flight, arguably their two best players have been sold, namely Matheus Cunha to Manchester United and Rayan Aït-Nouri to Manchester City, so reinforcements will be required.

Thus, are Wolves about to sign one of the most exciting young players in British football?

Wolves seeking attacking reinforcements

So far this summer, as they seek to replace Cunha, Fer López has joined from Celta Vigo for a reported fee of £19m, while the signing supporters are really excited about is Jhon Arias’ arrival, joining from Fluminense for around £15m.

The Colombian international scored his first goal in old goal on Saturday, netting during Wolves’ 2-1 friendly defeat to Girona at Montilivi.

Now though, could he be joined by an even more exciting winger?

Well, according to a report by journalist David Lynch, Wolves are interested in signing Ben Doak from Liverpool this summer, with West Ham also noted to be “keen”.

Transfer Focus

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

Lynch also states that Liverpool rejected bids from both Ipswich Town and Crystal Palace, worth up to £20m, for Doak in January, with Chris Bascombe of the Telegraph claiming that he is valued at £30m, amid interest from Merseyside rivals Everton in May.

Wolves have only ever spent more on three players, namely the aforementioned Cunha, Matheus Nunes and the enigma that is Fábio Silva, but could Doak soon swap Anfield for Molineux?

What Ben Doak would bring to Wolves

Doak, who is still only 19 years old, joined Liverpool from Celtic for just £600k worth of compensation in 2022 and, even though he’s made just ten senior appearances for the Reds, he’s certainly one to watch.

Following his senior Scotland debut against Croatia in Zagreb last October, speaking on BBC Radio Scotland’s Sportsound, former Scotland midfielder James McFadden was gushing with praise for the teenager.

He labelled Doak “rapid”, while noting he possesses the “technical ability” to go with his raw speed, concluding that he “gets himself in really good positions to cause problems”.

Doak spent last season on loan at EFL Championship club Middlesbrough, making 24 appearances for Boro, before his campaign was curtailed in January by a hamstring injury.

Nevertheless, he certainly produced enough on Teeside to capture attention, with Jacek Kulig of Football Talent Scout praising his “on-the-ball bravery and unpredictability”, asserting that “he’s on track to becoming a top Premier League winger”.

Meantime, his then-manager at Liverpool Jürgen Klopp stated that Doak is a “good dribbler” who is capable of using both feet, while Léo Aschi of Give Me Sport adds that he is an “aggressive and powerful player” who is “blessed with physical attributes”.

So, let’s see how he compares to possible future teammate Arias.

Appearances

24

35

Minutes

1,789

3,118

Goals

3

4

Assists

7

13

Shots

1.2

1.3

Shots on target

0.8

0.6

Shots on target %

63.64%

43.06%

Chances Created

2.3

2.8

Take-ons completed

1.8

2

Take-on success %

39.33%

48.34%

Touches

50.8

74.4

As the table documents, while many of Arias’ statistics are more impressive than those of Doak, he did so in significantly more minutes, and the Scotland international is often more of a goal threat, with an exponentially higher proportion of his shots finding the target.

Also, worth noting that the duo were plying their trade at a similar level; Global Football Rankings believe the EFL Championship to be the 11th strongest league in the world, with the Brasileirão only five places higher.

Thus, while the Colombian might be more impactful straight away, he is 27 years old, so the fact that Doak’s numbers are, pretty much across the board, on par if not better, at just 19 years old surely makes him the bigger talent.

Put succinctly, Arias will prove to be a useful addition this season, but Doak could be a transformational signing in both the short and long term.

Wolves agree £14.8m deal to sign new player compared to Morgan Gibbs-White

He can play in a range of positions.

ByCharlie Smith Aug 3, 2025

Kumble feels Rahul should have batted ahead of Axar Patel but Manjrekar wonders if less time is better for him

ESPNcricinfo staff05-Mar-20252:22

Kumble: ‘Rahul showed what he’s capable of with his innings today’

Anil Kumble feels that KL Rahul is always put under unnecessary pressure, but his innings against Australia in the semi-final of the Champions Trophy in Dubai should give him “a lot of confidence”.In a chase of 265, Rahul came out to bat at No. 6, at the fall of Axar Patel’s wicket. Axar and Virat Kohli had added 44 off 52 balls for the fourth wicket but India still needed 87 off 90 balls. Rahul stitched handy partnerships with Kohli and Hardik Pandya and saw India home with an unbeaten 42 off 34 balls.”He [Rahul] should have come ahead of Axar Patel,” Kumble said on ESPNcricinfo Match Day. “I know Axar did a good job of getting that partnership with Virat Kohli but someone like KL Rahul coming in at that stage and this is what he can do – if he gets to 30, he will ensure that you cross the line. He does that and he does that consistently. Yes, he missed out on one opportunity in the last game against New Zealand, but otherwise KL is a class act. This will certainly give him a lot of confidence.Related

Kohli conquers legspin to add new layer to his mystique

'Grow up' – Gambhir takes aim at 'perpetual cribbers'

Rahul: I'm quite used to going up and down the order

“There is a lot of pressure on him. If he does well, it’s expected. If he fails even in one innings, suddenly the whole world comes after him. He was under pressure, even with his keeping in the last game, but today he showed what he is capable of.”After the match, Rahul said he was “quite used to” batting in different positions, but Sanjay Manjrekar, Kumble’s co-panellist, had a different take.”Sometimes we wonder if little time is good for KL Rahul, because then he is only thinking of attacking,” Manjrekar said. “Today he wanted to take the onus of attacking. And when he plays attacking shots, then he looks like the player… I have rarely seen KL Rahul play an innings where he is playing steadily, ones and twos, grafting and getting a hundred and winning a game, like Virat Kohli does. So maybe down the order in a way suits him.”I am so happy for him. This is a guy who is so sensitive. You can see that every mistake he makes or every batting failure he has just plays on his mind. I don’t know him well. Anil knows him better obviously. But he seems like a nice guy and India want him to be part of the playing XI. So this kind of an innings… at the end of the game, he was a happy man.”

As England piled on the runs with a Kevin Pietersen double hundred, the local supporters were grateful for other attractions at the Adelaide Oval

Peter English at Adelaide05-Dec-2010Adelaide is the best ground in the world for not watching cricket. Barbados and Antigua have their pools, and Perth has its neighbouring race track, but at Adelaide Oval there is lawn and marquees. Which is just as well, because this is a game Australian fans don’t want to see.But if you’ve bought a ticket or a membership, it’s rude not to turn up. So while the Barmy Army was magnetised to every ball aimed at the pads of Kevin Pietersen, thousands of the South Australian members were out the back of their new stand, pretending they were at the races instead of a demolition derby masquerading as a Test match.”Bring back Warney,” one unhappy local said as he sought relief from the torture. Warney was actually in the nets at the time, but he was there batting in a tea-break hitting contest, largely content in retirement. No amount of sponsorship or hair plugs could entice him back to bowl at an enemy that is no longer submissive.Four summers ago England scored 551 in their first innings and it wasn’t enough. This time they have 4 for 551 and already it is plenty, thanks to Australia’s inadequate first-innings of 245 and a diligent but ineffective attack. The bowlers ran in, the England batsmen waved them away, and the drinkers in the bars tried to talk about something else.”Four for 500-and-***ing-20,” another disbelieving home supporter slurred. England weren’t even close to being finished and only summer rain, with drops the weight of champagne corks, was able to stop the day’s carnage. When the weather closed in it was possible to smell the dust which Australia have been ground into over the past three days, or six, if you count Brisbane.The lawns out the back of the members’ area are not as lush as the Nursery End at Lord’s, especially after the weekend of heat and trampling, and the crowd is not as genteel. But the bars serve Pimm’s, an ideal drink for a regatta, or a wedding, or discussion of anything but cricket. In other tents the sippers enjoyed bottles of Knappstein followed by a nap. Seen one KP boundary, seen them all.Mitchell Johnson was working in the nets after lunch with his failing bowling coach Troy Cooley. He was disappointed to be dropped, but has been saved another week of punishment. Johnson was used as a fielder, fulfilling his 12th man duties, but even if Australia were allowed another bowler it would not have helped.Even England supporters who have been through the Down Under disasters of the past two decades were showing restraint. Just like the Australians on the trips over there, I’m sure, in ’89, ’93, ’97 and ’01. Mostly it was better to talk about the weather, or the exchange rate, or the oysters, or the match here four years ago, which was being replayed during the rain. Anything but this game, Australia’s fast-bowling problems, or Xavier Doherty’s inaccuracy.Have you heard the music out the back? Or visited the beautiful gardens behind the Chappell Stands? What about the new statue of Jason Gillespie, which already has a cup of beer in his left hand? Or have you hidden under an umbrella to escape the heat – and a Pietersen double-century.At the back of the Western Stand, a big television screen sits on the tray of a truck offering the members a chance to watch if they want to. When Pietersen ran his single to mid-off to bring up his double-century, there was a smattering of applause from those around the tents. They are a knowledgeable lot, the South Australian members, and that’s without including the former Test players, such as Greg Blewett, who were in their ranks.Still, it’s possible for them to go a whole day without watching a ball live. On days like this it’s hard to blame them. As the Eagles almost sang in Hotel California, “Some drink to remember, some drink to forget”. On the grass under the hill, the Barmy Army fans were setting their photographic memories, but out the back in the marquees it was easier to be blind.

Manchester City made a huge blunder with Tijjani Reijnders' shirt which was noticed by fans as the new signing scored twice against Palermo in pre-season.

• Reijnders struck twice for City
• His name was misspelt on the back of his shirt
• Fans noticed embarrassing mistake by club

Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Reijnders scored an impressive double for his new club against Palermo on Friday but the shine was taken off the day by a spelling mistake on the back of the Dutch midfielder's shirt – as his name was spelt 'Reijinders' with an extra letter 'i' – as spotted by eagle-eyed supporters.

Advertisement

• Getty Images Sport
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Reijnders joined the Cityzens in a €55 million (£47.5m/$64m) move – which could reportedly rise to €70m (£60m/$81m) – from AC Milan in June and has shown glimpses of quality in the Club World Cup and in pre-season, none more so than in the 3-0 victory over Serie B side Palermo. The Netherlands international is expected to have a key role to play for his new club this season, though ideally with the correct name on his shirt next time.

• WHAT GUARDIOLA SAID

  Pep Guardiola said of Reijnders after the match: "We knew he was a special player who would arrive in the box […] He scored two goals and had a fantastic performance, like the rest of his teammates. He can play defensive midfield, but he loves getting into the box to help our attackers like Erling [Haaland] and Omar [Marmoush]. Really delighted!"

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• AFP
  

  WHAT NEXT FOR REIJNDERS AND MAN CITY?

  Reijnders looks set to make his Premier League debut when Manchester City visit Wolves on Saturday 16. After a disappointing campaign by their elevated standards last term, Guardiola and his side will hope to bounce back with new signings such as Rayan Ait-Nouri, Rayan Cherki and Reijnders looking to make the difference for the eight-time Premier League winners.

New England manager Lee Carsley has already caused controversy by admitting he won't sing the national anthem.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

Carsley preparing for first England gameEx-Ireland midfielder replaced SouthgateWon't sing God Save the King before matchWHAT HAPPENED?

Carsley is set to lead the Three Lions for the first time against Ireland in Dublin on Saturday evening. The former Everton midfielder is the newest England coach after Gareth Southgate called an end to his eight year-reign as after Euro 2024, and Carsley has already said he won't be partaking in the national anthem ahead of kick-off.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesTHE EXPLANATION

The decision has riled some fans and people in the media, but this isn't a new thing for Carsley. Speaking to the press ahead of the Ireland encounter, the 50-year-old, who represented Ireland 40 times, admitted he's often so in the zone before games that his focus isn't on the national anthem. When the Birmingham-born coach managed England's Under-21, he was also tight-lipped when 'God Save the King' was playing.

WHAT CARSLEY SAID

Carsley said: “This is something that I always struggled with when I was playing for Ireland. The gap between your warm-up, your coming on to the pitch and the delay with the anthems. So it’s something that I have never done. I was always really focused on the game and my first actions of the game. I really found that in that period I was wary about my mind wandering off. I was really focused on the football and I have taken that in to coaching.

“We had the national anthem with the Under-21s also and I am in a zone at that point. I am thinking about how the opposition are going to set up and our first actions within the game. I fully respect both anthems and understand how much they mean to both countries. It’s something I am really respectful of.”

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

GettyWHAT NEXT FOR CARSLEY AND ENGLAND?

Carsley will be hoping for a winning start to life as England's 19th manager. After the opener, the Three Lions face Finland in their second Nations League game on Tuesday. Carsley also hopes to implement his style and philosophy on the squad as the full-time vacancy for the role is still available.

Celtic maintained their three-point lead at the top of the Scottish Premiership table on Sunday with a 2-1 win away from Glasgow against Dundee.

The Hoops travelled to Dens Park after their rivals had won earlier in the game, leaving the two teams at the top of the division tied on points, and secured all three points to move clear at the summit.

A brace from James Forrest, who came in to replace Hyun-jun Yang in the starting XI, won the match for the Scottish giants, as the veteran winger stepped up with an important double.

It was far from a dominant performance by Celtic, though, as they were tied with Dundee for shots on target (six) and corners (eight), which shows that both sides created a similar number of chances.

Brendan Rodgers' side now face the other two teams in the top three in their next two matches at Parkhead and may not be able to afford many players having off-days if they want to pick up vital wins to secure the title.

FFC have published an article suggesting that captain Callum McGregor may need to be dropped from the starting XI, but centre-forward Kyogo Furuhashi should also be ditched from the lineup alongside the skipper.

Why Callum McGregor should be dropped for Celtic

The Scotland international returned from an Achilles injury earlier this month and has yet to prove that he is back to his usual self and ready to start matches.

McGregor has completed 92% of his attempted passes, 58% of his long pass attempts, and made 1.5 key passes per game in the Premiership across 31 appearances so far this season.

This shows that he is usually a metronomic figure in the middle of the park who can retain possession at an exceptional rate whilst also creating chances for his teammates.

Touches

55

Possession lost

11x

Pass success rate

82% (36/44)

Accurate long passes

1/5

Key passes

0

As you can see in the table above, that was not the case against Dundee as the 30-year-old dynamo lost the ball 11 times from 55 touches and failed to complete a single key pass.

The left-footed leader was not at his best and the Achilles injury may be playing a part in his struggles, which is why Rodgers should drop him to the bench for now.

Why Brendan Rodgers should drop Kyogo Furuhashi

Kyogo must be dropped alongside McGregor after a largely anonymous display against Dundee as the lone striker for the Scottish giants on Sunday.

The Japan international did assist the opening goal from Forrest, to his credit, but it did appear to be a loose touch or pass with his left foot that bobbled up to the Scottish winger, who brilliantly improvised to flash in a volley from the edge of the box.

Football Insider writer James Murray awarded him a match rating of 2/10 in their player ratings piece, stating that the attacker needs to do 'more' if he wants to maintain his place in the starting XI for Celtic.

Touches

10

Passes completed

2

Shots

0

Big chances created

0

Assists

1

Duels won

1/2

Dribbles completed

0

As you can see in the table above, Kyogo offered very little to the team in and out of possession throughout his 62 minutes on the pitch at Dens Park, with 39 fewer touches than goalkeeper Joe Hart (49) – illustrating his lack of work in possession.

Aside from his assist, which appeared to be rather fortunate and owed more to the finish from Forrest, the 29-year-old lightweight did not contribute much.

He lost possession five times from just ten touches of the ball and only contested in two duels, which illustrates how sloppy the attacker was in possession and how hesitant Kyogo was to put himself about to compete with opposition defenders.

The Japanese striker has also struggled in his last two matches against Hearts and Rangers, with zero goals, zero assists, six shots, and one 'big chance' missed – along with a pass accuracy of 58% in both games.

Therefore, Rodgers must brutally drop the forward, who has scored 11 goals and missed a staggering 21 'big chances' in the Premiership this season, to the bench for the upcoming clash with the Jam Tarts this weekend.

The alternatives to Kyogo Furuhashi

The Celtic manager has Norwich City loanee Adam Idah, who joined the club on deadline day at the start of February, and South Korea international Hyeon-gyu Oh as alternative options to Kyogo.

It seems unlikely that Rodgers would suddenly turn to Oh, who has failed to even make the bench since the clash with St Johnstone on the 16th of March.

There has not been an injury update on the 23-year-old centre-forward, which suggests that the manager has decided not to involve him in matchday squads for tactical or performance reasons.

Appearances

11

20

Starts

4

3

Goals

7

5

Big chances missed

6

5

Assists

2

0

As you can see in the table above, Idah has offered far more to the team than Oh in the Premiership so far this season, with four more direct goal contributions in nine fewer appearances.

This suggests that the Ireland international is the better option of the two, hence why the South Korean dud has been excluded from the squad of late, due to his quality in the final third.

Idah came on with 28 minutes to go against Dundee and completed more passes (nine) and more dribbles (one) than Kyogo did in his 62 minutes, whilst also competing in more duels (seven).

This shows that the 23-year-old marksman, who has won 65% of his aerial duels in the Premiership this season, was able to get involved in the match, physically and technically, to provide an outlet at the top end of the pitch.

Therefore, Celtic could benefit from dropping Kyogo, who has averaged a goal every 206 minutes in the league, for Idah, who has scored every 69 minutes on average in the division.

The Irishman, who scored against Rangers at Ibrox recently, could offer a greater goal threat whilst also providing more physicality and link-up play with his willingness to get involved in games with passes and dribbles, whilst the current starter had ten touches and made two passes in 62 minutes on Sunday.