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Star striker Viktor Gyokeres is at the centre of a dispute with Sporting CP over his future, and tensions are reportedly reaching breaking point as the ex-Coventry City forward sets his sights on a return to England with Arsenal.

Arsenal offered £195,000-p/w France star who held talks to join Tottenham

The Gunners are still searching attacking reinforcements.

ByTom Cunningham Jul 1, 2025

Credible media sources have claimed in the past few weeks that new sporting director Andrea Berta has been working on simultaneous deals for both Gyokeres and RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko, before deciding which move would be best suited to Mikel Arteta’s side.

19/20 – winter

£0

20/21 – summer

£81.5m

20/21 – winter

£900k

21/22 – summer

£156.8m

21/22 – winter

£1.8m

22/23 – summer

£121.5m

22/23 – winter

£59m

23/24 – summer

£208m

23/24 – winter

£0

24/25 – summer

£101.5m

24/25 – winter

£0

However, as yet, neither striker is any closer to joining Arsenal, despite their eagerness to embark on a Premier League switch.

Sesko is allegedly keen on joining Arsenal, and talks remain ongoing between all parties over a potential deal, while Fabrizio Romano has reported that a move to N5 is Gyokeres’ priority.

The latter had thought that he could leave for around £60 million before deadline day on September 1, but Sporting president, Frederico Varandas, publicly denied this recently.

“I see the agent in the press releasing information. I want to make one thing clear: Sporting has common sense and keeps its word,” said Varandas last month.

“Gyokeres scored 63 goals and 10 assists. Fantastic performance. Certainly one of the best players to have ever stepped onto Portuguese turf. And Sporting will not demand the clause.

“Now blackmail and insults, Sporting will not accept. One thing is certain: Sporting will not accept 60 million plus 10. As of today, Sporting has not received any proposal for Gyokeres.”

Since then, Varandas has taken another swipe at Gyokeres’ agent, and the striker is becoming deeply frustrated by these statements, as explained by an update from Portuguese newspaper Record this week.

The threat Viktor Gyokeres has made via text as he pushes to join Arsenal

The outlet, via Sport Witness, explains that Gyokeres really wants to join Arsenal, and he’s worried that Sporting’s demand of £68 million could put his dream move to the Emirates in jeopardy – with Arteta’s side refusing to match it as things stand.

Record claims to have access to text messages exchanged between the 27-year-old and Varandas, with Gyokeres threatening to speak to the media himself if a move away carries on being derailed.

During this conversation with Sporting’s president, it was also claimed that Gyokeres made a decision not to turn up for his pre-season duties, which could really escalate the situation further.

This standoff represents more than just your run-of-the-mill negotiation. For Gyokeres, it’s about securing what he sees as his rightful opportunity to compete at the highest level with Arsenal. For Sporting and Varandas, it’s about maximizing the return on their prized asset while maintaining credibility in future negotiations.

This story is shaping up to be one of the most intriguing transfer tales of this entire window, and if things don’t take a positive turn, Arsenal could be forced to look elsewhere in their pursuit of a prolific new striker.

Manchester United have now reportedly held internal talks about signing a Premier League midfielder who will be cheaper than Nottingham Forest’s Elliot Anderson.

Man Utd prioritising Anderson move

Anderson has quickly become the most sought-after midfield talent in the Premier League. The Nottingham Forest star has forced his way into Thomas Tuchel’s best England side and put himself on the radar of Liverpool, Manchester City and those at Old Trafford.

In terms of the physical profile that thrives in the Premier League these days, he ticks several important boxes. They are, as things stand, boxes that Man United’s current options struggle to meet, which makes it no surprise that the Red Devils have reportedly identified Anderson as their top transfer priority.

A deal to sign Anderson will not come cheap, however. Some reports have claimed that he will cost clubs as much as £100m to sign in the summer. Whether United have the spending power to match the likes of City as a result is the question that those around Old Trafford will now be asking themselves.

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It’s clear that Ruben Amorim is seeking reinforcements too, having laughed off suggestions that Kobbie Mainoo could solve some of Man United’s problems. The United boss said when asked about the midfielder: “I see it. I just want to win, I try to put the players, I don’t look who it is, I don’t care about that, I’m just trying to put the best players on the pitch.”

As the Premier League’s top clubs chase Anderson and Forest set their price, however, United may have no choice but to turn towards Mainoo or cheaper alternatives in the market like Joao Gomes.

Man Utd hold internal talks about Joao Gomes

According to the Daily Mail, Man United have now held internal talks about signing Gomes to fix their midfield problems in 2026. The Wolverhampton Wanderers man will be cheaper than Anderson at a reported £44m and it will be interesting to see if the price drops if the Midlands club drop down to the Championship this season.

Minutes

1,099

1,260

Progressive Passes

64

119

Tackles Won

22

22

Ball Recoveries

73

115

Gomes may be a fair bit cheaper than Anderson, but the quality drop off is there for all to see. The Brazilian has by no means endured a poor season on a personal front even as Wolves have struggled. Alas, Anderson has blown him away in comparison both on and off the ball.

Dubbed a “super talent” by former Wolves boss Gary O’Neil, it’s not a major surprise that Gomes has found himself on United’s radar. He ticks the box for Premier League experience for a bargain price tag, but he is ultimately not on the same level as the likes of Adam Wharton and Anderson.

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Arsenal are set to announce their first batch of summer recruits soon.

Goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga as well as midfielders Martín Zubimendi and Christian Nørgaard are all reportedly poised to join Arsenal in the next week or so, the former providing a back-up to David Raya, while the latter duo will be replacing the outgoing Thomas Partey and Jorginho at the base of midfield.

Nevertheless, Mikel Arteta, Andrea Berta and the Arsenal hierarchy still have plenty of work to do.

Arsenal targeting attacking reinforcements

After a third successive second-place finish in the Premier League, it is clear what Arsenal need to add this summer and that is more attacking firepower, as the table below outlines.

League finish

2nd

2nd

2nd

Goals scored

88

91

69

Expected goals

71.6

76.1

59.9

Shots

589

647

544

Shots on target

194

209

178

Shot-creating actions

1,045

1,185

969

As shown in the table, last season, when compared to their two previous title bids under Arteta, the Gunners’ attacking output was significantly down by all available metrics.

That’s why the debate of the summer remains Benjamin Šeško or Viktor Gyökeres, with the club clearly in the market for the new number nine, but they’re also looking for reinforcements out-wide too.

Thus, according to reports in Spain, Arsenal are ‘strongly’ interested in signing Borussia Dortmund’s Karim Adeyemi, with the Gunners said to be ‘pushing’ for his signature.

They add that the German international, who is believed to be available for around €45m (£38m), is viewed as a ‘serious alternative’ to Barcelona-bound Nico Williams, as he would add ‘explosiveness’ to Arsenal’s forward line.

The 23-year-old began his senior career at RB Salzburg, scoring four Champions League goals for die Roten Bullen, thereby earning a £38m move to Borussia Dortmund three summers ago.

Transfer Focus

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

So far, in 105 appearances for die Schwarzgelben, Adeyemi has scored 26 goals and registered 17 assists, featuring in all three of their Club World Cup fixtures this summer, starting against both Fluminense in East Rutherford and Ulsan HD in Ohio.

Now, could he become the 13th German to play for Arsenal, joining current Die Mannschaft teammate Kai Havertz, while following in the footsteps of Mesut Özil, Bernd Leno, Per Mertesacker, Lukas Podolski and others?

How Karim Adeyemi would improve Arsenal

Arsenal are looking to improve their left-wing options, with most agreeing that an upgrade on Gabriel Martinelli​​​​​​​ and Leandro Trossard, or at the very least an alternative to both, is required to take the Gunners to the next level.

Nevertheless, speaking on the Arsecast, Andrew Mangan and James McNicholas both agreed that it is highly “unlikely” that the Gunners will sign two wingers this summer, so someone who can play on the left but also cover for Bukayo Saka on the right would be ideal.

Well, Adeyemi certainly fits that brief, having been deployed on both flanks by both Dortmund managers, Nuri Şahin and Niko Kovač, throughout this season.

So, let’s assess how he compares to the gold standard of Arsenal wide-players, namely the aforementioned Saka – a player he is deemed to be statistically similar to among those in their position across Europe’s top five leagues, as per FBref.

Non-penalty goals

95th

77th

Shots

82nd

87th

Assists

83rd

96th

Expected assists

91st

98th

Shot-creating actions

45th

91st

Progressive carries

71st

83rd

Successful take-ons

87th

75th

Touches

79th

95th

Progressive passes received

71st

94th

FBref disclaimer: these statistics are based upon matches played in domestic leagues and UEFA club competitions across the last 365 days, and are in comparison to other attacking midfielders and wingers.

As the table outlines, Saka does come out on top for the vast majority of metrics, but that is not to be dismissive of Adeyemi, given that the England international is one of the best players in the world, at least according to teammate Martinelli.

The German’s statistics are broadly comparable to those of Saka, scoring more non-penalty goals and successfully completing a higher percentage of his take-ons.

Jacek Kulig of Football Talent Scout describes him as possessing “electric pace” and “superb dribbling skills”, simply labelling him a “world-class talent”.

Meantime, Lee Scott of Total Football Analysis believes that he provides ‘a direct goal threat’ and the ability to ‘carry the ball at speed past defenders’, while Tunde Young of Breaking the Lines boldly asserts ‘he could go on to be a multiple Ballon D’Or winner, just like Lionel Messi’.

Thus, it is clear that Adeyemi ticks a lot of boxes for Arsenal and would be an excellent, exciting addition, should they be able to pull this deal off. He could well prove to be like a left-sided Saka.

£200k-a-week Arsenal star "set to leave" as director travels for UK talks

He’s poised to leave the Gunners imminently.

ByEmilio Galantini Jun 27, 2025

Liverpool are preparing for the 2025/26 campaign by packing Arne Slot’s squad with high-quality additions. After winning the Premier League last term, the Reds are looking to defend their title and challenge for silverware across other fronts.

As you will likely have seen, Liverpool have agreed a £116m deal with Bayer Leverkusen for the transfer of Florian Wirtz, who has been described as a “game-changer” with a skillset that is “dangerous for every opponent” by former Bayern Munich technical director Marco Neppe.

With Darwin Nunez’s sale expected at some point in the coming months, Anfield will surely welcome a new number nine through the gates, but there are other areas of the field that need attention too.

Indeed, the Reds have already tried to sign one of the best young centre-backs in the world in Dean Huijsen.

Why Liverpool wanted Dean Huijsen

Why did Liverpool want Huijsen? Well, for the same reason as everyone else: the Dutch-born Spain star was immense for Bournemouth after joining from Juventus for £15m, with analyst Ben Mattinson even declaring him “the most in-demand centre-back in the world.”

The problem, as ever, was that Real Madrid also wanted the 20-year-old, and when they came knocking, the youngster’s decision was set.

Activating his £50m release clause, Los Blancos have added one of the finest young defenders to their ranks, and Liverpool will now need to turn their attention elsewhere, for more depth is needed in the rearguard following a paucity of defensive signings in recent years.

Ah well, he’s not the only young defender worth their salt playing in one of Europe’s top five leagues right now. In fact, he might not even be the best up-and-coming centre-back from the recent Premier League season.

There’s another, albeit with a bit more experience, who is on Liverpool’s radar and could prove an upgrade on the Spain international.

Liverpool in race for new centre-back

As per transfer insider Graeme Bailey, Liverpool are still concerned about Ibrahima Konate’s contract situation, with the Frenchman entering the final year of his deal.

Transfer Focus

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

As such, FSG have stayed in the race for Everton’s Jarrad Branthwaite. The 22-year-old has been fantastic over the past couple of years on Merseyside, taking another step in his development since David Moyes was appointed in January.

Liverpool are not alone in their interest. Tottenham Hotspur are also keen on the £70m-rated star, while Manchester United have a historic interest and would be certain to make their name known if more clarity were to be provided on the Englishman’s future in the coming weeks.

A move wouldn’t be made until Konate’s future is sorted, but if a breakthrough cannot be found, Branthwaite could become a hot topic on Merseyside this summer.

Why Liverpool want Jarrad Branthwaite

Standing at 6 foot 5, Branthwaite is a powerful and menacing defensive presence, protecting his backline with iron-clad resolve and steel-tipped challenges.

Though he’s less at home in a pass-heavy environment than Huijsen, there’s a strong case to be made that the Evertonian could have the brighter future ahead of him, with the Toffees actually valuing their prized possession at £75m when the Red Devils came calling last year.

Looking at the data from the English top flight last year, you can see that while Huijsen outperformed his positional peer from an attacking standpoint, Branthwaite was more confident in the duel and maintained a similar passing crispness despite his tactical deployment.

Matches (starts)

32 (26)

30 (28)

Goals

3

0

Assists

2

1

Touches*

63.9

51.9

Pass completion

84%

83%

Key passes*

0.5

0.1

Ball recoveries*

3.3

3.1

Tackles + interceptions*

2.7

2.1

Clearances*

6.1

6.3

Ground duels (won)*

3.6 (56%)

3.9 (63%)

It’s worth noting that more active defensive numbers don’t automatically qualify for superiority as a centre-back. In fact, Branthwaite’s ability to read the game like a scholar and act only when the situation demands is not too dissimilar to Virgil van Dijk’s approach.

Given the Everton man’s left-footedness, he might be the Dutchman’s perfect heir, albeit one who would arrive in contentious circumstances.

But no matter. Liverpool, after all, are currently dealing with a potential double swoop from the Toffees for two of their first-teamers: Ben Doak and Joe Gomez have been reported to be on their rivals’ radar.

And for Branthwaite’s part, there’s a subtle undertow to his actions this year that suggests he would be up for the cross-city switch. In March, the English defender expressed concerns after being overlooked by England manager Thomas Tuchel, who once again neglected to call him up for the recent (difficult) camp.

In all likelihood, Tuchel was wary about bringing a defender into the fold whose club-level tactics are at such variance to the on-the-ball style the Three Lions are looking to implement.

16th

Leicester

45.4%

17th

Crystal Palace

42.8%

18th

Nott’m Forest

41.2%

19th

Everton

40.9%

20th

Ipswich

40.6%

Huijsen, sure, has already established a ball-playing game to admire, but Branthwaite isn’t against the kind of tactical principles that would see him hit his stride at Liverpool.

Indeed, when out on loan at PSV Eindhoven in 2022/23, he completed 87% of his passes, averaged 0.3 key passes per game and also completed an impressive 64% of his long balls, as per Sofascore.

Of course, Branthwaite is also just an “absolute monster” of a central defender, as he was called by talent scout Jacek Kulig after his exemplary breakout campaign in 2023/24.

A major player for Everton once again over the past 12 months, Branthwaite has surely proved enough over the past couple of years to convince Liverpool’s sporting director, Richard Hughes, and the rest of the transfer team that he could be the perfect addition.

Perhaps not quite so attuned to a ball-playing style as Huijsen, the hulking defender may yet sharpen that element of his game, and under Slot’s wing, his overall ability would surely see him prove an upgrade on Real Madrid’s new recruit.

A bigger mistake than Diaz: Liverpool now in talks to sell £50m star

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They will go into the final on Saturday as the favourites, having topped the league stage and brushed aside Delhi Bulls

Aadam Patel03-Dec-2021For Mushtaq Ahmed, it is a third season in the hot seat at the Deccan Gladiators and perhaps, it is a case of third time lucky for the former Pakistan spinner. In 2019, the Gladiators fell short at the final hurdle, and earlier this year a tame effort saw them eliminated before the play-offs.This time around, things are a little different. They will go into the Abu Dhabi T10 final on Saturday as the favourites, having topped the league stage and brushed aside Delhi Bulls in the first qualifier.Led by the experienced Wahab Riaz and a bowling attack that possesses international quality in Tymal Mills and Wanindu Hasaranga, they have managed to bowl out three sides and taken 61 wickets across the ten-game league stage. Their West Indian allrounders, Andre Russell and Odean Smith have both picked up regular wickets throughout the tournament, as well as starring with the bat.Hasaranga is the joint top wicket-taker this season with a tally of 19 and has resumed exactly where he left off at the T20 World Cup, baffling the opposition with his variations. In a format that strongly favours the batters, the Sri Lankan has had the chance to bowl five hat-trick deliveries thus far. With 5 for 8 against the Bangla Tigers in the league stage, Hasaranga now also has the best bowling figures in T10 history.With the bat, they have had contributions across the order. At the top, the three Toms in Kohler-Cadmore, Moores and Banton have all played match-winning knocks. Kohler-Cadmore’s 96 has undoubtedly been the knock of the tournament and is also the highest score in T10 history.Going into the final, Mushtaq insists that his message will remain simple to the players.Wanindu Hasaranga has picked up where he left off at the T20 World Cup•ICC via Getty”Remember your strengths first of all. We’re lucky to have a very good analyst [Prasanna Agoram] and he gives the team lots of information on the opposition, in terms of bowling variations and the strengths and weaknesses of batters. That’s why analysts are playing a huge role in cricket,” Mushtaq said. “When you prepare to win a tournament like this, a lot of it is very simple – you have to aim for less dot balls and more boundaries with the bat and vice versa with the ball. In this format, you need a bit of a luck too, but that you can’t control. I tell the boys to make sure they control what they can.”In an interview with Ten Sports, Prasanna spoke about how much he has been impressed by Smith, who he believes “has all the ingredients to succeed” and become “the next Andre Russell.” He added how Kohler-Cadmore was one of the first names he recommended to Mushtaq and that given his wide range of shots, an England debut can’t be far off.Mushtaq certainly appreciates and values the role of the analyst in modern-day cricket, yet as part of a generation that grew and developed without such assistance, he insists that players need to trust their own instincts too.”The analyst helps you to execute plans better, but in my time, we used to use our own brain. I was saying to the guys the other day, we didn’t have an analyst but we used to read the opposition ourselves. If you can feed lots of things into that laptop or computer, you can feed your own programme too if you concentrate on the opposition and that’s why cricketers in the 80s and 90s were very very smart. They could read a batsmen while they were fielding and waiting to bowl.””Now, all of the teams rely on analysts to get information, which is rightly so, but at the same time, sometimes young cricketers don’t rely on their own thinking and their own brain and that’s why sometimes the process of becoming a better cricketer comes later.””In my era, I think we were more street-smart, because we didn’t have those sources. We had to assess the conditions very quickly. Using your own brain allows you to make mistakes and that helps you to learn and improve quicker and I think that’s a big difference between now and when I played.”In Hasaranga, Mushtaq believes that the Gladiators possess one of those street-smart players. “He reads batters so quickly, in terms of who is looking to hit him where and he is very proactive with his variations. I’m very impressed.”The Sri Lankan has been the standout bowler of the Abu Dhabi T10 and if the Gladiators again deploy his weaponry well in the final, his two overs could end up being the difference between another final defeat and a first ever T10 title for the franchise.

He’s up there with the likes of Hutton, May, Gooch and Cook. Like his team-mates seem to think, might he be the greatest of them all?

Mark Nicholas07-Jun-2022These past four days the United Kingdom has celebrated the 70-year reign of Her Majesty the Queen with gusto. There have been numerous parties in her name since she ascended to the throne in the cold February of 1952, but this platinum jubilee has been the mother and father of them all. Happily, yesterday’s finale coincided with England’s thrilling Test match victory at Lord’s. It had not been 70 years since England last won but it felt a bit like it – a long ten months let’s say.In the summer of 1952, England played four Test matches against India, winning the first three comprehensively and watching the rain fall for much of the fourth. At the top of the batting order was Len Hutton and at three, four and five in the first two matches were Peter May, Denis Compton and Tom Graveney, each of them wizards in their way. Hutton was technically close to perfect and, typically of Yorkshiremen, resilient. Bowlers used to say that they felt any ball bowled to May could have been hit for four; the only other batter I’ve heard that said of was Viv Richards. Compton had hints of genius in him, created by quicksilver feet, an eager eye, and the most splendid expression. Graveney was elegant beyong imagination and blessed with extraordinary powers of concentration. These were wonderful batters during something of a golden age for English cricket, and the legend of each lives on in the hearts of those for whom cricket is so much more than just a game.None of them, however, were better than Joe Root. The current players like to refer to Root as the best English batter of all time. I don’t know about that, and nor, really, do the players, but they are hugely proud of him. Root is a man of great dignity and no little modesty. He would rather they didn’t fuss but, then again, it is a fine thing to be so appreciated by your peers.Related

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'England's most complete all-round batter of all time'

Batting is a craft that has evolved over a couple of centuries. Film of WG Grace in the nets does not tell us much, other than how different the game was back then. The same can be said about grainy footage of Jack Hobbs, though 197 hundreds must count for something. Photographs at the MCG of Walter Hammond and Bill Ponsford remind us that many of the pitches of the day were barely identifiable from the outfields and therefore the balance between bat and ball was far less weighted in favour of batters than it is today. In 1937, the lbw law changed so that bowlers could trap a batter in front by pitching the ball outside off stump and bringing it back into his pads. Previously the ball had to pitch on the stumps and be going on to hit them, which takes some bowling.Tom Graveney was among those who bucked the trend of predominantly playing back on the pitches of his day•Getty ImagesOf course, batting is a subjective skill and has changed considerably even in the relatively short time that I have been involved with the game. On uncovered pitches and before the introduction of helmets, the tendency was to play back. This allowed more time to react to the uncertain bounce of the ball and more time to respond to its speed. The clarion call on uncovered pitches was for “soft hands”, meaning a loose grip and a gentle method of letting the ball come to you before dropping it safely at your feet. If you study footage of Compton against Keith Miller, for example, or of the Australians being bowled out by Jim Laker at Old Trafford in 1956, you will see them play back almost exclusively. Just occasionally a player emerged to buck the trend and foremost among those was Graveney, who was best known for his cover drive but became much admired for his ability to hook and pull off the front foot.Root appears to have all these skills and more. He is, as they say these days, a 360-degree player, and more remarkably in an age when batters come so hard at the ball, he is that player off both feet. Picking a signature shot is difficult, though the cut might be the one. He has the ability to score without being noticed and to change the tempo of a match while doing so. The pitch at Lord’s was tricky, offering swing and seam to the bowlers and suggestions of uneven bounce and pace. Footwork was crucial, as proven by the fall of those who stayed trapped on the crease, as was Root’s ability to play the ball late enough to flow with its movement in his strokes or watch it fly by.For much of the first act in this Root exhibition, he simply hung around at the other end while Ben Stokes went about justifying his pre-match rhetoric. Of the 90 runs they added together the new captain made 54 – a dazzling array of the ridiculous and sublime – and the old one 30-odd. When Stokes went, the second act began as Root upped the ante in a manner that took courage and all of his skill. Far from dropping anchor to ensure that one wicket didn’t bring two, he began to look for scoring opportunities with an increased sense of urgency and purpose. This caught the New Zealand players off guard and whisked away their potential for momentum. Root knew that the sunlit Saturday evening – play had been extended to 7pm after morning rain and a generally slow over rate – with the pitch drying, the ball soft, and the opponents wilting, was England’s moment. All the best players can sense this and most move in for the kill.Which one’s better?•Philip Brown/Getty ImagesWhen stumps were drawn that evening, England needed just 61. Ben Foakes had become to Root what Root had been to Stokes. When cricketers use the phrase “bat in partnerships” this is exactly what they mean. In that final hour’s play on Saturday, Foakes made 9 of the 57 he and Root put on together in 15 overs: runs that negated the likelihood of New Zealand dragging the game to the point at which they could use a second new ball on the fourth morning and, to some degree at least, allowed the England dressing room to sleep easy.For sure, England got lucky when Colin de Grandhomme overstepped the popping crease by less than a centimetre to give Stokes a reprieve early in his innings, but it is said, better to be lucky than good. Or just be Joe Root.As it was, New Zealand bowled poorly on the fourth morning but Root deserves the credit for that. He simply outplayed them. The innings was a masterpiece, one of which any player, from any age, would have been proud. He had rescued the Stokes-McCullum dream start from ignominy, and gave the country a wonderful sidebar across a weekend in which joy and celebration were the national mood.How good is he? Well, the line of exceptional English batting began with Grace and moved through such players as Hobbs and Herbert Sutcliffe, Hammond, Hutton, Compton and May, Ted Dexter, Colin Cowdrey, Ken Barrington, Geoff Boycott, Graham Gooch (latterly), David Gower, Graham Thorpe, Kevin Pietersen and Alastair Cook. Root is as good as any of them and better than most. You could make a shortlist of five, I reckon, but I’ll leave that to you. Suffice to say that the lad from Sheffield with 10,015 Test match runs to his name is amongst them and that no one is happier about that than his successor as captain.

Barcelona boss Hansi Flick has revealed why he wanted to sign Manchester United outcast Marcus Rashford on loan this summer. The German also delivered his verdict on ex-United star Jesse Lingard ahead of Barca's pre-season friendly clash with FC Seoul.

• Flick revealed why he wanted Rashford
• Admitted he followed his performances for Man Utd
• Barcelona to face Lingard's FC Seoul

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• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Rashford has joined Barcelona on a season-long loan deal and the Catalan giants have an option to make the transfer permanent for €30m (£26m/$35m). Flick has admitted that he has been following Rashford's games at United for many years and believes that the England international can shine at Barca, despite his poor form in the last couple of seasons at Old Trafford. Rashford made his unofficial debut for Barcelona in their first pre-season friendly against Vissel Kobe in Japan last week, where he played for just 33 minutes.

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• WHAT FLICK SAID

  Speaking to reporters about Rashford, the German coach said: "Marcus is a great player. I’ve been following him for many years, since he started his career at United. He has a lot of quality, and we hope he can show it this season with the team."

• AFP
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Ahead of facing Lingard's FC Seoul in their upcoming friendly in South Korea, Flick added: "Lingard is a great player, we know him from his time in England, but we focus on his team… Seoul is working well and will be our second challenge."

• Getty
  

  WHAT NEXT FOR BARCELONA?

  The reigning La Liga champions will face Lingard and Co in a friendly clash at the Seoul World Cup Stadium on Thursday. Barca are due to kick off their new domestic campaign away at Mallorca on August 16.

أكد أوريلين تشواميني لاعب ريال مدريد، سعادته بما حدث مع لامين يامال لاعب برشلونة عقب مباراة الكلاسيكو بين الفريقين مساء اليوم الأحد.

وتغلب ريال مدريد على برشلونة بهدفين لهدف، ليحافظ على مكانه في صدارة الدوري الإسباني ويوسع الفارق مع غريمه إلى 5 نقاط.

وقال تشواميني في تصريحات نشرتها صحيفة “موندو ديبورتيفو” الإسبانية: “سعيد جدًا، لقد لعبنا أمام برشلونة، وهي مباراة مختلفة تمامًا، قمنا بما كان علينا فعله، ونستحق الفوز”.

وأضاف: “أمام أتلتيكو لم نقدم الأداء الذي أردناه، لكن اليوم أظهرنا ما نحن قادرون عليه، إنها ثلاث نقاط مهمة، وعلينا أن نواصل على هذا المنوال”.

ووقعت مشادة في نهاية المباراة، بين لاعبي الفريقين، وظهر داني كارفاخال قائد ريال مدريد وهو يشير إلى لامين يامال لاعب برشلونة قائلاً له: “تتحدث كثيرًا”، في إشارة لتصريحات اللاعب قبل المباراة بشأن فوز البلوجرانا.

كما وقع الأمر نفسه من البرازيلي فينيسيوس جونيور مهاجم ريال مدريد تجاه لامين يامال، وقد بدر منه تصرف مشابه لما فعله كارفاخال.

وأضاف تشواميني عن الموقف مع لامين يامال: “أنا أحب هذا النوع من الأجواء، في نهاية المباراة حدثت بعض الأمور بين اللاعبين، لكني عندما كنت صغيرًا كنت أرى مثل هذه المواقف أيضًا”.

وأكد: “أحب ذلك، فهي مجرد كلمات، لا توجد نية سيئة، في الواقع، حفزتنا قليلًا، إذا أراد لامين الحديث، لا مشكلة، فالمباراة تُحسم في الملعب، نحن سعداء جدًا بأدائنا اليوم، كل اللاعبين يريدون اللعب لـ90 دقيقة، وبالتأكيد فينيسيوس سعيد”.

Leicestershire left-arm seamer named as replacement, with Stone likely to take place in team

ESPNcricinfo staff25-Aug-2024Josh Hull, the Leicestershire left-arm seamer, has been added to England’s squad for the final two Tests against Sri Lanka, following confirmation that Mark Wood will play no further part in the series after suffering a thigh injury.Hull, 20, is one of the most exciting young players on the county circuit, although his first-class record is modest with 16 wickets at 62.75. Standing at 6ft 7in, he played a key role in Leicestershire’s triumph in the Metro Bank One-Day Club last season, and impressed earlier this month on his England Lions debut, taking five wickets across two innings at New Road to help inflict a seven-wicket defeat on Sri Lanka’s tourists in their only warm-up game.He has only taken two wickets in three Championship games this season, but showcased an ability to push the speed gun up towards 90mph when making his debut in the Hundred for Manchester Originals last month.”It was about half nine last night when I got the call from Brendon McCullum,” Hull told BBC Radio Leicester. “It’s a very special moment.””It’s come around pretty quickly, I didn’t think it would happen this fast, but I am really excited to be joining them””I was happy with how I performed [for England Lions] but I never thought it would lead to a call this early. They’ve got Olly Stone there as the first replacement, so it will be a great opportunity to join up and be part of that environment.”Hull is currently in Bristol, taking part in Leicestershire’s Championship fixture with Gloucestershire, and is expected to join up with England’s squad in London on Monday ahead of the second Test at Lord’s, which begins on Thursday. The final Test of the summer, at the Kia Oval, takes place from September 6-10.Hull’s inclusion is the only change to England’s 13-man squad for the remaining two Tests, with Nottinghamshire’s Olly Stone likely to step into Wood’s role for what would be his fourth Test appearance, and his first since New Zealand at Edgbaston in June 2021. Stone has also been playing Championship cricket for Nottinghamshire this week, after being released from the England squad on the opening day of the first Test, alongside the reserve batter, Essex’s Jordan Cox.Related

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Wood’s status had been in some doubt from the moment he pulled up midway through his 11th over of Sri Lanka’s second innings on Friday evening. He took no further part in the match, and was subsequently sent for a scan midway on Saturday morning, with the results revealing a muscle strain in his right thigh.Though unfortunate in the short term, the diagnosis of a strain, rather than a tear, will be a relief for Wood and England, given the team’s busy winter schedule which includes three-Test tours of Pakistan and New Zealand in the lead-up to Christmas.In his absence, England were made to battle for victory in the first Test, with Sri Lanka’s Kamindu Mendis and Dinesh Chandimal batting through the morning session of the fourth day to help post a taxing target of 205, which was eventually hunted down with five wickets standing, thanks to an unbeaten 62 from Joe Root.England squad for final two Tests: Ollie Pope (capt), Gus Atkinson, Shoaib Bashir, Harry Brook, Jordan Cox, Ben Duckett, Josh Hull, Dan Lawrence, Matthew Potts, Joe Root, Jamie Smith (wk), Olly Stone, Chris Woakes

It’s all hands on deck for Liverpool in the summer transfer market, having conducted plenty of business in the early stages of the off-season.

Technically, the transfer market hasn’t yet opened, with the dealings of recent weeks made permissible by the exceptional short-term opening due to the incipient Club World Cup.

And FSG have made fine use of it, banking around £10m for the departure of Trent Alexander-Arnold, who was one month away from free agency but left early due to Real Madrid wanting him to play in the United States this month.

Bayer Leverkusen’s Jeremie Frimpong has been signed, his £29.5m release clause activated, while Florian Wirtz is on the brink of joining for a British-record fee, and Bournemouth left-back Milos Kerkez is at the heart of advancing talks for a summer switch too.

With a new striker on Liverpool’s radar too, it’s all going on down Anfield Road. However, a few more exits are in the works too, with there being a sense that Luis Diaz could wind up at a new club before the end of summer.

Why Liverpool could sell Luis Diaz

Barcelona and Al-Hilal over in the Saudi Pro League have both been linked with moves for Diaz this summer, and The Athletic have reported that the former have even seen an approach rejected.

Diaz is only two years away from the end of his £55k-per-week contract, and FSG would be willing to run the deal down instead of accepting a lowball offer and losing one of Arne Slot’s most important forwards while in the shining prime of his career.

The rumour has it that the Reds would accept bids falling within the £60-70m ballpark, though it remains to be seen whether suitors will pay up.

And if they do, Liverpool would need to find a successor. Newcastle United’s Anthony Gordon has been on Anfield’s radar for a number of years, and would be in the thick of the chatter should things start to gather pace on this front.

Would Gordon truly represent an upgrade on the South American star? With a reported £80m price tag, would Liverpool be getting bang for their buck? It may well be that cashing in would be a mistake, but not as big a blunder as if FSG allowed another of Liverpool’s linked-away stars to leave.

Another Liverpool star wanted abroad

According to transfer specialist Fabrizio Romano, Bayer Leverkusen have made contact with Liverpool to discuss the transfer of centre-back Jarell Quansah, understood to be on a separate line to that of Wirtz.

Newcastle have also expressed an interest in the defender this year.

Quansah’s future has been up for debate across recent months, with reporter David Lynch claiming he was a “genuine candidate for departure” back in May, after a frustrating year.

Valued at £50m, Liverpool would bank a healthy sum for their homegrown talent, but in spite of his struggles, it might be a grave mistake to let him venture off for a new challenge.

Why Liverpool mustn't sell Jarell Quansah

Quansash thrived when stepping up for Jurgen Klopp during the 2023/24 season, playing a crucial part for his team following Joel Matip’s career-ending injury.

However, he’s found life under Slot tough, withdrawn at half-time on the Dutch coach’s debut against Ipswich Town last August, his boss revealing post-match that he made the switch due to frustrations over Liverpool’s lack of success in the duel.

Still, the 22-year-old, who featured 25 times across all competitions last year, played a bigger part over the latter half of the campaign after struggling for purchase across the opening months.

Indeed, Quansah will be frustrated with his season, but there was still enough quality that shone through, suggesting Liverpool may yet see the “absolute monster” who was so indomitable in his emergence the year before, as was said by talent scout Jacek Kulig.

Quansah might have trudged his way through a difficult 2024/25 campaign, but we wanted to draw your attention to his stunning breakout campaign under Klopp’s wing.

When collating the English talent’s data from 2023/24 against that of Dean Huijsen, who Liverpool had such a vested interest in before his transfer to Real Madrid, you begin to see why selling him would be such a big mistake.

Goals + assists

0.15

0.19

Touches

97.11

74.94

Pass completion

88.6%

83.4%

Passes attempted

88.64

60.26

Progressive passes

5.07

4.89

Progressive carries

0.98

1.52

Shot-creating actions

0.98

1.59

Ball recoveries

5.45

3.89

Tackles + interceptions

3.18

3.23

Clearances

2.95

7.34

Blocks

1.21

1.48

Aeriel duels won

3.40

2.52

As you can see, Huijsen might be rather good but Quansah has already proven himself capable of matching his qualities across the ball-playing department.

Furthermore, Real Madrid’s new recruit won 56% of his contested duels across his breakout Premier League season, whereas Quansah came out on top 67% of the time, illustrating his above-average usage of his physicality, of his defensive ability (metrics supplied via Sofascore).

And though we haven’t seen the same Quansah since Slot took the helm, there’s no question a high-level player remains in there, latent, waiting.

Losing Diaz would be a big blow, but given that he’s 28 and could command a huge figure, Liverpool would endure, not least because his contract is winding down.

However, Quansah is a homegrown talent, as Trent was, and he proved his ability to throw down with a sought-after star like Huijsen in the opening stage of his top-flight career.

Sure, several months ago, one data analyst said: “He never plays, and when he has this season, he’s not been good.”

That might be partially true, but we’ve got to remember it was only two years ago that Quansah had wrapped up a loan spell at Bristol Rovers in League One.

He’s an immense talent, and Liverpool might just come to regret parting with one of their own when in the fledgling phase of his promising career.

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