Liverpool, despite sitting top of the Premier League, top of the Champions League and advancing into the final four of the Carabao Cup, are still awaiting some much-needed news on the contract front.

Liverpool transfer news

Barring one slip-up against Nottingham Forest, Arne Slot’s Liverpool side have been unstoppable so far this season and look on course for what they hope to be the first of many historic campaigns under the Dutchman. The quality within their squad and even outside of their strongest side was on full show once again against Southampton, as a much-changed Liverpool side sent the Saints packing in the Carabao Cup.

Amid such a successful season so far, however, a darkening contract cloud has continuously threatened to rain down on the Reds’ campaign and disrupt what would be the ultimate first season without club legend Jurgen Klopp.

As things stand, Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold are all set to leave as free agents at the end of the campaign. And whilst reports have been more positive regarding Salah and Van Dijk’s Anfield futures, those in Merseyside are still facing a nervous wait for good news on all three.

Slot was let down by 103-touch Liverpool man after 5/10 Southampton display

Liverpool made it through to the semi-finals of the Carabao Cup after a 2-1 win against Southampton.

By
Ethan Lamb

Dec 19, 2024

According to Caught Offside, FSG and Liverpool have now offered Alexander-Arnold a contract worth £7.1m more per year than his current Anfield deal, which is worth a reported £9.4m-a-year.

As per Caught Offside, the talented right-back has been offered a deal worth €20m-a-year (£16.5m-a-year) in the hope that he will finally put pen to paper and end any concerns over his future.

Even after such an offer, however, Liverpool are still reportedly unsure whether he will be tempted into joining European giants Real Madrid, who are planning a January meeting with the right-back to discuss a potential summer move.

Liverpool must end Alexander-Arnold uncertainty

In the middle of a title race and in their first season of what they will hope to be an era full of success under Slot, Liverpool need to get their answers from Alexander-Arnold, Van Dijk and Salah before their contract talks dominate the headlines and distract away from their pursuit of glory. The last thing any dressing room needs is an unanswered question on the future of a star player, let alone three.

The case of Alexander-Arnold seems particularly uncertain, but he too must come to a decision sooner rather than later. Either he stays put at Liverpool and becomes one of the highest-earners at the club before cementing his legacy as a true Anfield great, or he chooses the life of a Galactico and the chance to create undeniable history. It’s quite the choice, to say the least.

As for Liverpool, they must at least plan for the worst. The likes of Jeremie Frimpong have already been mentioned in recent weeks and the Reds must be prepared to make their move for the Bayer Leverkusen man or, indeed, an alternative option to replace Alexander-Arnold at the end of the season.

MatériaMais Notícias

da roleta： Por ser o grande nome do Palmeiras nos últimos anos, Dudu recebe uma responsabilidade ainda maior na jornada pelo título do Brasileirão-2022, que está cada vez mais próximo. Apesar disso, o camisa 7 do Verdão é o jogador mais substituído do campeonato, e alguns fatores explicam esta condição.

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasBrasileirãoAthletico-PR x Palmeiras: saiba onde assistir ao jogo pela 34ª rodada do BrasileirãoBrasileirão23/10/2022PalmeirasEm rodada dupla no Paulista, Sub-15 e Sub-17 do Palmeiras derrotam rivais Corinthians e SantosPalmeiras23/10/2022PalmeirasApós vitória, Palmeiras volta a treinar e já pensa em jogo contra o Athletico-PR no BrasileirãoPalmeiras23/10/2022

da mrbet： >ATUAÇÕES: Dudu faz golaço, Palmeiras goleia e se aproxima do título

Em 33 jogos no Brasileiro deste ano, Dudu foi substituído 27 vezes, mas esteve presente em todos. Desse número total de atuações, o “Baixola” terminou a partida em campo ou saiu nos últimos instantes, após o jogo já estar resolvido, em quatro no primeiro turno (Corinthians, Fluminense, Atlético-MG, Coritiba e São Paulo), e em seis no segundo (Ceará, Juventude, Flamengo, Atlético-MG, São Paulo e Avaí).

Contra o Avaí no último sábado, inclusive, o camisa 7 foi o autor de um dos gols na vitória da equipe por 3 a 0 no Allianz Parque. Mas as substituições do atleta não são baseadas em seu desempenho dentro de campo ou fora dele. Isso se dá pelas ideias de Abel Ferreira em cumprir o “plano título”.

> Veja a tabela completa e simulador do Brasileirão-2022!

Como o próprio português costuma dizer, há uma grande intenção de “refrescar o ataque” para que não haja uma queda de intensidade brusca durante as partidas de um campeonato tão longo e disputado. Naturalmente os atacantes cansam mais rápido, então é preciso preservá-los.

Dudu é um jogador muito comprometido com o físico e com as questões que melhoram seu desempenho, além de ser responsável e um cara que respeita as condições da comissão técnica. Sendo assim, é o atleta com mais minutos jogados pelo Palmeiras no ano, somando 4.589.

No geral, são 63 jogos disputados por Dudu em 2022, além de nove gols marcados e dez assistências distribuídas. O Verdão agora conta ainda mais com seu ídolo e seu poderio decisivo para carimbar de fato o título brasileiro.

continua após a publicidade

يستعد فريق برشلونة الإسباني لخوض أولى مبارياته الودية هذا الصيف، استعدادًا للموسم الجديد المرتقب 2025/26، والذي سينطلق في شهر أغسطس المقبل.

ويسعى برشلونة إلى مواصلة عملية النجاح، خلال الموسم الجديد، والتي بدأها في المنصرم تحت قيادة المدرب هانز فليك في بداية عهده، حيث حقق الثلاثية المحلية المتمثلة في الدوري الإسباني، كأس ملك إسبانيا والسوبر الإسباني.

ويخوض برشلونة، ظهر اليوم الأحد، مباراة ودية ضد نظيره فيسيل كوبي الياباني على ملعب “كوبه المنزلي”.

وكانت جولة برشلونة الآسيوية مهددة بالفشل بسبب انتهاكات جسيمة من قِبل اللجنة المنظمة، قبل تدارك الأمر في وقت لاحق والتوصل إلى حل، ومن ثم التراجع عن قرار الإلغاء.

وتتضمن جولة برشلونة، بخلاف مباراة فيسيل كوبي، لقائي سول ودايجو، يومي الخميس والإثنين 31 يوليو و4 أغسطس، قبل صدام كومو في كأس خوان جامبر يوم 10 من الشهر المقبل.

ويبدأ برشلونة حملة الدفاع عن لقب الدوري الإسباني بمباراة ضد ريال مايوركا، يوم 16 أغسطس القادم. موعد مباراة برشلونة وفيسيل كوبي الودية

تنطلق المباراة في تمام الساعة الواحدة ظهرًا بتوقيت القاهرة والسعودية. القناة الناقلة لمباراة برشلونة وفيسيل كوبي الودية اليوم

تُذاع عبر تطبيق “DAZN” والذي أعلن حصوله على حقوق بث مباريات برشلونة في الجولة الآسيوية.

في حين لم تعلن أي قناة عربية إذاعتها للمباراة، وسيتم التحديث لاحقًا حال حدوث أي جديد في هذا الأمر.

ويمكنكم مطالعة مواعيد ونتائج جميع المباريات لحظة بلحظة عبر مركز المباريات من هنا.

The path back to the India side from injury has had a series of obstacles along the way, but Mohammed Shami is trying to navigate through them in time for the start of the World T20

Arun Venugopal in Kolkata10-Mar-2016The setting wasn’t as low-key as Mohammed Shami might have probably imagined. This was a warm-up game and yet there were at least 25,000 people at the Eden Gardens. There were several thousand more claps, whistles and screams until palms and throats gave in.This is also his home ground, a city where he made a memorable Test debut in Sachin Tendulkar’s farewell series. But there wasn’t anything about Shami on Thursday that betrayed nerves although some amount of nervous excitement would have only seemed reasonable.A spell of 4-0-30-2 against a batting line-up featuring Chris Gayle, Dwayne Bravo and Marlon Samuels is impressive in itself but its worth is multiplied when you place it against the backdrop of what he has gone through.Shami has over the last few weeks strived to go from 80-85% fit to being fully ready. It is learnt that he bowled to the India Women’s team at the NCA nets in Bangalore to assist in their preparations for the Women’s World T20, apart from playing matches with other men’s teams where specific situations – like bowling at the death, defending a particular total or opening the attack – would be recreated.But Shami would be the first person to insist on telling false dawns apart from real ones, especially after what has happened to him over the last two months. After all, the new year had begun well for Shami. He was nearly as thrilled about flaunting his suit as being on the flight to Australia with the rest of his mates. You couldn’t grudge his just deserts. This was a man who had, after a promising beginning, spent close to a year in pain, uncertainty and the sheer frustration of his knee coming in the way of playing at the highest level.But this new silver lining would soon be gobbled up by gloomy grey clouds as Shami’s return to India was advanced by an injury to the hamstring. It’s hard to surmise what he must have felt. Roughly as excruciating would be the analogy of a man being robbed soon after earning his wages.While on one hand Shami’s inner demons must have been multiplying, the team management too would have had a tough call to make. He wasn’t a part of the Asia Cup squad as well after being deemed to have not recovered sufficiently. But that Shami was picked for the World T20 was as much a leap of faith as an educated gamble; MS Dhoni & co. him. Period.Dhoni has never been shy about his admiration for Shami’s ability to provide thrust with the new ball and finish well at the death. Bouncers, made-to-order yorkers, Shami has always delivered what his captain wanted. His return to action has only added to the considerable gains that India have made recently.

“He just wanted to go out on the park and play. He has really worked hard all this while; coming back from a knee injury is not easy for anyone, not just a bowler.”Rohit Sharma on Mohammed Shami’s return at Eden Gardens

After India had set West Indies 186 to win in Thursday’s World T20 warm-up, he went about rolling out his bouncers and yorkers, not always achieving the desired results but nevertheless persistent in his attempts. For instance, the short-pitched stuff didn’t quite work on this flat, easy-paced surface as Gayle demonstrated with a pull, one of his two boundaries off Shami.After gong for nine runs in his first over, he began his second with a short ball outside off to Marlon Samuels and got away with a single. The next delivery was quick and had Johnson Charles stuck on his crease. Shami had closed in on his sweet spot. His third ball wasn’t exactly a yorker but was fast and full. Charles’ attempt to back away and carve him over cover only resulted in a caught behind. Shami, however, erred with his last two deliveries, going too full and too short on either occasion, and Samuels cashed in with two fours.By the time Shami returned in the 16th over West Indies had lost eight batsmen and were down for the count. He stuck to a length that was slightly shorter of a full length and attacked the stumps. One such delivery had Ashley Nurse charging out of the crease and scooping the ball to deep point.Shami finished with 2-0-11-1 in his second spell. There was no sign of restricted movement or controlled operation. His run-up was easy and the momentum generated by the smoothly-swinging non-bowling arm contributed to his rhythm. Rohit Sharma paid tribute to Shami’s performance, and said he managed to do what he intended to.”He just wanted to go out on the park and play. For a bowler to not play for so long it’s never easy,” Rohit said after the match. “So he just wanted to go out and feel the conditions and feel the atmosphere, and feel [the joy of] wearing the India jersey again. He has really worked hard all this while; coming back from a knee injury is not easy for anyone, not just a bowler. But he really worked hard and looking at [the fact that] he is playing his first game he did pretty well.”He bowled bouncers, yorkers, slower ones, that’s what we expect from him. The last game he played for India, till then he did pretty well for us. He was one of the main bowlers for us and expectations will be there from him, no doubt about it.”Dhoni has recently pointed to the happy dilemma he would face should Shami be fit, with Jasprit Bumrah sealing the other paceman’s slot. Shami would then have to compete with Ashish Nehra for the second seamer’s position and there is a possibility he might not find himself in the playing XI straightaway.But for now he is unlikely to entertain such worries and would rather focus on dialing up the momentum in India’s last warm-up match against South Africa in Mumbai on Saturday. Shami sure knows a thing or two about the value of taking baby steps.

Sheffield Wednesday now have only one win to shout about from their last five Championship games after an action-packed 2-2 draw versus Bristol City.

Danny Rohl’s Owls looked to be heading for all three points but Ross McCrorie ended up breaking Wednesday hearts at Hillsborough with a late equalising strike for the Robins.

The German will hope his team’s season doesn’t unravel from this point onwards, as the South Yorkshire outfit find themselves just four points shy of the playoff picture in spite of their inconsistencies on the pitch.

To help their chances of being dark horses for the top six, the ongoing transfer window will be key in adding in some impactful new additions, with one deal already playing on their minds.

Sheffield Wednesday make bid for £6k p/w star

As per a recent development by journalist Alan Nixon, Wednesday could be set to tie down loan star Shea Charles to a deal that lasts until the end of the campaign.

Transfer Focus

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

Charles’ loan stint at the club has come to an end after parent employers Southampton recalled the young midfielder this week, but the Owls could be about to reverse that call having now allegedly upped their offer to keep the Northern Irishman situated in South Yorkshire.

Amazingly, the Owls are battling it out with fierce rivals Sheffield United to try and win the £6k-per-week man’s extended signature, with Sheffield Star journalist Joe Crann further adding fuel to the fire by stating a deadline has been above Wednesday’s head to secure a deal.

What Charles could offer Sheffield Wednesday

If Charles was to stay put, this would no doubt help the Owls’ chances of breaking into those coveted playoff positions, with the ex-Manchester City youngster already forming an impressive midfield partnership with Barry Bannan.

There wouldn’t be that awkward acclimatisation period for Charles, therefore, considering he has already starred this season at Hillsborough, hence the frenzy to keep him around.

The Owls number 44 had been a revelation before being recalled, with his grit in the middle of the park coupled with his composure on the ball making him an obvious fan’s favourite alongside familiar faces such as Bannan.

Games played

25

27

Goals

1

4

Assists

4

2

Touches*

56.3

64.4

Accurate passes*

30.1

39.3

Interceptions*

1.4

0.4

Tackles*

3.2

1.6

Ball recoveries*

5.8

5.2

Total duels won*

6.6

3.1

Looking at the table above, it’s clear that the Owls duo complement each other nicely, with Charles more content at doing the dirty work than Bannan away from also being competent in pushing further up the pitch to help out his attacking teammates.

After all, that one strike Charles has managed this season in league action was his first ever professional goal, but his ability to win a high amount of duels per league clash among other battling numbers – as can be seen looking at the table above – has no doubt helped the Scotsman up his levels after a forgettable 2023/24 campaign passed him by.

Bannan would only muster up three goal contributions across 42 league clashes, with his figure for this season already up to six owing to his lively teammate perhaps giving him more freedom to fire home beautiful strikes like this one away at Derby County.

Labelled as “fantastic” player in the past by Pep Guardiola, on top of also being noted as having “undeniable Premier League potential” by football talent scout Jacek Kulig, Charles staying put at Hillsborough until the end of the season would be a phenomenal move if pulled off.

Wednesday supporters have been here before in being disappointed by what transpires in a transfer window but they will be waiting with bated breath all the same to see what the final outcome will be.

Sheffield Wednesday could sign "incredible" Gassama upgrade this month

Sheffield Wednesday would surely rise up the Championship table with this stunning January buy.

ByKelan Sarson Jan 22, 2025

Tilak Varma’s unbeaten 84 was the only positive for Mumbai as RCB romped home with 22 balls to spare

Hemant Brar02-Apr-20232:05

Dasgupta: Kohli’s break has helped him re-ignite the fire

Virat Kohli and Faf du Plessis hit scintillating half-centuries as Royal Challengers Bangalore marked their homecoming with a dominating eight-wicket win over Mumbai Indians.The win was set up by Royal Challengers’ bowlers. After inserting Mumbai in, du Plessis used seven of them; except Glenn Maxwell who bowled just one over, everyone else picked up at least one wicket.That Mumbai could post 171 for 7 in itself was an achievement. After 15 overs, they were 102 for 5 but Tilak Varma’s magnificent 84 not out off 46 balls gave them something to fight with.Du Plessis and Kohli, though, showed how much under par Mumbai were. The pair added 148 in 14.5 overs for the opening stand, du Plessis hitting a 43-ball 73 and Kohli an unbeaten 82 off 49. Between them, they hit 11 fours and as many sixes. When Kohli hit the winning six, 22 balls were still left in the game.Impact Player – Behrendorff in for SuryakumarMumbai, who had started the game with three overseas players, brought in Jason Behrendorff in the second innings. He replaced Suryakumar Yadav, but it made little difference as Behrendorff went for 37 in three wicketless overs. Royal Challengers were in such a comfortable position throughout that they didn’t even use an Impact Player.A powerless powerplayM Chinnaswamy Stadium is infamous for being the bowlers’ graveyard. However, that wasn’t the case in the first innings, with the ball coming slightly slower off the surface. Mohammed Siraj bowled three overs in the powerplay for just five runs and Ishan Kishan’s wicket. Kishan had hit two fours off Reece Topley in the second over but Siraj created the pressure with dot balls. When Kishan tried to break away, he ended up miscuing one to deep third.Batting at No. 3, Cameron Green lasted only four balls and was castled by a Topley yorker. Siraj could have had Rohit Sharma too in the next over. After bowling three dots in a row to Rohit, Siraj went for a bouncer. Rohit countered it with a pull, only to top-edge it straight up. But Siraj couldn’t hear Dinesh Karthik’s call – blame it on the deafening noise by the spectators – and ended up colliding with the wicketkeeper, and the chance went down. It didn’t prove costly, though, as Akash Deep had Rohit caught behind three balls later. Rohit made 1 off ten balls; Mumbai ended the powerplay on 29 for 3.Tilak Varma raises his bat after reaching a well-deserved half-century•BCCIVarma plays a lone handComing in at 19 for 3, Varma opened his account with a second-ball six. Suryakumar’s wicket in the ninth over left Mumbai at 48 for 4 but Varma kept playing his shots. He hit Maxwell for a six and four off successive balls before scooping Deep four a boundary in the next over.He found some support from debutant Nehal Wadhera who hit Karn Sharma for back-to-back sixes, the second one going landing on the roof over long-on. When he tried it for the third time, he holed out. In his next over, Karn dealt a much bigger blow by bowling Tim David.Varma appeared immune to all that and brought up his fifty in 32 balls. His knock had steered Mumbai to 133 for 7 after 18 overs. Then, Siraj lost his radar and sent down five off-side wides – four of them in a row. To make it worse, Varma picked up two fours as well in the over.Harshal Patel had conceded only 21 from his first three overs but he too bore the brunt now, going for 22 in the last over of the innings. Arshad Khan, the other debutant on the night, smashed the second ball of the over for a six. Varma followed it with a pulled four before wrapping up the innings with a helicoptered six.Faf du Plessis and Virat Kohli started strongly for Royal Challengers Bangalore•BCCIThe du Plessis-Kohli showMumbai’s left-arm seamers Behrendorff and Arshad found swing with the new ball, but du Plessis defused that threat by using his feet. He went down the track three times in Behrendorff’s second over, hitting one four and two successive sixes.Jofra Archer failed to latch on to a tough return catch from Kohli off his first ball for Mumbai. On the next, Kohli steered him for four, and then went down the track to launch a slower one over long-off.Du Plessis too enjoyed his luck when Kishan dropped him off Piyush Chawla in the fifth over, and took the side to 53 for no loss at the end of the powerplay. A couple of overs later, he welcomed Green into the attack with two fours and a six.Du Plessis brought up his fifty – off 29 balls – with a six off Hrithik Shokeen and celebrated it with another six on the spinner’s next ball. Kohli, despite hitting some eye-catching shots, was playing second fiddle to du Plessis. He took 38 balls for his half-century but by the time du Plessis got out, he had almost caught up with him.Karthik was promoted to No. 3. He fetched a three-ball duck but Maxwell smashed two sixes in three balls to take Royal Challengers to the brink of victory.

At face value, David Moyes’ tactical vision doesn’t strain too far from the blueprint that prompted Farhad Moshiri, two years ago, to bring Sean Dyche to the Everton helm.

Frank Lampard had been dismissed, Everton needed greater steel-backed resistance, Dyche fit the bill. It worked, for a time, but the Toffees could only stretch so far under the pragmatic boss’ wing. Thus he departed several weeks ago after reportedly informing the new owners, The Friedkin Group, that he felt he had taken the project as far as he could.

At face value, Moyes also employs a drilled and defence-heavy style, but just ask Spurs about the Scot’s attacking credentials, and they’d be sure to concede that the Blues tore them to shreds with startling bite.

It was hardly the look of a side previously scoring only 15 Premier League goals, the second-lowest tally in the division. Nor was it the feel of a side that had just welcomed a manager with a reticence toward attacking play.

Admittedly, though, 16th-placed Everton need to dip into the January transfer window to maintain enough firepower over the business months of the term.

Everton pushing for January signing

As per The Daily Telegraph, Everton have added Sunderland midfielder Dan Neil to their shortlist of transfer targets, though snapping him up this month may prove difficult.

Moyes, who used to manage the Black Cats, is a big admirer of the 23-year-old and is believed to have tracked his career ever since.

While Everton scouts have been keeping a close eye on Neil, Sunderland are certain to play hardball at the season’s midpoint, especially as they are fourth in the Championship, pushing for promotion.

He’s been priced in excess of £15m, which is big money for an up-and-coming talent in the second tier but a marker of Neil’s quality, and why Everton should pull no punches in getting the deal done.

Why Everton are interested in Dan Neil

Everton clicked together against Tottenham; play like that every single week, and Goodison Park would be throwing down with the best that the Premier League has to offer.

Consistency is key, though, and players like Neil work wonders in knitting fluency into a squad’s fabric to create a ripple effect for players like Dominic Calvert-Lewin, who snapped a 16-match goalless run in the top flight on Sunday.

Having risen through the Sunderland youth ranks, Neil has chalked up 177 senior appearances for the club, notching 11 goals and 20 assists during his journey so far.

Neil recently dominated for his side as they defeated Derby in the league, keeping their foot on the pedal as they chase automatic promotion.

Reporter Ethan Todd was among those to have been coloured impressed, saying that Nail: “Has absolutely controlled and dictated the whole game, with great forward passing and drives whilst keeping things tight in midfield. Constantly instructing the team, proper captain’s performance.”

It goes to show that Everton would not only be signing a player capable of injecting some dynamic quality into the middle of the park but a leader too, someone who could galvanise and inspire, berate and demand. It’s what Everton need.

Here is a team that has proved its attacking flair has not been negligible under Dyche’s wing, merely latent, languishing in the subterranean part of Goodison Park. The Merseysiders blew Tottenham away; we keep coming back to it but it was such a marvel, such a spectacle, that it revealed the true capacity of this team.

Neil may well be the architect, hailed as a “brilliant footballer” and a “real leader on and off the pitch” by his teammate Patrick Roberts. As you are about to see from his match metrics in the Championship this term, there are few who play a more complete role in the engine room, balancing his product and covering so much ground across the field.

Matches (starts)

27 (27)

Goals

1

Assists

3

Touches*

57.9

Pass completion

84%

Key passes*

0.8

Dribble (success)*

0.8 (51%)

Ball recoveries*

5.7

Tackles + interceptions*

3.2

Total duels (won)*

4.5 (51%)

Moyes might even be able to sign his next version of Mikel Arteta by bringing Neil to the fold, such is the rounded nature of his skill set.

Everton signed Arsenal’s manager during his playing days, bringing him in from Real Sociedad for a £3m fee in August 2005, proving to be one of the finest signings of his distinguished Toffees tenure.

He eventually joined the Gunners in a £10m deal, six years on, but Arteta had already featured 209 times for the Merseyside unit, scoring 35 goals and supplying 36 assists, contributing centrally to the most prosperous era in their modern history.

But hang on a moment, how does this pertain to present interest in Sunderland’s Neil? Well, aside from Moyes repeating his trick by bringing the player to Goodison – as he did with Arteta way back when – Neil has sharp playmaking skills while also excelling across the gamut of midfield duties.

The Spaniard was typically deployed in midfield alongside an anchor, allowing his creativity and ability on the ball to be properly showcased. He would dictate play and control the pace of the game, acting as a metronome of sorts.

Arteta added something different to the Everton midfield, a different dimension that Neil could replicate, sitting alongside players such as Idrissa Gueye, Orel Mangala and Abdoulaye Doucoure.

Moyes once claimed that his former midfielder was “head and shoulders” above his peers, and you just get the sense that Neil could be too, 15 years later, Moyes back in the Everton dugout.

Talk about circularity.

A better signing than Nuamah: Everton make enquiry to sign English talent

Everton are looking at a “Messi-like” star who would be even better than Nuamah

ByConnor Holden Jan 22, 2025

Ruben Amorim was asked about Manchester United's interest in Matheus Cunha as Wolves look to take advantage of goal-shy Red Devils.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Amorim asked about United's interest in Cunha
• Brazilian forward has a contract with Wolves until 2029
• Man Utd face Wolves on Sunday

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  United, who have struggled for consistency up front in the 2024-25 campaign, are strongly linked with a move for Wolves forward Cunha. With high-profile signings like Joshua Zirkzee and Rasmus Hojlund failing to cement their place in the number 9 position, as they have scored just six league goals between them, the Red Devils are considering triggering the Brazilians' £62.5 million ($82m) release clause. With Cunha under contract until 2029, Wolves are unlikely to settle for a lower price.

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• GOAL
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  United boss Amorim recently heaped praise on Wolves manager Vitor Pereira and his style of play while specifically naming Cunha, who has impressed the Portuguese coach. The former Sporting CP manager will look to bolster his squad ahead of the 2025-26 season as the Old Trafford outfit are headed for a busy summer transfer window.

• WHAT RUBEN AMORIM SAID

  Speaking about Pereira, the 40-year-old said: "I think he's doing an amazing job. He's playing a 343, he's doing quite well. He's changing some players, he has real quality players – Cunha and all these guys, they have real quality. They are fresh. So we know it's going to be a tough match and we are going to need a lot from our supporters. I know it is a bad thing to ask anything this season from our fans but we need them on Sunday."

  When asked if Cunha could head to Manchester next year, Amorim added: "I just gave the example because I remembered about Matheus – he's scoring a lot of goals. Just that."

• Getty Images Sport
  

  WHAT NEXT FOR MANCHESTER UNITED?

  After a spirited performance against Lyon in the Europa League quarter-final second leg on Thursday, United will now aim to get back to winning ways in the Premier League as they host Wolves on April 20.

Trent Alexander-Arnold’s contractual situation has become incredibly tedious in recent weeks, with the decibels rising among the Spanish press this week as Real Madrid look to swipe Liverpool’s homegrown superstar.

However, the 26-year-old hasn’t let such noise detract from his performances under Arne Slot’s wing, showcasing a tough defensive side unseen during his career under Jurgen Klopp while oozing class and style on the ball.

The pull of Santiago Bernabeu is strong, Europe’s palatial club ground being the hothouse for trophies and an illustrious career, but Trent is hardly scrounging for success within his boyhood outfit, for Slot’s tactics have put Liverpool in the driving seat for the Premier League title and a promising position in the Champions League too.

Regardless of whether the £180k-per-week talent stays or leaves, Liverpool appear keen to invest in a new full-back this year – though it might not be on the right-hand side.

Liverpool's search for a full-back

At the backend of December, GIVEMESPORT reported that Liverpool are set to rival Manchester United for Antonee Robinson this year. The arch-rivals are both keen on a new left-back, and the Fulham ace has been among the finest players in the Premier League this season.

Robinson, 27, has started every top-flight fixture this term, captaining his squad regularly since December. Fulham value him as high as £50m and you’d have to admit that they are well within their right. He’s been brilliant and contracted until 2028 besides.

Liverpool know that they can present a more appealing career path than their beleaguered neighbours but United are invariably dangerous in the transfer market. With that in mind, FSG may hope that they opt for Bournemouth’s Milos Kerkez instead, given that he has his sights set on Old Trafford.

Robinson would bring instantaneous results to a Reds side seeking the highest honours both domestically and on the continent. Andy Robertson has been a stalwart over so many years, but he’s simply not performing at his incredible one-time level.

At no disrespect to the Scotsman, Robinson is outstripping him on the pitch this year, but in fact, Fulham’s Duracell Bunny may even be operating at a floor above Alexander-Arnold too.

How Robinson compares to Alexander-Arnold

Years of dining at the elite table have established Liverpool’s wide defensive duo as the pre-eminent pairing. They have redefined the full-back role, in some ways, with tireless running and outstanding creativity serving as the life-juice of the Klopp era.

Both Robertson and Alexander-Arnold remain core parts of Liverpool’s first team – the latter still arguably the best full-back in the world – but that doesn’t mean he’s outperforming every single player across this current campaign.

Indeed, Robinson suffers from the affliction of not being part of a ‘big-six’ club. That sentence is facetious, of course, but there is a ring of truth there.

He’s so complete, so dynamic, so effective across different phases and – crucially for Slot’s system – wonderful on the ball, retaining with ease and picking out perfect passes. Sky Sports’ Dougie Critchley has even gone as far as to describe him as “one of the best left-backs in the world.”

With seven assists from 19 Premier League matches this term, Robinson is behind only Mohamed Salah and Bukayo Saka in that chart. Moreover, he ranks highly across defensive metrics while providing a relentless ball-carrying output. What a skill set, balanced so finely across every required area.

Trent, while impressive this season, has failed to outrank Robinson across any of the above-listed statistics, as per FBref. Alexander-Arnold is the most talented and accomplished player by far, but Robinson is at his apex right now, performing at a higher level.

A closer look at the defensive numbers further illustrates this point. Liverpool’s number 66 has been much improved in the lower department this term, averaging 2.6 tackles per Premier League match while winning 51% of his ground duels, as per Sofascore.

Robinson, however, provides even more eye-catching statistics, for the USMNT international has chomped down on opponent with 2.8 tackles per game (Sofascore), also winning 58% of his total duels.

It’s admittedly harder to distinguish them given that the respective full-backs play different types of games, but for Sky Sports’ Jamie Carragher at least, they are on the same platform all the same. Chalking down his mid-season predictions and ratings alongside Gary Neville, the Anfield icon paired the wide defenders in his updated Team of the Season.

Robinson might turn 28 at the start of the 2025/26 campaign but he’s hardly doomed to deteriorate any time soon. His stock has been sky-high this season and it owes testament to the incremental progress that he has forged across so many years. Not all of them bore fruits.

Athletic, adept on the ball and fierce without it, he’s arguably been the best full-back in the Premier League this season. As far as the stats go, he’s outperformed Liverpool’s imperious right-back.

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Angus Sinclair

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da betobet： Manchester United are now considering a late swoop for an “unplayable” Premier League attacker, with Marcus Rashford closing in on a move to Aston Villa, according to Sky Sports.

Rashford's time at Old Trafford coming to an end

da dobrowin： Rashford has fallen out of favour at Old Trafford ever since a bombshell interview in December, in which the forward expressed he is “ready for a new challenge”, and he is now set to seal a move away from his boyhood club.

The United academy graduate is due to have a medical to complete a move to Villa Park, with transfer expert Fabrizio Romano revealing the Villans will have the option to make the deal permanent for a fee of £40m at the end of the season.

The 27-year-old has not been a part of Ruben Amorim’s plans for nearly two months, with his last Premier League appearance coming against Nottingham Forest back in December, and the manager recently hinted he hasn’t been giving 100% in training.

“It’s always the same reason – the training, the way I see a footballer should do in life. It’s every day, every detail. You can see on the bench we miss a bit of pace on the bench, but I would put [Manchester United goalkeeper coach Jorge] Vital before a player who doesn’t give the maximum every day.”

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With Rashford now poised to leave, Amorim is now tasked with finding a replacement, and Sky Sports report that Villa’s Leon Bailey is one of the players “under consideration” for a late transfer swoop.

The potential deal to sign Bailey would be separate from the Rashford move, which has seemingly already been agreed, with the Englishman set to undergo a medical.

The Villa winger is just one of the names under consideration for a move to Old Trafford, with the Red Devils yet to make a formal approach, but there could be developments before the deadline on Monday.

What Bailey could offer Man Utd

The £120k-per-week attacker has looked impressive at times in a Villa shirt, and he was particularly potent in front of goal during the 2023-24 campaign, amassing 19 goal contributions in 35 Premier League games to help his side secure Champions League football.

The Athletic’s Jacob Tanswell has lauded the 27-year-old as “unplayable” during his time with the Villans, however, he has struggled to replicate last season’s form this term, picking up just one goal and three assists in all competitions.

As such, there is some doubt over whether Bailey would be a solid signing to replace Rashford, but United’s options are likely to be limited at this stage of the transfer window, and he could make an impact if he is able to rediscover his previous form, making this one to watch.