Khaled Ahmed has been cut from the group that toured India and Pakistan

Mohammad Isam16-Oct-2024The Bangladesh selectors naming Shakib Al Hasan in the Test squad for the first match against South Africa confirms that he will return to the country for the first time since May. Shakib is reportedly landing in Dhaka on Thursday, which allows him three days to prepare for his final Test match.Shakib announced his retirement in Kanpur on September 26, wishing to complete his Test career with at the Shere Bangla National Stadium. But he had expressed concern about his safety if he came to Bangladesh, given the number of Awami League leaders being arrested since August 5, the day their government effectively resigned from power after 15 years. Shakib was a member of parliament from his hometown Magura. He was one of 147 people named in an FIR for an alleged murder during the unrest.Although the BCB said that they couldn’t guarantee Shakib’s security, Bangladesh’s interim government confirmed – a couple of times – that he is unlikely to be arrested. But the sports adviser Asif Mahmud did say that the allrounder would be better off if he were to break his silence about the student protests. Shakib did that last week, when he put up an apology on Facebook.ESPNcricinfo LtdSelector Hannan Sarkar said that Shakib was selected only after the BCB had given them the green light.”Shakib had expressed his desire to play his final Test at home. We also know that this was a government issue and BCB issue. We sought the BCB’s clearance so when they gave us the green signal that Shakib is available for selection, we picked him. We are proud to see our legend retiring from the home of cricket.Shakib is among four spin-bowling options in the squad, alongside Taijul Islam, Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Nayeem Hasan. Almost everyone that were part of the recent tours to Pakistan and India made it to this squad as well, except the fast bowler Khaled Ahmed, who was picked to play in Kanpur but bowled only four overs.Shadman Islam and Zakir Hasan opened in all four Tests, while Mahmudul Hasan Joy has become their back-up. Mominul Haque and captain Najmul Hossain Shanto could continue at No. 3 and 4, rather than the other way around since Mominul got a century batting at No 3. Shakib, Mushfiqur Rahim, Litton Das and Mehidy round out a long Bangladesh batting order.Taijul is usually picked in home Tests ahead of a third seamer. Taskin Ahmed and Hasan Mahmud should be the first choice, although Nahid Rana’s pace could be tempting.Bangladesh host South Africa for two Tests, in Mirpur from October 21 and in Chattogram from October 29. It is the first assignment under their interim coach Phil Simmons, who joined the squad on Wednesday, a day after the BCB removed Chandika Hathurusinghe from the position for disciplinary reasons.Bangladesh are currently seventh on the World Test Championship points table, after a 2-0 win in Pakistan and a 2-0 defeat in India. South Africa are fifth on the WTC standings, having most recently won a two-Test series 1-0 in the West Indies in August.Bangladesh squad for first Test against SANajmul Hossain Shanto (capt), Shadman Islam, Mahmudul Hasan Joy, Zakir Hasan, Mominul Haque, Mushfiqur Rahim, Shakib Al Hasan, Litton Das, Jaker Ali, Mehidy Hasan, Taijul Islam, Nayeem Hasan, Taskin Ahmed, Hasan Mahmud, Nahid Rana

Former Manchester United defender Brandon Williams has been given a lifeline after featuring for Hull City against Sunderland in a pre-season friendly following struggles with mental health.

• Williams features for Hull in pre-season
• Manager keen to hand second chance to ex-Man Utd man
• Follows battle with mental health and driving ban

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• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Williams left United last summer following the expiry of his contract but was unable to find a new club, having been handed a suspended prison sentence for dangerous driving in 2023. But Hull have taken a chance on the defender, featuring him in their recent pre-season win over Sunderland.

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• (C)Getty Images
  

  WHAT WAS SAID?

  Hull head coach Sergej Jakirovic has opened up on the arrangement, saying: ""I like to help people because everyone deserves a second chance in life," he told Hull Live. "I spoke with him very honestly, and I explained to him what I expect from him.

  "We will be very careful, very, very slow. We have time, so we will try to help him. I think the quality is there because he was on a high level at Man United, so his quality is there. We need him to bring good fitness, and then we will make a decision.

  "For me, his mentality is good. From our conversations, he's a very normal guy. He just asked me yesterday (Monday), 'can I play?' and then I asked him, 'do you feel comfortable to play some minutes?' His desire is there, and so is the hard work.

  "On Saturday [when they played Stockport County at Edgeley Park], we left him here in Hull to carry on training, and so far, everything has gone according to the plan."

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Williams has also recently opened up about his struggles with mental health, admitting he could never be openly honest about his feelings during his time at United due to fears over what would happen as a result. Hull have made a major show of support to the young defender by taking him on, where he will hope he can return to the top level.

• Getty Images Sport
  

  WHAT NEXT FOR WILLIAMS?

  Hull are taking the situation with Williams one step at a time, and it remains to be seen whether he will be signed permanently ahead of the Championship campaign beginning in a few weeks' time.

Alzarri Joseph, the West Indies fast bowler, has been suspended for two matches for his unsanctioned departure from the field during the third ODI against England, in the wake of a disagreement with captain Shai Hope.Joseph issued a public apology in the aftermath of the incident, acknowledging that “my passion got the best of me”, adding that he had “personally apologised to Captain Shai Hope, my team-mates and management”.”I also extend my sincerest apologies to the West Indies fans – I understand that even a brief lapse in judgment can have a far-reaching impact, and I deeply regret any disappointment caused.”During the fourth over of the innings in Bridgetown, Joseph was unhappy with a field placement and could be seen remonstrating with Hope. Off the fourth ball, Joseph removed Jordan Cox caught behind, but did not celebrate with his team, instead immediately returning to his mark. At the end of the over, Joseph left the field unannounced and went into the dressing room, forcing West Indies to begin the fifth over with only ten fielders on the pitch.”Behaviour like that is unacceptable on my cricket field,” Daren Sammy, West Indies’ head coach said to TalkSPORT after play. “We will be friends…but in the culture I’m trying to build, that’s unacceptable. We will definitely have a chat about that.”Joseph returned to the pitch for the beginning of the sixth over, but did not resume bowling until the 12th. He bowled two more overs, before leaving the field again after two misfields off his bowling saw England gain two runs through overthrows. He returned later to bowl two more in the middle overs and his remaining three in the death.Joseph finished the match with figures of 2 for 45 from his 10 overs after dismissing Cox and Dan Mousley.”Alzarri’s behavior did not align with the core values that Cricket West Indies upholds,” Miles Bascombe, CWI Director of Cricket, said. “Such conduct cannot be overlooked, and we have taken decisive action to ensure the gravity of the situation is fully acknowledged.”Sammy, who was appointed as West Indies head coach in May 2023, is widely credited for his man-management abilities, and has convinced several players, such as Andre Russell and Evin Lewis, to return to the international game.”I pride myself on having the difficult conversations,” Sammy said. “But in a way that everybody understands what is needed to be done. To see guys going out there and slowly progressing in the right direction makes me proud.”There’s still a lot of work to be done, but it’s one that I’m quite passionate about.”West Indies won the ODI series 2-1 and the five-match T20 series begins on Saturday, with Sammy hinting that some of the star names who were absent from their recent series against Sri Lanka, such as Nicholas Pooran and Akeal Hosein, are set to return.”We’ve got a couple of senior players who were not in Sri Lanka that we expect to be back,” Sammy said. “Our T20 team is our most successful team and our most settled team. So, yes, we incorporate some new guys to give them that exposure, but our T20 team normally picks itself.”This story was updated at 12am GMT following Joseph’s suspension

Phil Parkinson has claimed that Wrexham have "been playing catch up" in the transfer window and has hailed Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney.

Wrexham splashing the cashAiming to compete in the ChampionshipHave signed Nathan Broadhead in club-record dealFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Wrexham have splashed the cash this summer, breaking their transfer record to sign Nathan Broadhead from Ipswich Town in a deal that could be worth in excess of £10 million. He became their ninth summer signing in the process and Parkinson has explained that the club have had no choice but to spend big to stay competitive in the Championship. 

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Wrexham have had three successive promotions, coming out of the National League, and Parkinson believes that, in every season, they have had to lean on Reynolds and McElhenney's vast reserves of cash, and has hailed their willingness to spend as the club prepare for their first season in the second-tier since 1982. 

WHAT PARKINSON SAID

Parkinson told reporters: "The backing [from owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney] is key.

"There's a lot of spending power in the division. Really since day one, because we've moved so quickly as a club, we've always had to work hard to fast-track the quality level to the first team.

"We've always been playing catch up, even in the National League we were behind a lot of clubs development-wise — the structure, academy, players coming through.

"We had to improve the standard and that filters down. The structure behind the first team has become stronger with the formation of the academy a couple of years ago.

"We've come into this division very quickly and it's important we've brought in Championship standard players to help us on this journey. Also, to help the existing players who have do so well over the last few years."

Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT?

Wrexham face West Brom this weekend in their first home game of the campaign. 

Club state that “lengthy and challenging process” has enabled reimbursement

ESPNcricinfo staff07-Feb-2025Middlesex claim they have recovered £100,000 in ¬unauthorised payments made to their former chief executive Richard Goatley, but declined to comment after an eight-month investigation by Metropolitan Police concluded that “no criminal offences could be identified”.Goatley, who continues to deny any wrongdoing, had lodged a personal injury claim against Middlesex in April 2024, claiming that the club had been pursuing a campaign of harassment against him. In 2021, he suffered a stroke during a committee meeting at Lord’s in 2021, and had been forced to resign due to ill health.Middlesex went on to record a loss of £952,000 in 2021, with their net assets shrinking from approximately £2 million to £179,000. In part this was due to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, although the club’s pensions contributions were also wrongly paid for 12 months, which was claimed to have caused a further £350,000 deficit in their books.In 2023, under the leadership of Goatley’s successor Andrew Cornish, the club was placed into “special measures” by the ECB, having been fined £50,000 for financial irregularities and handed a suspended points deduction.In May 2024, shortly after his High Court filing, Middlesex reported Goatley to the police, alleging that about £70,000 in unauthorised expenses had been paid into his personal bank account.In a statement, a Met police spokesperson acknowledged that Middlesex had made allegations of fraud against Goatley, adding that the “nature of the alleged offences were complex and required careful consideration”.”After a thorough and detailed assessment, officers decided on Wednesday 29 January that no criminal offences could be identified,” the spokesperson continued. “The case will be reopened should further investigative opportunities become available.”In a statement, Goatley said he had always maintained his innocence, adding that the police’s finding were “welcome” and came as “no surprise”. He confirmed that he will be continuing his civil claim against Middlesex. The club continues to deny any wrongdoing.Responding to the developments, Middlesex said they were pleased to confirm the recovery of the missing funds after a “lengthy and challenging process”, adding that they comprised £57,000 of cheques paid into Goatley’s bank account and a further £43,000 of ineligible payments made into his pension fund.”We are grateful to the bank and insurance company involved in ensuring that these payments were refunded to the club,” the statement continued. “We have no comment to make on the decision that the Metropolitan Police have reached and their reasoning for doing so.”This story was updated on December 1, 2025, following a clarification of the timeline of events

A hugely promising Glasgow Rangers transfer update has now emerged, with a fresh update claiming that they have agreed to sign a Premier League player.

Rangers open talks with Vardy and eye further signings

The Gers have reportedly opened talks to bring Leicester City legend Jamie Vardy to Ibrox, ahead of what could be such an interesting piece of business this summer. 49ers Enterprises are clearly hoping to add some high level experience along with bringing in the likes of Thelo Aasgaard from Luton Town to add some youthful exuberance.

At 38, Vardy certainly isn’t getting any younger, and isn’t the force he was when he inspired the Foxes to a stunning Premier League title win back in 2015/16, but he still has the hunger and quality to be a big success in the Scottish Premiership next season.

Rangers are also said to be closing in on the signing of Conor Coady from Leicester, with the centre-back possessing an enormous amount of experience in his career, representing both Liverpool and Everton.

He isn’t the only central defensive option being looked at by the Gers, however, with that search at both ends of the age spectrum evident again.

Rangers agree deal for Nasser Djiga

According to The Daily Record [via Ibrox News], Rangers and 49ers Enterprises are now also set to complete the signing of Nasser Djiga, bringing him in on a season-long loan deal from Wolves.

There is no buy option come the end of next season, though, with Wanderers manager Vitor Pereira considering him an important part of his future plans.

While signing Djiga on a permanent basis would be even more perfect for Rangers, the idea of him being at Ibrox for the whole of next season is still a big positive.

The 22-year-old is such a gifted young footballer with a bright future in the game, making six appearances for Wolves to date and being hailed as both “aggressive” and “powerful” by journalist Kai Watson.

Hopefully, Djiga will be desperate to prove his worth out on loan, showing Wolves that he can be a key starter for them eventually, which should play into Rangers and Russell Martin’s hands, meaning they have a player who is giving his all every day.

Rangers have now opened talks with England legend with £9m in net worth

What a signing this would be for Russell Martin.

ByHenry Jackson Jul 7, 2025

The centre-back has been loaned out to Nimes and Red Star Belgrade in the past, so he shouldn’t find it too difficult to adjust to new surroundings, and the hope is that he plays a part in the Gers getting their hands back on the Scottish Premiership trophy and is tempted to stay for good.

Awesome foursome of Gayle, Bravo, Russell and Pollard can’t prevent title defence from flopping

Deivarayan Muthu04-Nov-20216:49

Are West Indies playing an outdated brand of T20 cricket?

October 7, 2012. Marlon Samuels devours Lasith Malinga and Sri Lanka as West Indies win their first T20 World Cup title. Their coruscating T20I reign begins there and runs until…….November 4, 2021, when it comes to a grinding halt at the hands of Sri Lanka in the UAE.It was Chris Gayle who led West Indies’ rousing celebrations nearly a decade ago in Colombo, with press-ups and jigs as Dwayne Bravo, Andre Russell and Kieron Pollard all cheered him on. The quartet go on to become the face, heart, and soul of T20 cricket around the world.Once the West Indies board underwent a revamp, with Ricky Skerritt taking over from Dave Cameron, their grand plan was to get the old rock band back together in 2019. Pollard was appointed West Indies’ white-ball captain under a new administration, Bravo decided to come out of T20I retirement for his last dance. Gayle pushed himself on to another World Cup, becoming the oldest player at the tournament at 42. You can probably hear Russell’s knee rattle when he runs into bowl, but he, too, is in for another tilt at the world title.

****

On Thursday, West Indies, the defending champions, are up against Sri Lanka, who had to play the qualifier to make the tournament proper. Former captain Daren Sammy keeps repeating on the TV commentary that West Indies’ legacy is on the line. After losing three tosses, Pollard finally wins one and opts to bowl first in Abu Dhabi. But his bowling attack never really turns up, as has been the case throughout the tournament.Related

• West Indies crashed and burned in the 2021 World Cup. How do they turn their T20I fortunes around?

• Akeal Hosein's time to shine

• Is this the last time we see Chris Gayle for West Indies?

• As it happened – Sri Lanka vs West Indies, Men's T20 World Cup, Super 12s

• Dwayne Bravo confirms international retirement after West Indies exit

West Indies’ success in 2012 and 2016 was built around a versatile attack. Samuel Badree gave nothing away in the powerplay; he was superbly backed up by Sunil Narine (in 2012) and Suleiman Benn (2016) in the powerplay. In 2016, Bravo was at the peak of his T20 powers while Carlos Brathwaite and Sammy also pitched in with the ball.In this edition of the tournament, their bowling attack has been fragile although Jason Holder’s late inclusion in the main squad did make it look slightly better. Ravi Rampaul, who was part of West Indies’ title-winning team in 2012, is now 37-years-old. Sure, he bowled some tough overs for Trinbago Knight Riders on his return to the CPL, but it was a gamble to pick him as one of the frontline seamers after just one good season.ESPNcricinfo LtdFabian Allen was originally lined up to do the role that Benn did with the ball five years ago, but an injury sidelined him from the tournament. Akeal Hosein had one of the best economy rates in the most recent CPL, however, couldn’t find similar control in the UAE. Bravo was in hot form for Chennai Super Kings in their run to the IPL title, but cooled off so much that he conceded 42 runs in his four overs against Sri Lanka. It was his third-worst analysis in what could be his second-last T20I.

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Sign up for ESPN+ and catch all the action from the Men’s T20 World Cup live in the USA. Match highlights of Sri Lanka vs West Indies is available here in English, and here in Hindi (USA only).

All up, West Indies’ attack picked up only 14 wickets in four innings at an average of 37.71. Only India and Netherlands have taken fewer wickets in the tournament, having played one game fewer.Oshane Thomas, who bowled with renewed vigour for Barbados Tridents in the CPL, could have added some extra pace and fizz to the attack, but West Indies were rigid with their combination and didn’t use him at all.

****

How about their batting? It was just as one-dimensional, with their high-risk six-or-nothing approach failing them in the UAE. West Indies’ dot-ball percentage of 45.70 was the third worst in the tournament, behind Namibia and Scotland. Lendl Simmons epitomised West Indies’ batting struggles when he dawdled to 16 off 35 balls in a match-losing innings against South Africa.The big four – Gayle, Pollard, Russell and Bravo – couldn’t get the big hits away either. Against Sri Lanka, Gayle chipped left-arm seamer Binura Fernando to mid-on. Russell was bounced out by Chamika Karunaratne while both Pollard and Bravo were done in by sharp wrong’uns from Wanindu Hasaranga.Success was limited for West Indies in the UAE•ICC via GettySri Lanka aced their match-ups and Pollard would later admit that West Indies lacked enough game-smarts.The old band is now breaking up and the search for a new one is already on. In a way, the fading seniors have already passed the baton to Shimron Hetmyer and Nicholas Pooran, who hit 81 and 46 respectively even as West Indies crashed out. Pollard has tipped them to be the future batting leaders, but the prospects do look bleak on the bowling front. Who is the next big T20 spinner after Sunil Narine? Who is the next big T20 fast bowler from the Caribbean?Pollard, Gayle, Bravo and Russell transformed West Indies into the first great men’s T20I team and revolutionised the format, but winds of change are already beginning to blow through Caribbean cricket.

Sunderland haven’t always found life in the Premier League to be the smoothest experience.

Indeed, the Black Cats have finished rock bottom of the top-flight pile a miserable total of three times, with Regis Le Bris now desperately hoping he won’t be another dire face added to the list of managers who have sunk the Wearside outfit.

Sunderland’s chances of immediately staying afloat have been negatively impacted by Jobe Bellingham’s expected departure to Borussia Dortmund officially going through, but new signings galore will certainly soften that blow.

The top-flight underdogs won’t just be hunting down midfielders to replace their teenage sensation, however, with one new potential defensive addition already being lined up that could see the Stadium of Light outfit land their next version of Patrick Van Aanholt.

Van Aanholt's memorable Sunderland stint

Now back in his native Netherlands to see out his career, the attack-minded left-back was previously a fan’s favourite on Wearside when the Black Cats were in the Premier League during the 2010s.

In total, Van Aanholt would go on to amass a hefty nine goals and ten assists for the regular Wearside strugglers from 95 appearances, before banking Sunderland a sturdy £14m in 2017 when moving onto Crystal Palace.

Le Bris will hope as his team embarks on their new Premier League adventure that they can be as daring as the Dutchman once was coming out from defence, with right-back Trai Hume already proving last season his gung-ho qualities when chipping in with three goals and six assists in league action.

To complement Hume’s forward-thinking approach on the right channel, the Black Cats could be about to welcome a modern iteration of Van Aanholt into the building, with this goal-and-assist-heavy Spaniard now tipped to join the newly promoted team’s ranks.

Sunderland targeting new Van Aanholt

Le Bris’ men are slightly light in the left-back department, with the Premier League new boys only having Dennis Cirkin and Leo Hjelde to call upon there.

To boost their numbers down the left-hand side, Sunderland could soon snap up the services of wantaway Aston Villa defender Alex Moreno, with reports from Spain filtering through that the Black Cats are keen on adding the left-back to their roster for only £5m. They aren’t alone in their interest, unfortunately, with fellow newly promoted side Burnley also eyeing him up.

Before being chucked out on loan to Nottingham Forest for more minutes, Moreno did operate as a useful bright spark for Unai Emery’s men, as seen in this delightful effort cannoning in when Villa plied their trade in the Conference League back in 2023.

That is just one of three goals the “sensational” ace – as he was once labelled glowingly by football journalist Charlie Haffenden – has managed to pick up for Villa, with his vast career beyond England also further affirming his eye for a goal and assist.

His defensive class has been evident too, after picking up a respectable seven clean sheets across his Premier League playing days to date.

Moreno’s G/A numbers by club
Club played for	Games played	Goals scored	Assists
Rayo Vallecano	127	9	9
Real Betis	122	6	14
Villa	48	3	3
Elche CF	41	2	4
RCD Mallorca	32	2	1
UE Llagostera	31	2	0
Nottingham Forest	19	0	1
Sourced by Transfermarkt

In total, Moreno has collected a healthy 56 goal contributions across his varied career, meaning he could soon go on to be Sunderland’s second coming of Van Aanholt down the left, such is his front-foot approach. Like the Dutchman – whom the Black Cats signed from Chelsea – Moreno would also be arriving from a Premier League rival, should he move to Wearside.

It will be a tough ask for Sunderland to come out on top in the race for the experienced full-back’s services – with Leeds United also hunting down the 32-year-old’s in-demand signature – but it would be a real statement buy if they were successful.

After all, Van Aanholt was last regularly rampaging down the left at the Stadium of Light, Sunderland were a Premier League regular, with Moreno perhaps the sort of buy the Black Cats need to make to become a top-flight staple again.

Sky Sports: Sunderland now in direct contact to sign £17m Ligue 1 forward

The Black Cats are looking to continue their summer business.

By
Tom Cunningham

Jun 10, 2025

da esoccer bet： Derby County face Blackburn Rovers in the race to sign a versatile midfielder with the same agent as Craig Forsyth, according to a new report.

Forsyth signs new Derby contract as Eustace targets attackers

da brdice： Earlier this week, Derby announced that experienced defender Forsyth has signed a new two-year contract to remain with the Rams. The left-back’s contract was set to expire at the end of this month, but John Eustace, who was a teammate of Forsyth’s during his playing career, has decided to keep the 36-year-old at the club until 2027.

Related Derby County now want "fantastic" Blackburn star loved by John Eustace

The Rams could strike in a headline deal…

Posts BySean Markus Clifford Jun 12, 2025

Forsyth played 39 times for the Rams in the Championship last season, as they avoided relegation to League One. In those appearances, the defender managed to score an impressive three goals and grab four assists. This latest contract will see Forsyth extend his football career to 20 years, and this contract will also see Derby support him in getting his coaching qualifications.

As Eustace decides to keep valuable experience in his defence, in a fan forum held at Pride Park, the Derby boss has revealed that signing new attackers is a priority for the club this summer, given their lack of goals last season.

Eustace said, via BBC Sport: “I’d love to play a back four, some exciting attacking wingers and two good strikers.”

This comes as the Rams have agreed a deal with Luton Town to sign striker Carlton Morris, who is set to undergo his medical once he returns from holiday.

Derby face Blackburn in race to sign Russell

The arrivals at Pride Park don’t look to be stopping there, as according to Football League World, Derby are keen on signing midfielder Jon Russell from League One side Barnsley.

It isn’t just the Rams looking at the 24-year-old however; Blackburn Rovers, Oxford United and Stoke City are also keeping an eye on the player’s situation ahead of a potential move.

Russell, who is a former Chelsea academy graduate, has been with the Tykes since January 2023, when he joined from Huddersfield Town.

The Jamaica international has been a key contributor for Barnsley in his two full seasons at the club – he played 31 times during the 2023/24 League One season, as Barnsley reached the play-offs. He then bettered that last term, as he played 40 times in the league, scoring an impressive 11 goals, as well as grabbing two assists.

Jon Russell’s 24/25 League One stats

Apps

40

Starts

34

Goals

11

Chance conversion

19%

Assists

2

Touches per game

38.9

Key passes per game

0.8

Big chances created

4

Duels per game (won)

4.0 (50%)

This report doesn’t claim how much the League One side would want for Russell, but given his contract expires next summer, Barnsley may have to consider cashing in on the midfielder now, before he leaves for nothing.

In further good news for Derby, they may hold an advantage in this race, as Russell, who can play in a defensive role as well as an advanced role in midfield, has the same representatives, Two Touch Agency, as Derby defender Forsyth, who they have of course recently concluded positive talks with.

Liverpool are set to be in the market to add a new central defender to their squad after adding Jeremie Frimpong, Florian Wirtz, and Milos Kerkez to the group.

Wirtz and Frimpong have already been confirmed as new signings, both joining from Bayer Leverkusen, whilst Kerkez is reportedly on the verge of a move to Anfield.

The Premier League champions will then need to find another centre-back to compete for a place in the team, because Jarell Quansah is set to move on from Merseyside.

Fabrizio Romano has reported that Bayer Leverkusen have agreed a deal worth an initial £30m to sign the England U21 international from the Reds this summer.

Quansah was the third centre-back for Arne Slot during the 2024/25 campaign, behind Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate, which means that the club will need to find another player to fill that slot.

Liverpool have already missed out on one centre-back they were reportedly interested in, though, as Real Madrid snapped up Dean Huijsen earlier this summer.

Why missing out on Dean Huijsen was a blow for Liverpool

It was reported in May that Liverpool were preparing to make a bid to sign the Spain international from Bournemouth, but Real Madrid swooped in to sign him for a reported fee of £50m.

Missing out on a deal for the 20-year-old defender was a blow for the Reds because he is a proven Premier League performer who could have hit the ground running at Anfield, having already showcased his quality in the division for the Cherries.

Huijsen started 26 of his 32 appearances for Bournemouth in the top-flight during the 2024/25 campaign, and his performances were impressive enough to earn a £50m transfer to the Bernabeu.

Progressive passes

4.89

Top 15%

Progressive carries

1.52

Top 9%

Interceptions

1.89

Top 4%

Blocks

1.48

Top 31%

Clearances

7.34

Top 4%

Aerial duels won

2.52

Top 23%

As you can see in the table above, the Spanish titan combined progressive play in possession with solid defensive work, as shown by how highly he ranked against his positional peers.

This further emphasises how much of a blow it was to miss out on the young centre-back, as he could have been a standout performer for Liverpool if he could carry that form over to Anfield.

The Reds could, however, land an even bigger talent than Huijsen as they are now eyeing up a very talented teenage central defender as a potential signing.

Liverpool eyeing up Ajax star

According to the Athletic, the Premier League champions are mainly interested in a deal to sign Crystal Palace star Marc Guehi to replace Quansah before the end of the summer transfer window.

However, the report claims that the Reds will only press ahead with a move for the England international if the Eagles, who won the FA Cup this season, quote a reasonable asking price for him.

Transfer Focus

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

The Athletic, therefore, adds that Liverpool are looking at alternative options to Guehi, and Ajax central defender Jorrel Hato has emerged as a target for the club.

It was previously reported by FootballTransfers that Ajax value the centre-back at a fee of around £43m, and that fellow Premier League side Arsenal are also keen on the Dutchman.

Slot should, now, push for Liverpool to secure a deal to sign Hato this summer because he is an even bigger centre-back talent than both Guehi and Huijsen.

Why Hato is a bigger talent than Guehi and Huijsen

The 19-year-old star’s progress with Ajax at an incredibly young age suggests that he has huge potential and could go on to be a top centre-back in the future.

Hato, despite not turning 20 until March 2026, has played a staggering 111 first-team matches for the Dutch giants. Huijsen, for reference, has only played 53 career games at the age of 20, whilst Guehi had played just 26 matches by the age of 19, and 71 games by the age of 20.

This suggests that the Dutch starlet is a bigger talent at his age than Huijsen and Guehi were, because he played more than twice as many games as the Spaniard and over four times as many matches as the Englishman at the same age.

Hato has also captained Ajax several times, at the ages of just 17 and 18, which suggests that he can bring leadership qualities at a very young age, just as Guehi, who is Palace’s captain, can.

Appearances

31

34

Goals

2

3

Assists

6

2

Tackles + interceptions per game

2.6

2.6

Dribbled past per game

0.3x

0.5x

Ground duel success rate

51%

63%

Aerial duel success rate

55%

54%

As you can see in the table above, the 19-year-old starlet also matched up well against Guehi at league level this season, despite being five years younger than the Eagles star, as he won a higher percentage of his ground duels and was dribbled past less frequently.

Hato, who was hailed as “immense” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, also provides positional flexibility, as he has played 70 games or more as both a centre-back and a left-back.

Whereas Guehi has never played more than two matches away from a centre-back role, and Huijsen has never played any other position other than centre-back in his career.

This means that the Ajax titan would offer far more versatility to Slot, due to his ability to play at left-back, as well as the defensive and leadership qualities that he can offer.

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Overall, Liverpool could land an even bigger talent than Guehi and Huijsen because of what Hato has already achieved in his career at such a young age, and the quality that he can provide in the here and now.