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Whilst there are few certainties on Merseyside after this season, Liverpool fans will be happy to see one of its star players look set to commit their future to the club.

Liverpool braced for big changes this summer

As the looming departure of Jürgen Klopp finally settles in for Reds' fans, the club look ready for their biggest transition since the German took over in 2015. With the Anfield outfit still competing in four competitions both domestically and on the continent, FSG will have to juggle immediate success on the pitch with ensuring an equally as bright future.

Liverpool have already scouted "incredible" £80m star ahead of the summer

This would be the perfect start to the Reds’ post-Klopp era.

ByTom Cunningham Mar 1, 2024

The search for a successor in the dugout has seen Liverpool make not-so-subtle attempts to tempt Xabi Alonso away from the high-flying Bayer Leverkusen. However, the Spaniard has yet to speak out about what his future holds. Turning their attention away from Alonso, FSG have looked towards other names to fill the void left by the German.

FSG have also had to address the lack of a Sporting Director after Jorg Schmadtke departed at the end of the January window, leaving his desk vacant for the remainder of the season. Unsuccessful attempts to beat Manchester United to Dan Ashworth has left the Reds with a lot of work to do off the pitch before the end of the season.

Superstar trio, Vigril Van Dijk, Mohamed Salah and Trent-Alexander Arnold are all set to see their contracts expire in the summer of 2025. Whilst the club attempt to offer new deals to these players, the club are confident that at least one of their star players will be staying at the club beyond this summer.

Robertson to stay at Anfield

As first reported by Football Insider's Pete O'Rourke, Liverpool are “confident” that Andrew Robertson will remain at the club for the foreseeable future. Whilst the Scotsman's contract is not set to expire until 2026, Liverpool are eager to tie down the defender with other clubs circling for his signature.

O'Rourke states that German giants Bayern Munich are interested in Robertson if they are to lose Alphonso Davies, who has reportedly agreed a deal in principle and personal terms with Real Madrid.

It was a modest £8million fee that first saw Robertson join the Reds, leaving Hull City after their relegation in 2017. Since arriving at Anfield, the left back has become a fan favourite, making 283 appearances across seven seasons at the club. The Scottish international has enjoyed major success during his time with Liverpool, lifting both the Champions League and Premier League as well as numerous other domestic trophies.

Striking up a partnership with right back Trent Alexander-Arnold, the pair have been famous on Merseyside for their crossing abilities. The duo currently sit joint top for all-time Premier League assists for defenders, a testament to their quality in their respective positions.

With few guarantees going into the post-Klopp era at Anfield, securing the future of Robertson could go a long way in reassuring fans that the success does not stop with the German's departure.

Glasgow Rangers suffered a shock defeat at Ibrox this afternoon as the chance to go five points clear at the top of the Premiership eluded them.

The Gers had to come back from a one-goal deficit in midweek to secure a 2-1 win over Kilmarnock, and they conceded an early goal once again today, as Motherwell drew first blood.

Philippe Clement’s men had plenty of chances to grab an equaliser in the first half, but failed to do so and another big team talk was required.

James Tavernier scored a trademark penalty after an effort by Cyriel Dessers was ruled out, yet the Steelmen scored with 15 minutes remaining, and they secured all three points in Glasgow.

The defence has been rock solid in recent months, but both John Souttar and Connor Goldson were off it today.

Goldson and Souttar's performance in numbers vs Motherwell

Goldson and Souttar were bullied by Motherwell attacker Theo Blair throughout the encounter, with the forward opening the scoring in the first ten minutes.

Between them, the duo lost possession 25 times throughout the match and never truly looked comfortable as Well had a solid grip on the game, especially during the latter stages.

It was not just the defence which let Clement down, however, as the club had more than enough chances to win the tie but could not convert several excellent chances.

Once again, it was Dessers who missed various opportunities in front of goal and while he may have 16 goals this term, he has also missed 20 big chances in the top flight, which explains everything.

Cyriel Dessers’ statistics vs Motherwell

The Nigerian striker was recalled to the starting XI in place of Fabio Silva from the midweek win, and despite looking keen to make an impact, he failed to create any meaningful chances for either himself or the team.

Not only that, but he also made fewer passes than Jack Butland, completing just 11 during his time on the pitch (Butland made 12) along with failing to get a shot on target, succeeding with zero dribble attempts, taking just 29 touches and winning only one duel.

Metric

Dessers

Blair

Goals

0

1

Shots on target

0

2

Key passes

2

1

Touches

29

37

Dribble attempts (succeeded)

1 (0)

2 (1)

It was another dismal performance for a player who was expected to score goals aplenty for the Light Blues, but when the pressure was on, Dessers failed to turn up.

The 29-year-old also had a goal ruled out due to him straying offside, which occurred three times during the contest, and if the Gers are going to win the league this term, they need to find someone who leads the line more effectively.

There were always going to be bumps in the road during the final few months of the season and the fact that Rangers are still in a title race proves how well Clement has dragged the Gers back from the doldrums.

Motherwell were better than the Ibrox side this afternoon, no doubt about that. The question now is, how will the squad respond when they face Benfica on Thursday evening?

Legspinner heads to Nepal for an ODI series while they await confirmation of Haris Rauf’s return

Alex Malcolm26-Jan-2020The Melbourne Stars have been dealt another major blow on the eve of the BBL finals with legspinner Sandeep Lamichhane unavailable because of international duty while they also face a nervous wait on Haris Rauf’s availability.Lamichhane was believed to be available for the whole season, but he informed the Stars last week that he would not be around for the finals as he heads home to Nepal for a tri-nations ODI series with Oman and the USA which forms part of the qualification pathway for the 2023 50-over World Cup.Rauf is currently playing for Pakistan in a three-match T20I series against Bangladesh in Pakistan which concludes on Monday and was expected to be back in Australia for the Stars’ BBL qualifier on Friday at the MCG. He has missed the past four games of which the Stars have lost three. However, the Stars believe there is a chance Rauf could be held back in Pakistan to potentially play in the first Test which starts on February 7 in Rawalpindi although he was not named among the probables for that series.The Stars will also be without opener Hilton Cartwright for the finals due to a broken finger. They won 10 of their first 11 matches of the tournament to guarantee a double chance at reaching the final but have lost three in a row including to the Brisbane Heat on Saturday.The Stars were confident on Friday that Rauf would return but coach David Hussey conceded after the loss to the Heat that it is not guaranteed.”He might get picked to play Test cricket [but it’s] not confirmed as yet. We’d like him back,” Hussey told reporters. “We’ll see what happens there. We’re still working behind the scenes.”It’s great that he started off his journey playing for the Melbourne Stars and now he’s representing his country. I’m rapt for him, great person, and hopefully, we do get him back for the qualifier.”Whatever he does, I hope he actually represents Pakistan for 100 Tests and 400 T20s and 150 one-day internationals. He’s brought a different dynamic to our group, he’s tried every game he’s played, he fields his butt off and he’s just fitted in the group perfectly.”Lamichhane’s loss is an even bigger blow to the dynamic of the Stars attack. He took 1 for 16 from four overs against the Heat and the Stars have bowled more spin than any other team in the BBL. The Stars spinners have bowled 25 more overs and taken 20 more wickets than the Melbourne Renegades who are second on that list but Lamichhane’s exit will force a rethink.”I’m always a big believer that spin is going to your friend throughout the tournament,” Hussey said. “It’s a fantastic strategy that we have that we might have to rejig a little bit. I must admit I didn’t deal with it too well when he told me he was leaving because he’s a quality person, a quality player and a big part of our plans to go deep into the tournament.”But when you get called up to international cricket, it should be celebrated. It was a couple of days of kicking cans about losing a great player but I’m pretty happy for him.”The Stars took a punt on unknown Pakistan quick Dilbar Hussain against the Heat and it backfired with the Lahore Qalandars development player conceding 56 runs from his four overs. But Hussey was prepared to stick with him and he will stay on as Lamichhane’s replacement even if Rauf returns.”It’s his first time at the MCG in front of a decent crowd representing a new team, his English is not great, he’s only arrived with the Stars in the last couple of days,” Hussey said.”Foreign conditions. I thought there was a lot to offer – 145kph away swingers, good slower ball, good fast bouncer, good control, good yorker. I think he’s got a pretty good future in the game. I think he’s going to ruffle a few feathers later on in the tournament.”

Sean Williams was named captain, while there was no place for PJ Moor or Ryan Burl in the Zimbabwean side

ESPNcricinfo staff15-Jan-2020Sean Williams will captain Zimbabwe for their upcoming two-Test home series against Sri Lanka starting on January 19. One-third of the players he leads though have never played the longest format.Zimbabwe Test squad to face Sri Lanka

Sean Williams (capt), Sikandar Raza, Regis Chakabva (wk), Craig Ervine, Kyle Jarvis, Kevin Kasuza, Timycen Masruma, Prince Masvaure, Brian Mudzinganyama, Carl Mumba, Ainsley Ndlovu, Victpr Nyauchi, Brendan Taylor, Donald Tiripano, Charlton Tshuma

Among the five uncapped players is Charlton Tshuma, the pacer included after a bicep injury to Tendai Chatara ruled him out of the series. His domestic teammates Victor Nyauchi and Brian Mudzinganyama are also in line for a Test debut with opening batsman Kevin Kasuza and spinner Ainsley Ndlovu rounding out the rookies in the squad.ALSO READ: Lakmal returns, Kusal Perera dropped from Sri Lanka’s Test squadThe biggest exclusion, meanwhile, is that of PJ Moor, the wicketkeeper batsman among the mainstays of the Zimbabwean setup of late. In their most recent international game, he scored an unbeaten 60-ball 92 against Singapore in the last game of a T20I tri-series.Another omission that raised eyebrows was Ryan Burl’s, whose exploits in the Bangladesh Premier League, particularly with the ball, have garnered acclaim. A reputation for being an aggressive batsman may have done his chances more harm than good, even though of late, he told ESPNcricinfo he had been working to mould his game to first-class cricket. He will have to wait to add to the solitary Test cap he currently has, which came in the four-day Test against South Africa in 2017.Regis Chakabva is the wicketkeeper, just as he was for the Zimbabwe’s last Test series, a 1-1 draw against Bangladesh at the back end of 2018. There are more familiar names in the squad, with Brendan Taylor, Sikandar Raza, Craig Ervine, Donald Tiripano and Kyle Jarvis all included. Both Tests will be played at the Harare Sports Club, with the first starting on January 19. This will be Zimbabwe’s first taste of Test cricket in over a year, and the first Test played in Zimbabwe since October 2017, after financial woes played a large part in preventing Zimbabwe from hosting international cricket.

Bravo backed Pooran following his ball-tampering ban, saying the youngster is “far from that type of player”

ESPNcricinfo staff15-Nov-2019

Former West Indies captain Dwayne Bravo has called Nicholas Pooran’s attempts at altering the condition of the ball during West Indies’ third ODI against Afghanistan a “silly mistake”.”I know Pooran since he was 17 years old and he is not that type of player,” Bravo said on Thursday in Abu Dhabi where he will be playing in the T10 tournament as Maratha Arabians’ captain. “Yes, that (ball-tampering) happened, the evidence is there. But deep down inside he doesn’t mean anything [bad] to cheat or anything.”ALSO READ: Dwayne Bravo hints at international comebackPooran was banned for four T20Is after video footage showed him scratching the surface of the ball with his thumbnail. He admitted to the offence, a breach of level 3 of the ICC’s Code of Conduct, and accepted the sanction proposed by match referee Chris Broad.In his defence, the young batsman said it was an “isolated” incident, which would not be repeated as it was an “extreme error in judgment” on his part.Pooran will now miss the ongoing three-match T20I series against Afghanistan and the opening match of the subsequent exchanges against India.Bravo said Pooran needed to be given time to understand his mistake. “It is just a silly mistake on his part,” Bravo said. “He accepted it. But I know the individual personally, and that is not something he will ever do or encourage anyone to do. It is just a simple mistake, he gets caught, he accepts it, but he is far from that type of player.”