أعلن الجهاز الفني لنادي الزمالك، بقيادة البلجيكي يانيك فيريرا، استبعاد أحد لاعبي الفريق من المشاركة في بطولة السوبر المصري القادمة، بسبب عدم تعافيه من إصابته.
ومن المقرر أن يشارك نادي الزمالك في بطولة كأس السوبر المصري، الذي سيقام في دولة الإمارات خلال الفترة من 6 إلى 9 نوفمبر، مع أندية الأهلي وبيراميدز وسيراميكا كليوباترا.
طالع.. خاص | موقف الزمالك من إقالة يانيك فيريرا قبل السوبر المصري
وسيلتقي الزمالك مع بيراميدز، في دور نصف النهائي من بطولة كأس السوبر المصري، وذلك يوم الخميس المقبل الموافق 6 نوفمبر.
وأفاد مصدر من نادي الزمالك لـ بطولات: “الفلسطيني آدم كايد، سيكون خارج حسابات الزمالك في بطولة السوبر المصري بسبب حاجته لفترة تأهيل للإصابة التي يعاني منها في عضلة السمانة”.
وكان نادي الزمالك تعادل مع البنك الأهلي، في المباراة التي أقيمت بينهما مساء أمس الخميس، في الجولة الـ 12 من عمر منافسات الدوري المصري وانتهي اللقاء بالتعادل الإيجابي 1-1.
يذكر، أن الزمالك سيلعب مع طلائع الجيش، يوم الأحد المقبل، في منافسات الجولة الـ 13 ببطولة الدوري، ثم يسافر إلى الإمارات للمشاركة في بطولة كأس السوبر المصري.
It might sound hyperbolic, but West Ham United are in something of a crisis at the moment.
They may have earned themselves an impressive win away to Nottingham Forest a few weeks ago, but they’ve lost their other four games by a combined score of 14-3.
The club might put out a press release indicating their support for Graham Potter, but he is overseeing relegation form, and therefore, it feels like a matter of when and not if he is replaced.
West Ham have already been linked with a host of possible alternatives, including Kieran McKenna, although they’re also eyeing up a clear upgrade on him.
Why West Ham might want McKenna
While a host of managers are currently out of work, one name recently linked with West Ham is McKenna.
Manager Focus
Who are the greatest coaches in the land? Football FanCast’s Manager Focus series aims to reveal all.
He might not be the biggest name, but it’s not hard to see why the Hammer might want to hire the Northern Irishman to take over from Potter.
First and foremost, his record with Ipswich Town is significantly more impressive than the Englishman’s record with the Irons.
McKenna vs Potter (Current Jobs)
Manager
McKenna
Potter
Games
179
24
Wins
83
6
Draws
48
5
Losses
48
13
Points per Game
1.66
0.96
All Stats via Sofascore
For example, the “sensational” 39-year-old, as John Barnes dubbed him, has an impressive record of 83 wins, 48 losses, and 48 draws with the Suffolk side, which comes out to an average of 1.66 points per game.
In contrast, since taking the job in January, the former Chelsea boss has overseen just six wins with the East Londoners, but 13 losses and five draws, which works out to a poor average of just 0.96 points per game.
Another reason McKenna might tempt the East Londoners is the fact that he helped turn the Tractor Boys from a lowly League One side into a Premier League outfit in the space of a few years, without a great deal of investment.
Yet, with all that said, West Ham now appear keen on another top-quality manager, one who would be a better hire than McKenna: Nuno Espírito Santo.
At least that is according to a recent report from Football Insider, which claims the former Nottingham Forest manager is now “high” up on the list of potential Potter replacements.
Moreover, as he’s not currently in a job, the club wouldn’t have to pay a fee to get him.
Why Nuno would be a better an upgrade on McKenna
So, as we’ve outlined above, McKenna would be a good hire for West Ham; he’s shown as much over the last few years.
However, there are a number of reasons why we think Nuno would be an even better option, notably his experience.
The Northern Irishman might have gotten a taste of Premier League football with Ipswich last season, but that’s it; he’s managed just 38 games at the top level, and while his team played some good football at points, they still went down.
Nuno vs McKenna in the PL
Manager
Nuno
McKenna
Games
184
38
Wins
72
4
Draws
45
10
Losses
67
24
Points per Game
1.42
0.58
All Stats via Transfermarkt
In contrast, the former Wolverhampton Wanderers manager has taken charge of 184 games in the Premier League, of which his teams have won 72, lost 67, drawn 45 and averaged 1.42 points per game.
Another big tick in favour of the “incredible” Portuguese coach, as dubbed by Sky Sports’ Sam Obaseki, is what he managed to achieve at Forest.
When he was appointed manager of the Tricky Trees, they were staring down the barrel of relegation, sitting five points off the drop and with just a single win from their last 13 matches – sound familiar?
He then guided them to safety in his first half-season, before leading them back to European football for the first time in generations last season.
More than that, he turned what was previously an easily beatable team into a solid and incredibly difficult side to break down, so much so that Matz Sels ended up winning the Golden Glove alongside David Raya.
Ultimately, while McKenna may go on to become a hugely successful manager, there would still be an element of risk in hiring him.
West Ham source shares potentially imminent Graham Potter sack timeline
The Englishman may be out of a job soon on one condition.
ByEmilio Galantini Sep 18, 2025
However, there would be far less risk in hiring Nuno, as he’s already proven at this level and has shown an ability to turn a relegation-threatened side into one fighting for European places.
DC have lost two of the three games in Delhi and defending champs KKR will look to take advantage of their inconsistency
Abhimanyu Bose28-Apr-20253:53
DC’s bowling a concern at Kotla?
Big picture: DC’s home form a concernUnder first-time captain Axar Patel, Delhi Capitals (DC) got off to an flier, IPL 2025 winning their first four matches. But their fortunes took a tumble since their return to Delhi. In their three matches at the Arun Jaitley Stadium so far, they have lost two and their only win came via a Super Over.Against Mumbai Indians, they collapsed in a 206 chase despite being in the driving seat until Karun Nair fell in the 12th over. Against Rajasthan Royals, they looked like they were headed for defeat until Mitchell Starc defended nine runs in the final over to take the game to a one-over shootout. Against Royal Challengers Bengaluru, their bowlers couldn’t capitalise on an early collapse.Related
Sai Sudharsan takes back IPL 2025 Orange Cap from Kohli
Harshit Rana missing Gambhir's 'aura' at KKR
A drop-off in the form of some of their key players has played a part. KL Rahul scored 185 runs in his first three games (he missed DC’s season opener), averaging 92.50 and striking at 169.72. However, since their first game in Delhi, he has only managed 179 runs in five innings, with his strike rate also dropping to 127.85.In DC’s first four games, Kuldeep Yadav took eight wickets, conceding at less than a run a ball. In the next five matches, his number of wickets have halved, his economy rate has gone up to 7.35 and his strike rate has jumped from 12 to 30. Similarly, Mitchell Starc took nine wickets from his first four outings, but he has only picked up two wickets from the next five games.KL Rahul’s top score in Delhi has been 41 so far, while he has three half-centuries in four away outings in IPL 2025•BCCI
Until now, DC have been in the top half of the points table, but now they need to regroup and rediscover consistency as the battle for the playoffs heats up.Form guideDelhi Capitals LWLWL(Last five completed matches, most recent first) Kolkata Knight Riders LLWLWTeam news and likely XIIsIt’s a very short turnaround time for DC after their last game against RCB, but they are likely to continue with the same combination. They could continue with their tactic of starting with just six batters even if they bat first, as even then they have six bowling options.Delhi Capitals XII (likely): 1 Faf du Plessis, 2 Abishek Porel, 3 Karun Nair, 4 KL Rahul (wk), 5 Axar Patel (capt), 6 Tristan Stubbs, 7 Vipraj Nigam, 8 Mitchell Starc, 9 Dushmantha Chameera, 10 Kuldeep Yadav, 11 Mukesh Kumar, 12 Ashutosh Sharma/Mohit SharmaKKR made a couple of changes in their last game, bringing in Rovman Powell and Chetan Sakariya in place of Ramandeep Singh and Moeen Ali, and are unlikely to tinker with their combination after the washout against Punjab Kings.Kolkata Knight Riders XII (likely): 1 Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), 2 Sunil Narine, 3 Ajinkya Rahane, 4 Angkrish Raghuvanshi, 5 Venkatesh Iyer, 6 Rinku Singh, 7 Rovman Powell, 8 Andre Russell, 9 Harshit Rana, 10 Vaibhav Arora, 11 Varun Chakravarthy, 12 Chetan SakariyaIn the spotlightWith Jake Fraser-McGurk woefully out of form, the expectations will be high on Faf du Plessis to deliver at the top for DC. He played in three of the first four matches of the season, before missing four games with a niggle. He struggled on his return against RCB, and has failed to cross 30 in any of the four matches he played except his half-century against Sunrisers Hyderabad.2:51
Bishop: Need to give Powell, Russell ‘time to tee off’
In his third season with KKR, Rahmanullah Gurbaz has a chance to get an extended run of games, having replaced Quinton de Kock at the top of the order. The opening partnership has been an area of concern for KKR and they will hope that Gurbaz can form a strong alliance with Sunil Narine. Gurbaz was out for just one run in his first game of the season and scored 1 not out in the washout against PBKS, so he will hope for a good outing in Delhi.The big questionPitch and conditionsDC mentor Kevin Pietersen said after the RCB game that they had gone for a slow and low surface to counter their opponents’ strength but they will hope for a better batting surface on Tuesday night. The match will be played on pitch No. 5, which is in the centre, so there won’t be a shorter side for the batters to target.Stats and trivia Kuldeep Yadav has bowled three deliveries to Sunil Narine in two innings and dismissed him twice. Only R Ashwin, Jasprit Bumrah and Piyush Chawla (27 each) have more wickets against DC than Sunil Narine, who has 24. Only Chennai Super Kings (19.77) have a lower average for the opening partnership this season than KKR (19.87) and DC (24.22)Quotes”He’s bowling really good, the lengths he is hitting. And he is mixing it up well. I won’t take any names, but we should keep learning watching other teams play.”
علق مهند لاشين، لاعب منتخب مصر، على التعادل مع بوركينا فاسو سلبيًا، في المباراة التي أقيمت بينهما، الثلاثاء، ضمن منافسات التصفيات الإفريقية المؤهلة إلى نهائيات كأس العالم 2026.
والتقى منتخب مصر مع بوركينا فاسو، على ملعب الأخير، في إطار مواجهات الجولة الثامنة من مباريات المجموعة الأولى لـ تصفيات كأس العالم.
طالع| محمد فضل يوجه نصيحة إلى حسام حسن بسبب مصطفى محمد: طبطب عليه
وقال مهند لاشين في لقاء مع برنامج ملعب أون، على قناة أون سبورت: “الحمد لله، الله دائمًا السبب في أي خير يحدث، الحمد لله رب العالمين، النتيجة كانت جيدة جدًا، من أول معسكر الحمد لله كنا كلنا حاسين بقيمة المهمة”.
وبسؤاله عن الإصابة التي تعرض لها، تابع: “الحمد لله، هي كانت إصابة في الظهر في مباراة الأهلي قبل المعسكر، وتم استدعائي، كانت فرصة أن أعود للمنتخب، وأقدم أداء جيدًا وأشكر كابتن حسام وإبراهيم والدكتور أبو العلا والدكتور مصطفى لأنهم تعبوا معي بعد الإصابة”.
وكشف: “في المباراة الأولى الإصابة تفاقمت علي في ظهري، لكن الحمد لله قدرنا نسبق الزمن وأكون موجودا، الحمد لله رب العالمين، أهم حاجة إنك تتوكل على ربنا، وتضع أهدافًا صغيرة تحققها، والأهداف الكبيرة ربنا ييسرها لك”.
واختتم: “التركيز في الفترة الماضية مع النادي، وربنا كرمنا وقدرنا نحقق بطولتين مهمين جدًا، آخرهما دوري أبطال إفريقيا، بطولة كبيرة جدًا وأكبر بطولة في القارة على مستوى الأندية، وهذا كان دافعا كبيرا لنا، وربنا كرمني بانضمامي إلى منتخب مصر ونحن في مرحلة مهمة ونحتاج لحسم الصعود”.
England veteran signals readiness for Test farewell with six wickets in opening spell
ECB Reporters Network02-Jul-2024
James Anderson celebrates a wicket•George Franks, via Lancashire Cricket
James Anderson signalled his readiness for next week’s Test farewell at Lord’s by claiming a remarkable seven-wicket haul in his first Championship appearance of the summer, as Lancashire seized control against Nottinghamshire at Southport.Anderson’s haul of 7 for 35 included an opening burst of 6 for 19 in ten overs, as Lancashire were able to enforce the follow-on after three days of the Vitality County Championship match at Southport & Birkdale Cricket Club.Anderson, whose last competitive match was the fifth Test against India at Dharamsala in March, warmed up for his final Test next week as if he had never been away with the best figures in this season’s Championship, as Nottinghamshire were skittled for 126 in reply to Lancashire’s first innings 353 for nine declared.Nathan Lyon took his 800th first-class wicket when the visitors followed-on 227 runs behind and they had reached 84 for two in their second innings by the close needing a further 143 runs to avoid an innings defeat.”To do what he did this morning was pretty amazing to witness,” Lyon said of Anderson’s performance. “Obviously I’ve seen it when I’ve been on the other side, when I’m not standing there saying ‘come on Jimmy’ so that was amazing to watch and amazing to be a part of.”That’s the beauty of county cricket I guess, to come over here and play with arguably the greatest fast bowler to play the game has been pretty special. No disrespect to the other bowler’s playing in this game, the class of what Jimmy brings to the table, the extra zip off the wicket, the extra bounce he gets – and that’s not even mentioning his skills set – that ability to go both ways and also bowl the wobble seam.”It was pretty cool being at mid off and actually have him tell me what he was actually doing, it was good fun.”Keaton Jennings declared once Lancashire had scored the six runs needed for a third batting point and then watched from second slip as Anderson unleashed an astonishing ten-over spell of six for 19 from the Harrod Drive End to destroy the Notts top and middle order line up.If there was a shade of good fortune about his first wicket when Haseeb Hameed via a bottom edge deflected the ball just enough to clip the bails, the rest were the result of Anderson repeatedly hitting a perfect line and length on a good wicket but one that also offered some slight assistance.Will Young was the next to depart when edging behind to wicketkeeper Matty Hurst followed by Joe Clarke caught at second slip for 0, while both Jack Haynes and Lyndon James fell caught fending off rib-high deliveries, the former at short leg and the latter via a glove to fourth slip.Anderson took all six wickets to fall before lunch after Liam Patterson-White edged to give fourth slip another catch, and suitably refreshed the England bowler returned to have Dillon Pennington caught behind in the fifth over of the afternoon, for his 55th five-wicket haul in first-class cricket and 22nd for Lancashire.By then Tom Bailey had nipped in to take two wickets in two balls, ending a 41-run partnership between Ben Slater and Calvin Harrison when the latter edged behind, and having Olly Stone caught at second slip.Last pair Slater and Dane Paterson, who hammered two massive sixes, hit out to add 42 runs for the last wicket – the biggest partnership of the innings – before a direct hit by Lyon ended the innings with Paterson (19) short of his ground, leaving Slater stranded having carried his bat for a valiant 64.The left-handed batter was less fortunate when Notts followed-on, trapped lbw for 17 by Lyon to give the Australian his landmark wicket shortly after the tea interval.And Lyon also broke a determined 31-run partnership off 103 balls between Hameed and Young when he had the Notts captain caught behind for 41.With Lancashire camped around the bat and the batters intent on survival above all else, Young (11 not out) and Clarke (11 not out) safely negotiated their way through to the close and the visitors will have to show similar resolve tomorrow if they are to stave off defeat.
Shamsi says SA will have to rely more on spin than pace in the Caribbean leg of the T20 World Cup
Firdose Moonda15-Jun-20242:32
Morkel: South Africa need to have more intensity with bat
South Africa are “testing out all the scores,” as Tabraiz Shamsi jokingly put it when he accepted his Player-of-the-Match award after helping his team pull off another last-ball heist, against Nepal.Although South Africa topped Group D and are yet to lose a match in the tournament, their last two victories have come off the final ball and their match against Netherlands was decided in the penultimate over. “It’s a little bit closer than we’ve needed it to be,” Shamsi said.All four of their games have been low-scoring, starting with their opener against Sri Lanka, who they bowled out for 77. Then, South Africa chased 104 against Netherlands, having recovered from 12 for 4 to do it, and defended 113 against Bangladesh and 115 against Nepal. The first three totals could be somewhat explained by seamer-friendly conditions in New York, which was characterised by inconsistent bounce but the score in St Vincent was the result of what seemed like a misreading of conditions, which were more suited to spin. Captain Aiden Markram summed it up as them being “nowhere near our best and just lacked a bit of intensity and conviction in our game plans.”Related
Nepal captain Paudel: 'We were very close but a little far'
Heartbreak for Nepal as Shamsi scripts stunning turnaround
Amid chaos and randomness, South Africa hold their nerve (for a change)
While he did not isolate the top three, their form remains a concern. Between them, Quinton de Kock, Reeza Hendricks and Markram have scored 129 runs from 12 trips to the crease, at an average of 10.75. Only Uganda, Papua New Guinea and Ireland’s top three have fared worse. After being put in to bat against Nepal, their old Achilles’ heel against spin seemed to re-emerge as all seven of the wickets that fell were to Dipendra Singh Airee’s offspin and Khushal Bhurtel’s legspin.There may also have been reflection of an element of facing the unknown in the way South Africa performed against Nepal. This was the first time South Africa and Nepal have met in an international match and Markram conceded that Nepal, “put us under a lot of pressure,” as South Africa also navigated between playing morning games in the USA and a night match in St Vincent. “It has been a bit different because we spent the whole day almost doing nothing and there [in New York], we’d be playing first thing in the morning,” he said. “Moving forward some things may change. It’s one of the big challenges of cricket, being open minded and adapting.”Quinton de Kock and Reeza Hendricks are yet to fire like they can•AFP/Getty Images
For Shamsi, the key to playing in the Caribbean is recognising that there will be a need to shift away from reliance on pace to spin. “Our fast bowlers did a great job in New York but our slower bowlers will have to take up the mantle now,” he said.South Africa came prepared for that, and included three specialist spinners in their 15-player squad. So far, they have only fielded one of them per game, with Keshav Maharaj playing in New York and Shamsi in St Vincent, but Markram conceded they both should have played against Nepal. Left-arm spinner Bjorn Fortuin has yet to come into the conversation but with a reputation for taking wickets with the new ball, he may also feature in the Super Eight. South Africa were the first team to qualify for that round and Markam is hopeful they can “put a more complete game of cricket together now that we move forward to the business end of the competition.”Ultimately, some may be of the view that may not be what it takes for South Africa to win their first World Cup. Historically – and often despite strong performances in the group stages – South Africa have crumbled in crunch moments and lost games that they seemed on course to win. Now, with three close results, they’ve shown an ability to hold their nerve. “We’ve been put under pressure in every single game and we have stood up to it,” Shamsi said.Importantly, they also found different match-winners. Against Netherlands, David Miller’s 51-ball 59 took them over line, against Bangladesh, Keshav Maharaj’s 3 for 27 did the trick and against Nepal, Shamsi’s 4 for 19 was vital to their victory. Throughout Ottneil Baartman’s performances have been exemplary and added variation to an attack that has sometimes been too one-dimensional.The top order issues aside, South Africa seem to be ticking along well or as Shamsi said: “When this team is rolling, everybody knows their roles.”
Arsenal have made a left-field transfer approach amid sporting director Andrea Berta’s hunt for new forwards, with Mikel Arteta’s side moving for one of Jose Mourinho’s key targets for Fenerbahce.
£150k-per-week Premier League star in London after agreeing Arsenal move
Arsenal are about to make a signing.
2 ByEmilio Galantini Jun 25, 2025
The north Londoners want to reinforce their attacking options ahead of a potentially more fruitful Premier League title challenge next season, and new sporting director Andrea Berta has been targeting both wingers and strikers.
Arsenal transfer spending under Arteta (via Sky Sports)
Money on new signings
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
Their pursuit of a number nine – likely to be one of Benjamin Sesko or Viktor Gyokeres as Berta remains working on both deals simultaneously – is grabbing most of the headlines, but Arsenal definitely want a new winger as well.
Real Madrid star Rodrygo is their “dream” target, according to Fabrizio Romano, but the Brazil international’s £205,000-per-week wages and reported £77 million price tag make this move a difficult one to pull off, not to mention the task of convincing him to leave world football’s most elite side.
It may, however, be far easier to negotiate with Man United over a move for outcast Jadon Sancho, who are reportedly desperate to cut the Englishman’s £300,000-per-week salary from their wage bill.
Arsenal make "surprise" approach for Jadon Sancho
As per CaughtOffside, in collaboration with Nigerian journalist Buchi Laba, Arsenal have made an enquiry over Sancho, which the outlet states may come as a “surprise” to some.
Arteta’s side are yet to follow that up with formal talks, though, with Mourinho’s Fenerbahçe appearing to be in the driving seat as things stand. The Portuguese has personally spoken with Sancho about swapping England for the Turkish Süper Lig, and if the player gives his green-light, United’s eagerness to sell means this won’t be a difficult deal to do.
If Arsenal are to hijack this move, they’ll have to move in quickly, as Fenerbahçe have also made Sancho a tempting contract offer with high wages – a proposal which he’s “seriously” considering.
The 25-year-old England international finds himself at a crossroads, despite flashes of brilliance during a mixed loan spell at Chelsea. Sancho scored in their Conference League final win over Real Betis, and his overall performances in west London were enough to convince Chelsea to hold talks with the winger over making his stay permanent.
However, they ultimately failed to reach an agreement, leaving Sancho in limbo, with a key decision set to be made on whether to leave England once again. For Arsenal, they must now decide whether to intensify their pursuit or focus all of their attention on the likes of Rodrygo.
If they do try their hand at competing for Sancho, Berta and co will likely want to negotiate a lower salary, as his current £300,000-per-week wages would make him Arsenal’s highest-paid player.
There is also the added complication from Juventus, who are poised to open talks for the ex-Borussia Dortmund sensation (Sky Sports).
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.”
Bournemouth's Dean Huijsen.
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.
Everton defender Jarrad Branthwaite
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.
Prem 24/25 – Dean Huijsen vs Jarrad Branthwaite
Stats (* per game)
Huijsen
Branthwaite
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%)
Data via Sofascore
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.
Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk
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.
Premier League Possession Stats (24/25)
League Rank
Club
%
16th
Leicester
45.4%
17th
Crystal Palace
42.8%
18th
Nott’m Forest
41.2%
19th
Everton
40.9%
20th
Ipswich
40.6%
Data via FBref
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.
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Liverpool should think twice about parting ways with this talented first-teamer.
Leeds United are close to securing their first signing of the 2025 summer transfer window. The Whites are now back in the Premier League following promotion success in the 2024/25 campaign, and are now seemingly ready to splash the cash in order to survive, something that has been a struggle in recent seasons for newly-promoted sides.
Highly reputable journalist Fabrizio Romano gave his famous “here we go” tagline to Leeds’ move for Jaka Bijol.
The Slovenian centre-back will join the club for £18.7m from Italian side Udinese, as their first major signing of the summer.
Daniel Farke’s side are now lining up their next signing, who could prove to be an even better addition than their new centre-back.
Leeds' next signing after Bijol
It is certainly an early statement of intent from the Yorkshire side. Bijol is an “immense” player according to Sky Sports’ Dougiue Critchely, so for Leeds to have all but confirmed his move to Elland Road is a strong start to the window.
Transfer Focus
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Things could be about to get even better for the 2024/25 Championship winners. TEAMtalk are now reporting that Fulham striker Rodrigo Muniz is a target, with Leeds ‘ready to make a fresh push’ for the 24-year-old Brazilian.
However, this will not be an easy deal to do, with the report describing it as ‘difficult’.
The two clubs are some way apart in their valuation of the striker at this stage. Whilst the West Londoners want upwards of £50m, Leeds are hoping to do a deal around the £35m mark. Thus, ‘there remains lots of talking to be done’ in order for this transfer to progress.
Why Muniz would be a good signing
Bringing Muniz to Elland Road could be a huge addition for the Whites this summer. Crucially, he is a Premier League-proven player, with a track record of scoring goals in the English top flight during his two seasons at Craven Cottage.
Last term, the former Flamengo player found the back of the net on eight occasions in 31 appearances, grabbing an assist along the way, too.
He played just 950 minutes, the equivalent of ten full 90-minute games, meaning he was not far off a goal per game on average.
There is no doubt that Bijol is an excellent addition for the Whites. Pundits like Critchley rate him highly, and he helped keep eight clean sheets in 34 games last season for Udinese, captaining them at times, too.
He will certainly help to strengthen at the back at Elland Road, and will add some more leadership to Farke’s squad. That will be invaluable going into what will be a tough campaign in 2025/26, avoiding relegation.
Jaka Bijol in action for Udinese.
However, perhaps there is a strong case to be made that Muniz will be an even better signing for Leeds, and for one reason. He is a proven Premier League goalscorer, having notched up nine in 2023/24 and, of course, eight last term.
In the last two seasons, all six newly-promoted sides have been relegated, and Leeds have a chance to buck that trend. Well, an experienced top-flight striker will count for lots. They will surely need his goals.
Of those six relegated sides, he was outscored by two Luton Town players in 2023/24, namely Carlton Morris and Elijah Adebayo, who scored 11 and 10, respectively. Last season, Liam Delap, now a Chelsea player, scored 12 goals, and the evergreen Jamie Vardy outscored him by one.
That said, Muniz was not always a regular starter and did actually score considerably more goals per 90 minutes which bodes well should he become Farke’s number one choice.
Relegated sides’ top goalscorers in last 2 seasons vs. Muniz
Player
Club
Goals
Goals per 90
Liam Delap
Ipswich
12
0.42
Carlton Morris
Luton
11
0.35
Rodrigo Muniz (2023/24)
Fulham
9
0.51
Jamie Vardy
Leicester
9
0.29
Rodrigo Muniz (2024/25)
Fulham
8
0.75
Jacob Bruun Larsen
Burnley
6
0.33
Brereton Diaz/McBurnie
Sheffield United
6
0.25 & 0.42
Paul Onuachu
Southampton
4
0.34
Stats from Premier League
Generally speaking, you need a top striker to regularly score goals and help keep you in the Premier League. Well, Muniz could be the guy for Leeds.
Not only did he score eight times in ten full 90-minute games last term, but his non-penalty expected goals of 0.75 per game as per FBref, was among the best 5% in the top flight.
He has the potential to explode if given a run of games by Farke. He could become a “revelation” in a Leeds shirt, a word football talent scout Jacek Kulig once used to describe him. £50m is a big investment, but it could be worth it if Leeds stay in the top flight.
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Aston Villa’s first transfer window of the summer is now officially underway, with club president Monchi given a small chance to recruit new players from June 1 to June 10, with the window then reopening again on June 16 through to September 1.
Aston Villa transfer window challenges amid PSR concern
Villa eventually missed out on qualification for the Champions League during a tense final day battle, but Unai Emery does have Europa League football to look forward to, and there is every chance they can go on to win the competition.
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As we’ve seen from Tottenham’s recent triumph against Man United in Bilbao, it would hand Villa a unique route back into the Champions League for 2026/2027, so Emery will be taking their Europa League conquest very seriously.
Race for Champions League qualification – Final standings
Rank
Team
Points
GD
3
Man City
71
+28
4
Chelsea
69
+21
5
Newcastle
66
+21
6
Aston Villa
66
+7
7
Nottingham Forest
65
+12
It is set to be a big summer for NSWE, as their failure to qualify for Europe’s most prestigious competition next season makes the next two transfer windows ever so slightly trickier – both financially and in terms of attracting the continent’s best players.
There is also the matter of PSR, with Villa announcing substantial losses of £85.4 million for the 2023/2024 season back in April. Reports even suggest that they may have to sell their women’s team to comply with PSR (The Times), but BBC chief football writer Phil McNulty says that any player sales conducted this summer will be carefully thought out.
“Aston Villa may have to do deals to fend off any lingering PSR concerns, but I think the club are in safe hands with the current ownership and those sales will be smart without weakening the squad,” said McNulty.
“We have even seen Morgan Rogers linked with Chelsea, but I do not see Villa entertaining that sort of deal as they want to push on from what Unai Emery has already achieved.”
Mainstay Villa keeper Emiliano Martínez is a key player who’s been repeatedly linked with the exit door recently, with Espanyol star Joan Garcia recently eyed up as a potential replacement for the Argentine.
Unai Emery rates Joan Garcia "highly" as Aston Villa face Barcelona threat
There are suggestions in Spain that Villa have already made an offer for Garcia, whose contract includes a £25 million release clause, but this is yet to gain traction among reliable media outlets closer to home.
To make matters more complicated, Fabrizio Romano and other reliable media sources also state that Barcelona are thought to be very advanced over a transfer for Garcia – so NSWE may now need to launch a hijack attempt.
Commenting on Villa’s links to the “exciting” 25-year-old, and Martinez’s potential exit, a former chief scout at Villa Park, Mick Brown, has shared what he’s heard on the matter.
Speaking to Football Insider, Brown says that Emery rates Garcia “highly” as Aston Villa plot a move for him, with Martinez looking likely to leave the club.
“Emery and Monchi still have strong connections in Spain,” said Brown.
“They’ll be speaking to them about the possibility of the deal because they’ve identified this Joan Garcia as one of their options in goal. In normal circumstances, if you’ve got a goalkeeper like Emi Martinez, you’re going to want to keep him.
“But the financial situation they’re in after missing out on the Champions League, and a bit of interference from his agent, mean they might have to sell. There’s been a lot of talk about his future at the club.
“So with that, they’ve already started looking at players who could come in and replace him.
“I don’t know much about the Spanish goalkeeper, but he’s young and Emery rates him highly, so he could well be the one they go for.”