Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney broke Wrexham's transfer record to sign Ollie Rathbone, and he has now been likened to Lionel Messi.
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Naseem Shah, Pakistan’s teenage tearaway fast bowler, has signed for Gloucestershire to play in the County Championship and T20 Blast as an overseas player.Naseem, 18, has played nine Tests since his debut against Australia in November 2019, the most recent coming against New Zealand 12 months ago.He is one of Gloucestershire’s three confirmed overseas signings for 2022, with two permitted in each playing XI across competitions. Marcus Harris, the Australia opener, has signed an all-formats deal, while Naseem’s compatriot Zafar Gohar will be on a pay-as-you-play deal for the early months of the season before moving to a full contract after Naseem’s departure.Naseem is due to be available for the first half of the Championship season and the group stages of the Blast, which are expected to run until early July. He could return earlier if called up for Pakistan’s rescheduled ODI series against West Indies in June, which is due to impact the availability of several players with county contracts for 2022 including Shaheen Shah Afridi (Middlesex) and Mohammad Rizwan (Sussex).”I’m extremely happy to be joining Gloucestershire and can’t wait to experience playing in English cricket for the first time,” Naseem said. “I’m excited for what we can achieve as a team next season and will use all my skills to help Gloucestershire challenge for silverware across all formats.”Gloucestershire are due to play in Division One of the Championship for the first time since 2005, following their promotion in 2019 which has been delayed for two years by the Covid-19 pandemic. They recently announced the appointments of Steve Snell and Dale Benkenstein as their performance director and head coach respectively, and are due to appoint a new captain in the coming months.”Naseem Shah is a fantastic talent and we’re thrilled that he’s decided to come and join us for next season,” Snell said. “Naseem will bring further depth to our pace-bowling department and will provide exciting competition for places in our seam-bowling ranks.”I have heard fantastic things about Naseem’s attitude and his willingness to stand up in the tough moments in games. I’ve got no doubt that Naseem, with the quality he has, will give us a great chance of achieving success.”
As the international break continues and Liverpool reportedly make their first enquiry to sign an attacking reinforcement, one European club may be left with no choice but to bid farewell to their star man.
Liverpool transfer news
With a Caoimhin Kelleher penalty save for Ireland and an international debut to remember for Curtis Jones, who scored in England’s 3-0 victory over Greece, the international break has gone perfectly to plan for Liverpool’s squad so far. Everything seems to be falling the way of the Reds – so much so that many at Anfield have been left waiting for the catch.
Sitting top of the Premier League, top of the Champions League and on a run of 15 wins in 17 games, that catch doesn’t look set to emerge anytime soon for Arne Slot, who has somehow seamlessly replaced Jurgen Klopp.
As the Dutchman sets his sights on Premier League glory at the first time of asking, he may even get some added additions when the January transfer window arrives.
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According to L’Equipe, Liverpool have made their first enquiry to sign Rayan Cherki from Lyon in the January transfer window. Valued at a reported €25m (£21m), the French club may be left with no choice but to sell their star midfielder in the winter window amid financial concerns culminating in a reported debt of €500m (£417m) – €100m of which must be paid to avoid provisional relegation to Ligue 2.
So, if Liverpool decide to submit an official bid to sign Cherki in the January window, Lyon are unlikely to be in any position to reject that offer in an attempt to avoid disastrous consequences.
"Magnificent" Cherki would be opportunistic signing
Throughout the summer transfer window and as Liverpool welcomed just two fresh faces, the consistent narrative sold to those at Anfield was that Richard Hughes and Michael Edwards would only act if the right opportunity came up. It emerged in the case of Giorgi Mamardashvili, who will replace Alisson Becker in the long-term and it emerged in the case of Federico Chiesa, whose cut-price saw Liverpool take a relatively risk-free gamble.
Now, a similar opportunity has emerged to sign Cherki. Like Chiesa, the attacking midfielder is likely to leave Lyon for a lower price than what should be expected for a man of his talent to potentially hand Liverpool another bargain buy.
At just 21 years old, and given the rumours of Chiesa’s future already being in doubt due to fitness issues, Cherki would certainly be worth the gamble for his potential as a replacement. Slot could quickly take the Frenchman up another level entirely in similar fashion to how the Dutchman’s influence allowed Jones to find his best form.
The likes of Football Talent Scout’s Jacek Kulig would certainly be pleased to see Cherki complete such a big move, having dubbed the 21-year-old a “magnificent talent” last year.
If Manchester United are to take anything away from the turbulent post-Sir Alex Ferguson era, it should be that often the best course of action is to promote from within, rather than investing heavily in the transfer market.
In truth, excluding the presence of Bruno Fernandes – who boasts 150 goals and assists for the club – the major shining lights of the last decade or so have been academy graduates, rather than high-profile incomings.
Indeed, Marcus Rashford has dazzled – inconsistently at times – ever since his debut brace against FC Midtjylland back in February 2016, while even Scott McTominay emerged as a real force prior to his summer exit, having netted ten times in all competitions last season.
Erik ten Hag’s time at the helm has notably coincided with the rise of both Kobbie Mainoo and Alejandro Garnacho, with the young pairing having poetically proven the difference in May’s FA Cup final triumph over Manchester City.
While Mainoo has endured a sticky start to the new season after being struck down by injury prior to the international break, Garnacho continues to steal the limelight…
Although not exactly a ‘homegrown’ talent in the eyes of some – having been signed from Atletico Madrid as a 16-year-old back in 2020 – the Spain-born, Argentina international has blossomed from youth sensation into first-team hero in recent years.
The star of United’s FA Youth Cup success in 2022, after netting a brace in the final, the wing wizard has enjoyed a relatively smooth transition to life in the senior set-up, even shaking off initial concerns regarding his attitude.
Ever since scoring his first goal for the club away to Real Sociedad in November 2022, the youngster hasn’t looked back, now boasting 33 goals and assists in 99 games in all competitions.
That includes a return of eight goal involvements in 13 games already in 2024/25, with it no surprise that Ten Hag lauded him as his side’s “best player” earlier this month.
Still only 20, the speedy sensation – who reportedly earns ‘just’ £50k-per-week at Old Trafford – is already one of the most successful Argentines to have turned out for the club, in stark contrast to the costly capture of one notable compatriot, Angel Di Maria.
It says a lot that arguably Di Maria’s most memorable moment at the Theatre of Dreams came in a Paris Saint-Germain shirt, having been sent flying into the advertising hoardings courtesy of a ‘kind’ nudge from former teammate, Ashley Young.
There was of course that delightful dink against Leicester City – which came amid a haul of 15 goal involvements in total in 2014/15 – yet such moments of magic were few and far between, with both parties having been keen to separate as soon as possible at the end of that debut season.
On the face of it, the initial capture of the Real Madrid star had appeared something of a coup, with then-United chief Ed Woodward forking out roughly £59.7m to land a player who had claimed the Man of the Match award in the Champions League final just a few months prior.
That marquee move – which saw Di Maria handed the club’s famed number seven shirt – ultimately tumbled toward disaster, with club legend Gary Neville later dubbing the playmaker an “awful” signing for the club.
Even though he only lasted a solitary season in Manchester before sealing a £44.3m switch to Paris, what did not help matters was the hefty wage that the current Benfica man was also raking in at the time, having taken home a £250k-per-week salary – working out to £13m a year.
Not only is that five times more than what young Garnacho is earning in the present day, but it also ensures that Di Maria cost roughly £72m in total, when combining his initial transfer fee and total pay packet.
A particularly expensive mistake then for Woodward and co, with the player later admitting that he had never actually wanted to sign in the first place, having outlined that his “intention was always to stay at Real Madrid”.
|
Di Maria’s career record |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
|
Club |
Games |
Goals |
Assists |
|
PSG |
295 |
93 |
119 |
|
Real Madrid |
190 |
36 |
85 |
|
Benfica |
181 |
34 |
44 |
|
Juventus |
40 |
8 |
7 |
|
Rosario Central |
39 |
6 |
2 |
|
Man Utd |
32 |
4 |
11 |
|
Total |
777 |
181 |
268 |
|
Stats via Transfermarkt |
|||
Perhaps – as far as United are concerned – he should well have stayed put at the Bernabeu, rather than linking up with the “worst coach of [his] career” in Louis van Gaal, with the addition of the World Cup winner certainly one of many costly errors of the last ten years or so.
Thankfully, the club now do have an Argentine talent worth his salt, in the form of the game-changer Garnacho.
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Joe Nuttall
Oct 23, 2024
Wayne Rooney has been told that he may have to “drop down to League Two” in order to “prove himself” and get his coaching career back on track.
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Before Jurgen Klopp was appointed to replace the beleaguered Brendan Rodgers in 2015, Liverpool weren’t exactly savvy in the transfer market.
In fact, the Anfield side had been tied to something of a reputation for ineffective, questionable signings. One of the worst, right before Klopp’s advent, was the £20m deal to sign Lazar Markovic from SL Benfica in 2014, using money made from Luis Suarez’s sale to Barcelona.
Liverpool endured a tough 2014/15 season and Markovic was at the epicentre, completing 34 appearances for the Reds but only scoring three goals and adding one assist.
Reporter James Pearce said that the Serbian was “rated as one of the most exciting young talents in Europe,” but he left with his tail between his legs and has never captured and directed the nascent quality that hinted at something brilliant.
It’s a type of purchase that Liverpool have been determined never to repeat, but before Darwin Nunez joined the club, there were concerns that he was going to be the next version of the former flop.
Liverpool's next Lazar Markovic
In June 2022, Liverpool sold Sadio Mane to Bayern Munich for an initial £27m fee, and while Luis Diaz had been prudently snapped up six months before, a player of that calibre needed replacing in the aggregate.
Thus, Nunez was signed in a deal rising to a club-record £85m figure, becoming the first acquisition Liverpool had made from Benfica since purchasing Markovic eight years before.
Signing such an unknown commodity is always going to be something of a risk, as was the case when Markovic was landed years before. TalkSPORT had questioned Liverpool’s bid, suggesting that it could have been a signing that emulated the previous misfire. Markovic, after all, was also courted by Chelsea in the lead-up to his Anfield arrival.
Former Chelsea manager, Avram Grant, had said of the Serbia international: “I can say that apart from Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, Markovic is one of the best talents I’ve ever seen at 19 years of age.”
First Impressions
What did pundits and fans alike think about their new star signing when they arrived? Football FanCast's 'First Impressions' series has everything you need.
As you can see, talent and expectation alone are not enough to hit success. Conversely, such things can prove to be the unravelling of a talented prospect.
Nunez had some cobwebbed history to overcome, and for many, the jury may well still be out, over two years since he joined Liverpool. Indeed, the Uruguay international has faced plenty of criticism for poor finishing, though he’s also blessed with some of the most awe-inspiring athletic qualities – and a tenacity to admire too.
In any case, he’s successfully avoided plummeting into a status that mirrors that of Markovic, who is undoubtedly one of the worst Liverpool signings across the past decade. Instead, he can enter the same conversation as Vinicius Junior, Real Madrid superstar.
Nunez is now playing like Vinicius Junior
He hasn’t hit the kind of free-scoring form that all of a Liverpool persuasion want for him under Arne Slot’s wing, but Nunez is certainly showcasing improvements, especially when looking at the underlying data.
Matches (starts)
29 (19)
36 (22)
8 (4)
Goals
9
11
2
Assists
3
8
1
Shots (on target)*
2.9 (1.3)
3.0 (1.3)
1.4 (0.8)
Big chances missed
20
27
1
Pass completion
67%
72%
75%
Big chances created
11
11
2
Key passes*
1.0
0.9
0.4
Dribbles*
0.6 (49%)
0.4 (43%)
0.8 (75%)
Total duels won*
2.8 (38%)
2.4 (38%)
3.5 (39%)
The data pool from the current campaign is shallow, but Nunez has succeeded in making headway across a number of key metrics.
Namely, the Uruguayan is becoming crisper with his passing and far more incisive with his dribbling, completing a whopping 75% of his darting runs, penetrating through lines to either strike on goal or make space for, say, Mohamed Salah.
Nunez has also missed just the one big chance in the top flight this term, having scored twice across his four starting appearances.
Sharp, dynamic movements have always been a staple of his skill set and something that he wears on his sleeve, ranking among the top 15% of forwards across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for progressive carries and the top 4% for touches in the attacking penalty area per 90, as per FBref.
It’s such progressive properties that have led FBref to list Vinicius Junior as a comparable player. The Real Madrid sensation might have been snubbed for the Ballon d’Or in October, but he’s still one of the finest forwards in the world, having posted 36 goals and 18 assists for his club since the start of last season.
Nunez hasn’t found his richest attacking form under Slot’s wing – yet – but he notched 18 goals and 13 assists across all competitions for Liverpool last season and needs only hit that vein to marry the Vinicius-esque athletic ability and rise to the fore
Vinicius is creative and lightning-quick, endowed with the trickiest of tricks and confidence to match. His versatility is something to admire, and if Nunez just continues to work on his football, he could become “unstoppable” – as Klopp has hailed him before – and hit the same level as the Brazilian sensation.
After all, he’s already playing in a similar manner. Now to raise his game.
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Australia fast bowler Tayla Vlaeminck will miss her second consecutive World Cup as well as the remainder of the ongoing Ashes after suffering another stress fracture in her right foot.Vlaeminck played the opening T20I against England in Adelaide where she bowled with good pace but then reported soreness and was seen in a moonboot during the second match that was washed out on Saturday.The injury has again occurred in the navicular bone, which is the same one which ruled her out of 2020 T20 World Cup on the eve of the tournament although that fracture had completely healed, and she will now miss the ODI event in New Zealand.Australia have tried to carefully manage Vlaeminck, one of the quickest bowlers in the world, through the early stages of her career and she has been limited to 24 appearances across three formats since her debut in 2018.Related
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“She’s done a great job getting through to this point,” head coach Matthew Mott told Channel Seven. “We were always going to look to manage her through. But for it to happen so early in this Ashes campaign, it’s absolutely shattering for her and for the whole group. It was a pretty sombre dressing room last night. I spoke to the group about what it would look like for her and we all went through it before, leading into that T20 World Cup.”She knows what it’s about, she’s come back before and that’s what we’ve got to hold out hope for. We’ll put our arm around her and do everything we can to build her back up. She’s a young fast bowler and we see it in the men’s game all the time, if you’re going to run in and bowl as fast as you can it’s a dangerous activity. So we’ll do everything we can to get her back up but it’s a tough couple of days for her, definitely.”Comparisons have been drawn with the journey Pat Cummins went on after his Test debut as a teenager and the subsequent injuries which then saw him not play another Test for more than five years.”I knew Patty as a young fast bowler. It’s very similar,” Mott said. “When you’re going through those flat spots and you’re rehabbing over and over and it seems like there’s no light at the end of the tunnel. To see what he’s done off six years basically out of international cricket, to come back a stronger more mature bowler it just goes to show it can be done.”That won’t give her a lot of solace at the moment. She’s going to go through some tough times over the weeks and months to come and it’s our job as an organisation to make sure that we can put enough support around her, get her back to her best and we will see the rewards in a couple of years time.”Australia team doctor Phillipa Inge said: “Tayla has sustained an acute navicular stress fracture. She had a similar injury in early 2020; this fracture completely healed and Tayla made a successful return to play to international cricket in March 2021.”Tayla reported a return in midfoot pain and subsequent images have confirmed a recurrent stress fracture of the navicular.”The Cricket Australia and Cricket Victoria medical teams will work collaboratively on the immediate management over the coming days and a subsequent return to play plan.”Australia’s selectors will decide on a replacement for Vlaeminck in the coming days but, if they want a like-for-like, it could open the door for tall quick Stella Campbell who made her debut against India earlier this season. Campbell is currently part of the Australia A squad and took 7 for 25 in the WNCL at the start of January.Vlaeminck adds to a growing list of injuries for Australia as they begin an intensive period of cricket. Legspinner Georgia Wareham is out until next season due to an ACL injury while left-arm spinner Sophie Molineux is unavailable for the Ashes due to a stress fracture of her foot, but it is hoped she will recover for the World Cup.Beth Mooney has missed the start of the Ashes after suffering a fractured jaw at training although has already returned to light training following surgery last week.
Liverpool have received a significant injury boost regarding a “top player”, with reliable journalist Paul Joyce providing the positive update.
Liverpool prepare for Southampton clash
The international break arguably came at a bad time for the Reds, in terms of stopping their momentum, and they are back on Sunday with a trip to Saints, going into the weekend action five points clear at the top of the Premier League.
With Manchester City and Arsenal hosting Tottenham and Nottingham Forest on Saturday, respectively, Arne Slot will know that their lead may well have been narrowed by the time kickoff arrives.
While Liverpool haven’t been decimated by injuries this season, as too often proven to be the case under Jurgen Klopp, they have still been without key players for lengthy periods.
Alisson and Diogo Jota are the two who stand out the most, but Harvey Elliott has also been missing for months, while the likes of Trent Alexander-Arnold, Conor Bradley and Federico Chiesa have also been out at different times. Now, a fresh injury update has emerged ahead of the Southampton game, with one player seemingly edging closer to his return to the side.
Liverpool receive fresh injury boost
Taking to X on Friday, Joyce confirmed that Elliott is back in training ahead of Liverpool’s clash with Southampton, providing quotes from Slot’s press conference:
Elliott’s fractured foot on England Under-21s duty back in September came at such a bad time for him, considering this was hopefully going to be a season that saw him kick on.
Last term, the 21-year-old was arguably Liverpool’s most effective substitute, often coming on in games and proving to be a difference-maker, as was the case when he scored a last-minute winner away to Crystal Palace last December. Meanwhile, Alan Shearer is a big admirer, saying:
“What I like about him now, he can play midfield also. We all knew he could play midfield but he’s not just okay because Salah’s playing on the on the right and he wants to come on in his left foot. He can play in a variety of different positions and every time he plays it really shows me that he’s good enough for this level now, it really does. As long as he can get some consistency, I think we’ve got another top player on our hands.”
Having Elliott back will be such a big boost for Liverpool, and with Slot preferring to use a No.10 more than Klopp did, it could be a great opportunity to shine in arguably his best role.
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The young Englishman is a different player to Dominik Szoboszlai in that position, not possessing his physicality and dynamism but possessing more guile, so having both options available to Slot will immediately make the Reds stronger.
Jack Grealish has been told his 'career might slip away' if he does not get back to focusing on football at Manchester City.
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Grealish struggling at Man City this seasonBeen linked with a move awayTold his 'career might slip away'Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
Grealish has only started 14 matches in all competitions for City this season, including six in the Premier League. His playing time has diminished since he played a crucial part in City's treble in 2022-23 – and former England international Teddy Sheringham believes he needs to snap "back into football mode" at the Etihad.
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Grealish has suffered a succession of injuries this season and City boss Pep Guardiola revealed last week that his "problems" prevent him from playing as often as he would like. The England international was also spotted drinking in a pub in east Manchester on Sunday, which was on a sanctioned day off but may not have gone down well with Guardiola, who claimed City winger Savinho was in "better shape" than Grealish in January.
WHAT SHERINGHAM SAID
Ex-Manchester United and Tottenham striker Sheringham told Prime Casino: "I used to work hard, play hard in my day, but you still need to know when to play hard. There have always been players over the years that worked OK and played hard, and their football abilities fell off a cliff. Jack's a little bit in that mold at the moment. They won the treble, and he celebrated, and it doesn't seem like he's got back into his football mode yet. He needs to, otherwise his career might slip away. He's had a couple of injuries, I know he has, but it's amazing how easy it is for a football career to slip away. He needs to get his focus back again and make sure that he gets back in the Man City team and stays free of injuries. To do that, you have to do the right things at the right times. I think he needs to get his focus back on football and everything else will fall into place."
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Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR GREALISH AND MANCHESTER CITY?
City are next in action at Nottingham Forest in the Premier League on Saturday, in a crucial game for both side's top-four hopes. They then host Brighton before an FA Cup quarter-final encounter against Bournemouth after the March international break.
Leeds United’s attackers were the talk of the town on Saturday after they ran out 3-0 winners over Plymouth Argyle in the Championship at Elland Road.
Dan James, Joel Piroe, and Brenden Aaronson all got on the scoresheet in the first-half to secure all three points for the Whites, whilst Wilfried Gnonto registered an assist for the first goal.
This meant that all four of the attackers who started the game in the front four ended the first half with one goal involvement under their belts for Daniel Farke.
As well as those attacking stars, there were a number of other strong performers across the pitch for the Whites in the win over Wayne Rooney’s side.
Ao Tanaka as the real star of the show for Leeds in midfield, after he completed 91% of his passes and won five of his six duels.
Central defender Pascal Struijk is another player who caught the eye with his display at the heart of the defence, winning seven of his 11 duels to prevent the away side from registering a single shot on goal.
Another player who produced a superb performance for the Whites was right-back Sam Byram, as Jayden Bogle was suspended after collecting his fifth yellow card of the season against Bristol City.
In the last two games, Byram has won 14 of his 19 duels and completed seven tackles without being dribbled past a single time by an opposition player.
First Impressions
What did pundits and fans alike think about their new star signing when they arrived? Football FanCast's 'First Impressions' series has everything you need.
He also created two ‘big chances’ for his teammates in that time, which shows that the former Norwich man has provided quality at both ends of the pitch to make him undroppable.
His performances for Leeds since the start of last season are particularly impressive when you consider that the club did not initially want to sign him in the summer of 2023.
The Athletic reported that the club had doubts over whether or not it was worth giving him a contract and only allowed him to train with the first-team on a fitness basis in pre-season initially.
It was claimed that Farke, however, was keen to work with him again, having signed him for the Canaries, and pushed to bring him in on a free transfer.
That has turned out to be a fanastic move by the German head coach as he has struck gold with Byram, who has been a dependable performer for the Whites after joining for nothing.
The Englishman, who was hailed as “important” by Farke last season, is currently undroppable on the basis of his last two performances, whether he plays at right-back or left-back is up for debate, though.
|
23/24 Championship |
Sam Byram |
|---|---|
|
Appearances |
33 |
|
Sofascore rating |
7.12 |
|
Tackles + interceptions per game |
2.8 |
|
Ground duel success rate |
56% |
|
Aerial duel success rate |
56% |
|
Stats via Sofascore |
|
As you can see in the table above, Byram featured in 33 of the club’s 46 league games last term and provided a strong defensive presence, winning the majority of his duels on the ground and in the air.
It was a remarkable achievement when you consider that the last time he made more than 22 league appearances in a season was in the 2014/15 campaign with Leeds, before his spells with West Ham and Norwich.
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This shows that Farke struck gold with Byram as he took a gamble on the defender and has been rewarded for his faith, with a player who is now undroppable on current form and has played more frequently than he did in his previous two clubs.