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Leeds United have the opportunity to improve the first-team squad this summer, regardless of the division they find themselves in between now and the end of the season.

The Whites remain in a solid position to claim promotion from the Championship, currently occupying second place under Daniel Farke – with the German having the chance to win his third second-tier title.

However, the last few weeks have seen the side stutter towards the finish line, winning just one of the last five matches, surrendering their lead at the top of the table.

The last clash in the league saw Farke’s men draw 2-2 with Swansea City after a 97th-minute equaliser from Zan Vipotnik secured an unlikely point for the visitors.

One player in particular failed to deliver during the clash with the Welsh outfit, leading to questions over his long-term future at Elland Road, with many unhappy with his recent showings.

Illan Meslier’s future at Leeds United

Goalkeeper Illan Meslier has been Farke’s number-one option between the sticks this season but has often produced a moment of madness, costing the side all three points.

He made two separate errors against the Swans at the weekend, with his penalty save forgotten after his mistakes which handed the visitors a point in Yorkshire.

The Frenchman hasn’t been a stranger to a mistake this campaign, currently having a goals prevented xG of -2.7 – massively impacting the club’s chances of getting promoted.

Regardless of what division the club find themselves in next season, Farke must part ways with the 25-year-old if the side are to reach the next level – with his mistakes ultimately too costly.

However, the goalkeeper shouldn’t be the only player to depart the club this summer, with the manager brutally needing to part ways with one player who’s not at the level required for the top flight.

The Leeds star who wouldn’t cut it in the PL

Ahead of the summer, numerous players’ contracts are set to expire, with time running out for the hierarchy to secure an extension on players whose deals are coming to an end.

Junior Firpo is just one first-team member who could depart Elland Road this summer, with the Spaniard no closer to agreeing a new contract – with teams in Spain already registering interest in his services.

Sam Bryam is another player who could leave this window, with the club needing to avoid offering him a new deal – especially if they are to achieve promotion by the end of the year.

The 31-year-old, who’s been labelled “reliable” by one analyst, is currently in his second spell with the Whites, after rejoining on a free transfer in the summer of 2023.

The right-back has been a valuable squad member this campaign, making 30 appearances – but only 15 have come from a starting role, with the likes of Firpo and Jayden Bogle ahead of him.

However, the stats he’s produced are unfortunately not up to the level of a Premier League standard, with the 49ers needing higher quality players if they are to maintain their top-flight status if they secure promotion.

Games played

30

Games started

15

Pass accuracy

83%

Touches per 90

75

Tackles won

1.2

Duels won

5.3

Aerials won

2.2

There’s no denying he’s been a tremendous servant for the club over the years, but ultimately he’s coming to the back end of his career with Farke needing to offload him and invest in new blood.

It will be a harsh decision to part ways with him given his extended time with the Whites, but unfortunately, the club need to do what is right if they are to be more competitive in the years ahead, whether that’s in the Championship or the Premier League.

Leeds sold Meslier upgrade for just £1.4m, now he's a "superstar"

Leeds United will now rue getting rid of this Illan Meslier alternative.

ByKelan Sarson Mar 31, 2025

Liverpool's list of departures could reportedly go into double figures as the Premier League champions look to offload some of their fringe players.

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• Anfield clear-out expected
• Departures could exceed 10
• Not including Madrid-bound Trent

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  According to the Daily Mail, aside from Trent Alexander-Arnold seemingly heading to Real Madrid, forward Darwin Nunez is likely to leave to raise funds, as is goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher. They add it would 'not be a surprise' if Joe Gomez left, and teams are in for Jarell Quansah. Harvey Elliott has seemingly hinted his time at the club could be nearing an end, and if Liverpool sign Bournemouth's Milos Kerkez, Kostas Tsimikas could move on. The report adds that Barcelona like Luis Diaz and Bayern Munich want Cody Gakpo, but there is no guarantee they will leave. Finally, youth players Tyler Morton, Owen Beck, Lewis Koumas, Jayden Danns, and Ben Doak could leave on loan or make permanent exits.

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• Liverpool
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Liverpool won the Premier League title once again this year but Arne Slot will have his work cut out to finish top of the pile again in 2026. The Reds reportedly have a summer 'warchest' to strengthen their squad, with Florian Wirtz set to cost a huge fee, but to fund that, sales will need to happen. They may need to show their ruthless side as well, and that could mean academy products being moved on.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  In addition to the aforementioned players, individuals such as Trey Nyoni and Stefan Bajcetic will return from their loan spells soon. Ergo, it remains to be seen if they will make the step up to the first-team squad, go on loan again, or head for a permanent exit.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  WHAT NEXT?

  As Liverpool continue to bask in the glow of another Premier League title win, a lot of hard decisions need to be made ahead of next season in regards to players' futures. And with the transfer window days away from opening, some movement could happen soon.

“For a Perth boy, the facts are everywhere else is cold.” Ryan Campbell has been taking a tour around the boundary at Hove, with his Durham side striving for breakthroughs in their Championship match against Sussex. It is, by recent standards, a beautifully sunny spring day, but Campbell is well wrapped up as he leans on an advertising board and discusses how he ended up at English cricket’s most northerly outpost.A Western Australian, capped twice by his country, who represented Hong Kong at the age of 44 before going on to coach Netherlands for more than five years, Campbell is one of cricket’s great nomads. He is also a great survivor, in the most literal sense – 12 months ago, while in the UK with his family, he suffered a cardiac arrest that left him in an induced coma with a 7% chance of pulling through.Remarkably, Campbell recovered in time to play a role in Netherlands’ T20 World Cup campaign in Australia late last year – a point he had previously identified as the “perfect way to finish” his Dutch adventure. It wasn’t long before he was on the move again, taking on the job of Durham head coach and pronouncing himself fit for the stresses and strains of life on the county beat.”My health is really good,” he tells ESPNcricinfo with a smile. “It’s quite bizarre really, next Sunday is the anniversary of it, one year, which has gone pretty fast to be honest. Few changes, left the Netherlands, coming here. But the main thing is I’m still here to tell the tale. My health is good, my family – the kids are going well, my wife obviously. So really looking forward to this next challenge.”Related

• Ryan Campbell reflects on 'humbling' recovery: 'It does put your life in perspective'

• 'Great to be back, almost a bit surreal' – Campbell on his Perth homecoming after near-death experience

• Ryan Campbell named as Durham head coach on three-year deal

• Oli Carter steers nervy run chase as Sussex defeat Durham

The challenge in question, that of resurrecting Durham, was offered to Campbell by another Australian and former WA team-mate, Marcus North, who is now the club’s director of cricket. Durham have been stuck in Division Two since their summary demotion by the ECB in 2016, as punishment for requiring a financial bailout; although there have been signs of improvement, they finished a disappointing sixth in 2022, leading to James Franklin’s departure after three seasons in charge.”I’ve always loved county cricket,” Campbell says. “I’ve always wanted to be a part of county cricket. The opportunity arose, Durham came a-knocking so to speak, and I just thought it was gonna be a great challenge. Looking at the squad, I think there’s lots of talent and, of course, I played most of my career with Marcus North, so we have a good relationship. And I felt we’re on the same page with where we want to take this team so there wasn’t a lot of hesitation.”Campbell had been due to work with Durham during the Royal London Cup in 2020, taking some time away from Netherlands, before Covid threw the world off course – but he kept an eye on their fortunes. “I felt that they were going in a really good direction and last year, obviously they didn’t play as well as they could have – but in saying that they didn’t lose a lot of games in the Championship, they drew a lot [eight out of 14 games]. So what do you do? Okay, you change a few things. Can I bring a bit of more my style to the team and give them a bit of freedom?”Coincidentally, “freedom” is the new zeitgeist for red-ball cricket in England – and so it was that Durham began the LV= Insurance Championship season by barrelling along to a score of 352 for 7 from 70 overs on a rain-affected opening day on the south coast. It seems a neat fit that Campbell’s Durham embrace Bazball – “people are going to call it whatever they want to call it” – so wholeheartedly given that they are also the home of Ben Stokes, the man who alongside Brendon McCullum has overseen England’s dramatic Test reboot.Like Stokes and McCullum, Campbell says the thinking behind such an aggressive approach is simple: how to best take 20 wickets in order to win the game. “That takes time,” he says. “So I reckon the batters need to get on with it and give our bowlers enough time.”In the end, Durham’s second-innings collapse proved more significant in determining the result at Hove, but the logic remains the same.”We need to create an opportunity for our bowlers to get those wickets and I think [day one] was a bit of a reflection of that. We lost 20 overs of the game but we felt by stumps, we’d kind of made those up with the way we played. Even looking at the way Sussex’s openers went about it to start, you can see there’s a clear way people want to go. I think county cricket is going to be in for some great viewing this year. If I was a spectator I think it’d be well worth watching because it sounds like there’s a few teams pretty keen to get on with it.”Campbell had even floated the idea in the dressing room of declaring on the first evening, in order to steal a march on Sussex – a move reminiscent of Stokes engineering the day-night Test against New Zealand in Mount Mauganui to England’s advantage by ensuring the home side twice had to bat under lights.”All I keep saying to the guys is what do we have to do to win this game? So if that means we break the mould and declare before stumps on the first day because we feel that their openers don’t want to bat for those last three or four overs. We weigh that up with 20 or 30 [extra runs]. Is that important? That’s the only thing I’m asking the players, to ask questions. Don’t just accept that’s the way everyone does it.”I watch lots of county cricket and you look at these massive scores and you think to yourself, well, that’s great, but that’s only one way you can win the game now. And if it doesn’t go your way, then it’s a draw. I’m not convinced that’s the way forward. At the end of the day 16 points [for a win] is a lot, five for a draw isn’t. I know there’s bonus points and all that sort of stuff, but for me 16 points is the most important thing and how can we go about it?”Campbell was involved on the Zoom call during the offseason on which Stokes and McCullum put across their blueprint for the game to the counties and, as a similarly attacking batter during his playing days, needed little convincing. Despite his background, learning the trade at a time in when Australia were at their domineering best, he is happy to credit England with providing the “spark” that the first-class game needed.Campbell, an explosive batter in his playing days, leads a Netherlands training session•Peter Della Penna

“It was refreshing to hear, but it wasn’t any rocket science,” he says. “I think my job as a coach is to give players a good environment and the freedom to be them. But at the end of day, especially the longer form of game has been crying out for a spark. And I think that’s what England have done and it hurts me to say, because obviously I’m a proud Aussie, but I think what England have done is made it to a point where people are interested in the game again. Just look around here. There’s people coming in to watch, to have a look. And I think there’s a real feeling and buzz of excitement about what’s going on.”That buzz extends to the anticipation of this summer’s Ashes, with Campbell uncertain for the first time about whether he should back his countrymen. “I know Australia will be sitting there going, they cannot bat like that against our bowling attack,” he says. “But I know England will be sitting there going, ‘Yes, we can, and we’re gonna try.’ That’s gonna be the interesting factor, can they stand up to one of the best attacks in the world.”Back with Durham, and despite defeat in the opening round, the season lies ahead waiting to be discovered. North may have brought in Campbell with the goal of achieving promotion in the Championship but, fittingly for a man who has seen a fair bit of the world, his ambitions are more far-reaching.”I’ll be honest, I want to us to be the best team in England. And to do that, it might take a while, but to be the best team in England, along the way I think you’re gonna win a few things. I hate to say ‘We’ve gotta get promoted’, because you’re fixated on the wrong things. I know I’m sounding a bit like a coach, with the old cliches, but if we can get the right things in place, players playing the right way our academy producing the players – and our academy’s been brilliant – then I think we’re on the right track.”We’ll get to where we get to – and if we just fall a bit short, we’re still going to be a bloody good club. And to me that’s the important part. Durham is a massive part of England, the northeast are craving for it to be a really good team. Hopefully that’s what I can produce.”

كشف مروان عطية، لاعب الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بالنادي الأهلي، عن تفاصيل معاناته من إصابة، والتي تمنعه من تقديم مستويات ثابتة مع الأحمر.

ويلتقي الأهلي، مع إنتر ميامي، فجر الأحد 15 يونيو الجاري، في افتتاحية منافسات بطولة كأس العالم للأندية، المقامة في الولايات المتحدة الأمريكية.

وقال مروان عطية، عبر قناة أون سبورت: “أُعاني من الفتاق منذ تسعة أشهر، وألعب في هذه الفترة باستخدام المسكنات، وأنتظر بعد بطولة كأس العالم للأندية لإجراء عملية جراحية”.

وتابع: “قبل انضمامي إلى النادي الأهلي، كنت أعلم أنني سآتي إلى فريق يضم أسماء كبيرة في خط الوسط مثل حمدي فتحي، وديانج، والسولية، وأفشة ولو لم ألتزم بتعليمات المدير الفني، لما كنت متواجدًا في الملعب وسأفتقد أكرم توفيق هو لاعب كبير، وأتمنى له التوفيق إنه لاعب مقاتل داخل الملعب”.

طالع.. بالترددات | القنوات الناقلة لمباراة الأهلي وإنتر ميامي في كأس العالم للأندية

وأضاف:”لعبت ثماني مباريات مع الاتحاد السكندري في مركز الظهير الأيمن تحت قيادة حسام حسن، وصنعت هدفين، وقدمت أداءً جيدًا، وبخصوص الاهتمام الإعلامي هذا الأمر لا يعنيني كثيرًا، أنا أحاول قدر المستطاع أن أجتهد وألعب وأساعد زملائي ولا يوجد لاعب في الملعب بلا دور؛ كل لاعب له دور مهم، ولكن من يحظى بالضوء الإعلامي الأكبر هو من يسجل الأهداف غالبًا”.

وبشأن المنافسة بينك وبين ديانج وحمدي فتحي، قال :”ستكون منافسة قوية الفريق مليء بالنجوم، وفي كل مركز يوجد لاعبان أو ثلاثة على الأقل، والمشاركة ستكون وفق رؤية المدير الفني، وإن لعبت بجانب أي لاعب، سأدعمه وأقدم له المساندة وأنا لست الشخص المناسب للحكم على فترة ديانج مع كولر لكنه لاعب كبير، ويستحق كل خير، وأي فريق يتمناه”.

وبخصوص مواجهة إنتر ميامي: “أتينا إلى أمريكا مبكرًا من أجل التحضير الجيد، ونحن في قمة التركيز وندرك أهمية البطولة والفريق الذي سنواجهه كما أننا فريق كبير، هم أيضًا فريق كبير، ويجب أن يسود الاحترام المتبادل وإنها مناسبة وحافز كبير، ونرغب في أن نُظهر أن الأهلي نادٍ كبير، اعتاد المشاركة في البطولات والمحافل الكبرى”.

واستطرد: “أريد أن أحصل على قميص سيرجيو بوسكيتس، لأنه الرقم 6 المثالي، وهو نموذج عالمي لهذا المركز، من الصعب جدًا التوقع بالفريق لأن البطولة تضم فرقًا قوية، والطريق إلى اللقب طويل”.

وأردف: “قدمت العديد من المباريات المميزة، من أبرزها مباراة الاتحاد السعودي في السعودية، حيث حصلت على جائزة أفضل لاعب وقدّمتُ مع زميلي كوكا وإمام عاشور أداءً كبيرًا وكانت هذه المباراة من أسعد لحظات مسيرتي، خاصةً وأنها جاءت بعد وفاة والدي”.

واسترسل: “مباراة صن داونز الأخيرة أكثر مباراة حزنت عليهل حتى الآن، كلما شاهدت مقطع فيديو أو ملخصًا للمباراة، أو أي شيء يذكّرني بها، أشعر بحزن شديد لو كنا تجاوزنا تلك المباراة، لكنا اقتربنا من تحقيق البطولة، ولكن الله عوّضنا ببطولة الدوري، إمام عاشور وأفشة، الأقرب لي وأتوجّه إلى محمد الشناوي لمحدثاته بشكل جدي”.

نجح نادي بيراميدز في حجز مكانه ببطولة كأس القارات للأندية “إنتركونتيننتال 2025″، بعد تتويجه بلقب دوري أبطال إفريقيا لأول مرة في تاريخه على حساب ماميلودي صن داونز الجنوب إفريقي، ليصبح رابع الفرق المتأهلة إلى البطولة العالمية.

تأتي بطولة كأس إنتركونتيننتال بنظامها الجديد الذي أطلقه الاتحاد الدولي لكرة القدم “فيفا” مؤخرًا، حيث تصل القيمة الإجمالية للجوائز المالية إلى 12.5 مليون دولار، يحصل منها البطل على 5 ملايين دولار، بينما ينال الوصيف 4 ملايين دولار. ويحصل كل فريق خاسر في نصف النهائي على مليوني دولار، أما الفرق الخاسرة في ربع النهائي فتحصل على مليون دولار، فيما يكتفي الخاسر في الدور التمهيدي بمبلغ 500 ألف دولار.

طالع | طريق بيراميدز في كأس انتركونتيننتال 2025

وكان ريال مدريد الإسباني قد تُوّج بالنسخة الأخيرة من البطولة، بعد فوزه على باتشوكا المكسيكي بثلاثية نظيفة في المباراة النهائية.

وشارك النادي الأهلي في النسخة الماضية، حيث حقق فوزًا مهمًا على العين الإماراتي بثلاثية نظيفة في ملعب استاد القاهرة الدولي، وحصل على كأس آسيا وإفريقيا والمحيط الهادئ، لكنه ودع نصف النهائي بعد خسارته أمام باتشوكا بركلات الترجيح. الأندية المتأهلة لكأس إنتركونتيننتال 2025

1- باريس سان جيرمان (بطل أوروبا).

2- بيراميدز (بطل إفريقيا).

3- الأهلي السعودي (بطل آسيا).

4- كروز أزول (بطل أمريكا الشمالية).

5- أوكلاند سيتي (بطل أوقيانوسيا).

6- فلامينجو (بطل أمريكا الجنوبية).

يُذكر أن بيراميدز، الذي تأسس عام 2008 باسم “الأسيوطي” قبل أن يتحول إلى اسمه الحالي في 2018، يخطو الآن خطواته الأولى نحو المنافسة على الساحة العالمية، مستفيدًا من إنجازه القاري، وطامحًا في كتابة صفحة جديدة من الإنجازات في تاريخ الكرة المصرية.

Kaitlin Olson has explained why Wrexham’s history-making exploits are “unbelievable” to everyone but her husband Rob McElhenney.

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Back-to-back-to-back promotionsHollywood co-owners dared to dreamFamilies brought along for the rideFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

The Red Dragons have rewritten the record books again in 2024-25 after securing a third successive promotion. No EFL side has ever climbed the Football League ladder quite so quickly.

AdvertisementGOALTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Phil Parkinson’s side are, with one game left to take in this season, readying themselves for life in the Championship – having been a National League outfit when McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds completed their stunning takeover of the club in 2021.

DID YOU KNOW?

A meteoric rise has been enjoyed in North Wales, with doubters being silenced in style. A loyal fanbase, alongside the friends and families of Hollywood co-owners, could not have imagined that such rapid progress would be made.

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WHAT KAITLIN OLSON SAID

Olson has, however, pointed out that her partner always dared to dream big. She has posted on social media: “Absolutely unbelievable! (Except @robmcelhenney always believed…) Congratulations to @wrexham_afc and the entire Wrexham community on making history with back to back TO BACK promotions!!! There’s not a club in the world that deserves it more. #upthetown”

نجح فريق كريستال بالاس في تحقيق بطولة كأس الاتحاد الإنجليزي، مساء يوم السبت، على حساب خصمه مانشستر سيتي، ليصطدم بـ ليفربول قبل الموسم الجديد.

واستضاف ملعب “ويمبلي” نهائي كأس الاتحاد الإنجليزي، 2024/25 بين فريقي مانشستر سيتي وكريستال بالاس.

وحقق كريستال بالاس فوزًا بهدف دون رد، في مباراة شهدت إهدار المصري عمر مرموش ضربة جزاء.

وأصبح كريستال بالاس بذلك بطل كأس الاتحاد الإنجليزي للموسم الحالي، وسيواجه ليفربول في كأس الدرع الخيرية نسخة 2025.

وحسم ليفربول لقب الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز، لهذا الموسم، في وقت سابق من الشهر الماضي. موعد مباراة كأس الدرع الخيرية بين ليفربول وكريستال بالاس

تنطلق المباراة يوم السبت 9 أغسطس 2025، على ملعب “ويمبلي” حيث سيتم تحديد التوقيت بشكل دقيق لاحقًا.

GOAL takes a look at key storylines and trends heading into the Matchday 7 of the 2025 MLS season

Matchday 7 of the MLS season is here, and teams are on the hunt for three points. Inter Miami sit atop the Supporters' Shield heading into the weekend, as the take on Toronto FC in Sunday Night Soccer on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV+ – with Javier Mascherano's side looking to extend their lead.

In a race to keep up with Messi and Co. in the East, two of the Conference's finest – Orlando City and Philadelphia Union – play Saturday, with each club looking to stay in the race with the reigning regular-season champions.

In the Western Conference, two storylines take centerstage this weekend. Sporting Kansas City will play rivals St. Louis CITY SC in their first match without Peter Vermes as manager since his appointment in 2009. And the LA Galaxy and Real Salt Lake are searching for identities as they clash in Utah. Both franchises are off to poor starts to the 2025 campaign, but an in-form player on each side could be the key.

GOAL dives into all that and more in The Kickoff, a weekly preview of MLS Matchdays.

Get the MLS Season Pass today!Stream games nowGetty Images SportThe race to keep pace with Miami

Philadelphia host Orlando on Saturday in a clash between two of the Eastern Conference's best teams. The Union are coming off of a valiant performance against Lionel Messi and Inter Miami in which they fell, 2-1. However, striker Tai Baribo has emerged as an early frontrunner for MLS MVP this season as he leads the league in scoring in the race for the Golden Boot.

Meanwhile, teen prodigy Cavan Sullivan looks for an opportunity with the first-team as Philly becomes one of the biggest storylines this season.

Orlando are unbeaten in their last three matches and are coming off of two straight wins. Attacker Martin Ojeda is a man in-form, with four goals and three assists on the season, while striker Luis Muriel seems to finally be finding his footing in MLS after joining from Serie A side Atalanta in 2024. The Colombian has three goals and three assists in six appearances.

Philly sit second in the East on 12 points, while Orlando are in a four-way tie at 10 points, sitting seventh in the standings. The winner of the match will move up the table as they look to keep pace with Miami.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportCan LA or RSL end slumps?

It has been six weeks to forget for reigning champions LA Galaxy. The 2024 MLS Cup winners have yet to win, and are sitting on just two points through six matches.

Without Riqui Puig and Joseph Paintsil available due to injury, they've been struggling with linking all areas of the pitch – but a bright spot has emerged. MLS veteran Christian Ramirez has found his shooting boots in recent weeks after an offseason transfer away from the Columbus Crew. The 34-year-old has three goals, and will look to add to that tally in Utah this weekend.

RSL, meanwhile, are looking to figure themselves out. They have yet to replace star striker Chicho Arango, and their attack has been left hanging. However, U.S. international Diego Luna is their X-factor heading into the match. The 21-year-old has one goal and two assists to start the season, and at home, he could use a big game to really get his season underway – and Saturday presents that opportunity.

LA sit 13th and RSL 11th in the West, as both look to find a sense of attacking identity in the search for victory on Matchday 7.

Getty Images SportPost-Vermes era begins

For the first time since their rebrand to Sporting Kansas City in 2009, the club will be without Peter Vermes on the touchline, as the veteran coach was fired earlier this week. The club host rivals St. Louis CITY SC this weekend in what is expected to be a heated derby.

Three points will be on the minds of Sporting, of course, but more than anything they're looking for a statement performance that shows they can compete without their longtime manager.

After brining in $4M man Dejan Joveljic earlier this offseason, along with new DP midfielder Manu Garcia, Sporting will look to climb the Western Conference table. Sporting sit last in the West on just one point through six games with a minus-6 goal-differential.

Can they prove they can succeed without Vermes? Or will their rivals overpower them at home?

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+ The San Jose Earthquakes host D.C. United on Sunday, in a rematch of the first MLS game on April 6, 1996 – part of the league's celebration of its 30th anniversary. The Earthquakes will hold a halftime ceremony with legends returning to PayPal park to mark the occasion.

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Lancashire “thrilled” as England fast bowler commits until end of 2024 season

Matt Roller18-Jul-2022

Saqib Mahmood has turned down an offer from Warwickshire and signed a new, two-year contract with Lancashire until the end of the 2024 season.Mahmood, 25, enjoyed a breakthrough winter for England, impressing in the Caribbean in his first Test series, but was ruled out of this season after one game due to a stress fracture of the lower back.His contract was due to expire at the end of 2022, raising the possibility that he had played his last game for Lancashire – not least with Warwickshire making known their desire to bring him back to the city where he was born.Related

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But Lancashire announced on Monday that he had signed an extension. “I am really pleased to be able to commit my future to the club who have shown faith in me from my days in age-group cricket to now at first-team level,” Mahmood said.”It’s been a difficult few months since suffering the stress fracture to my back, but the support from Lancashire Cricket and in particular our medical department has played a huge role in my ongoing recovery.”I am now looking forward to getting back to full fitness as soon as possible and helping the Red Rose to fulfil our ambitions over the next couple of years and beyond.”Mark Chilton, Lancashire’s performance director, said he was “thrilled” that Mahmood had signed an extension. “It’s obviously been an incredibly frustrating season for him personally with the injury but he’s making good progress and we’re looking forward to getting him fit and firing for us again,” he said.”Saqib has been with the Red Rose for a decade now, after graduating through our pathway and academy system, and we are really pleased to be able to keep a homegrown talent at the club. We look forward to seeing him continue to develop as a player and help Lancashire compete for trophies on all fronts.”

Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers had a big summer at Parkhead in the transfer window as there were a number of changes made to the playing squad.

Despite winning the Scottish Premiership title and the SFA Cup last season, the Northern Irishman decided to make a host of new signings to bolster the squad.

Some were enforced because of Matt O’Riley’s move to Premier League side Brighton & Hove Albion, which led to the signings of Arne Engels and Luke McCowan from Augsburg and Dundee respectively.

The Northern Irish head coach was also ruthless with the players on the fringe of his squad, as Hyeon-gyu Oh, Mikey Johnston, and Tomoki Iwata were all sold, whilst Gustaf Lagerbielke was allowed to leave on loan.

Oh’s move to Genk on a permanent deal initially left the Hoops with Kyogo Furuhashi as their only recognised, senior, centre-forward, before the club swooped to sign Adam Idah from Norwich City for a reported fee of £9.5m after his initial loan spell.

Celtic had three strikers, with Oh, Idah, and Kyogo, in the second half of last season, and currently have two, but have been linked with adding a third to the group in the upcoming January transfer window.

Celtic's interest in Premier League marksman

The Boot Room reported in November that Celtic are one of a number of clubs interested in signing Brighton & Hove Albion centre-forward Evan Ferguson.

It stated that Rangers and the Hoops are both keen on landing the Irish marksman on loan for the second half of the season, to bolster their respective attacks, and that they have both expressed an ‘interest’ in him.

However, they will need to beat off competition from several Premier League teams in order to secure his services. West Ham, Southampton, Leicester, and Fulham are also eyeing up a winter swoop for the 20-year-old starlet.

The Boot Room added that Brighton have given the green light for him to find a temporary club for the second half of the season, as his game time has been limited by the presence of Danny Welbeck and Joao Pedro ahead of him in the pecking order.

It revealed that the Seagulls would also want assurances from any team that he signs for that the striker will play regularly, rather than sending him out on loan to be a bit-part player.

Whilst it remains to be seen whether or not Celtic will formalise their interest with an official offer to take him on loan, Ferguson does have the potential to be a good addition to the squad.

Evan Ferguson's big potential

The Ireland international has only started two matches in the Premier League this season, but he came into the campaign with an ankle injury that kept him out from April to August.

Prior to that injury, Ferguson had scored 12 goals in 25 starts in the English top-flight in the 2021/22 and 2022/23 campaigns combined for Brighton, aged between 17 and 19 during that period.

The 20-year-old star, who has scored 13 goals from 9.99 xG in his Premier League career, has proven himself to be a fantastic and composed finisher who can make the most of the opportunities that fall his way, even against goalkeepers at the top level.

He caught the eye as a teenager in the 2023/24 campaign for Brighton, playing in 27 of their 38 league games, and showcased his potential as a player in a major European league.

As you can see in the table above, Ferguson outperformed his Expected Goals tally by 1.39 but also struggled with his individual duels, losing the majority of his battles.

Whilst these statistics suggest that the Irishman could thrive with the quality of chances that Celtic create, as he is a clinical finisher, Rodgers could save the club money by exploring an alternative option.

Instead of signing the Premier League forward on loan, the Northern Irish head coach could finally unleash B team star Daniel Cummings from the start.

Why Daniel Cummings should be unleashed

Firstly, it would be a cost-effective solution for Celtic because the club would not have to splash out on a loan fee or wages to bring Ferguson in.

In The Pipeline

Football FanCast's In the Pipeline series aims to uncover the very best youth players in world football.

Secondly, it would make more sense for the Hoops in the long-term because they would be developing one of their own players who could be a future star and a valuable asset further down the line, if they can agree a new contract with the teenage star – as his current deal expires next summer.

Finally, Cummings’ form for the B team so far this season suggests that his inclusion in the first-team squad could be just as exciting as signing Ferguson from Brighton on loan, as he has been on fire for the youth side.

In the 2024/25 campaign, the 18-year-old marksman has scored a staggering 23 goals in 23 matches across the UEFA Youth League and the Lowland League.

As you can see in the clip above, Cummings also scored a fine goal in his team’s 3-2 defeat to Rangers in the Glasgow Cup on Tuesday night, taking him to 24 goals for the season.

The Scotland youth international is yet to make his senior bow for the Hoops and a return of 38 goals in 57 academy games suggests that he deserves a chance to showcase his quality in a first-team environment sooner rather than later.

As you can see in the table above, Cummings has been significantly more prolific at youth team level than Ferguson was at Brighton before his breakthrough.

The main difference between them at this point is that the Celtic goalscoring machine has not been given an opportunity to shine in the first-team, as their statistics at youth level do not suggest that the Seagulls youngster is a significantly better prospect.

Therefore, Rodgers could forget about Ferguson by unleashing his own version of the Irish talent from the B team and using Cummings to compete with Idah and Kyogo in the second half of the season.

Celtic could finally sell Palma with move for "mind-boggling" star

Celtic have been linked with a move for the Premier League midfielder ahead of January.

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