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Liverpool won the Premier League this season but already FSG are planning for the future. Arne Slot came and conquered English football when none beyond Merseyside’s red reach thought he had the capacity, and he did it with minimal transfer investment.

Now, though, is the time for action. This is the squad Jurgen Klopp build over so many years, carefully created and layered to now stand among Europe’s elite.

That’s not to say Slot has ridden the coattails of his predecessor, who failed to add to his one Premier League triumph across each of the previous four campaigns.

The Dutch coach has taken the tools handed to him and built something new, but with Trent Alexander-Arnold now officially a Real Madrid player and Liverpool’s fiercest rivals at home and abroad gearing up to strengthen, it was always going to be important to build.

The latest Liverpool transfer targets

Liverpool have acted with consummate efficiency in the build-up to the summer transfer window, already announcing the signing of Jeremie Frimpong as Alexander-Arnold’s direct replacement at right-back.

Bayer Leverkusen have lost their electric right-sider, and their star playmaker is set to follow. Florian Wirtz is one of the most talented midfielders on the planet, and FSG have entered the final stages of what should become a club-record €130m (£110m) signing.

Next up, Bournemouth left-back Milos Kerkez should join the Anfield rebuild, with Kostas Tsimikas mooted for a departure and Andy Robertson, 31, taking a step back, handing the Hungarian Kerkez the keys for the long-term berth.

When all this is wrapped up, you’d think the Reds would turn toward exits, with Darwin Nunez expected to depart and the futures of younger squad members like Harvey Elliott and Jarell Quansah uncertain too.

Such financial gains would lead Liverpool toward a new number nine, but they may not stop there. Extra cover at centre-back has been discussed, and sporting director Richard Hughes may even move for a new centre-midfielder.

Liverpool enter race for new midfielder

Liverpool are well-stocked in the centre of the park, but Ryan Gravenberch’s qualities were exhausted in the deep-lying role across the campaign, and some competition would do nicely.

That’s why – according to GIVEMESPORT – Liverpool are prepared to hijack Manchester United’s potential move for Atalanta’s Ederson, 25, whose performances in Italy have earned praise, leading to a stunning Europa League final victory over Bayer Leverkusen last season.

Though the Brazilian would cost around £50m, this could be a worthwhile investment for a Liverpool side determined to challenge for silverware across a range of various fronts.

Why Liverpool want to sign Ederson

It may not be a priority position this summer, but the beauty of Liverpool completing the lion’s share of their transfer business is that they can turn toward bonus deals, and Ederson would surely be the icing on the cake.

An athletic and robust player, Ederson thrives at the heart of the field, flying in with challenges, recycling possession and driving the ball forwards.

A man of different parts, then. Ederson completed 87% of his passes in Serie A this season, winning 4.9 duels per game at a success rate of 56%, suggesting he has the physical strength and technical crispness to succeed in the Premier League.

As per FBref, Ederson ranks among the top 12% of central midfielders across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for progressive passes and the top 19% for ball recoveries and aerial battles won per 90, emphasising a rounded approach that ‘Slotball’ would welcome with open arms.

Ederson’s powerful eye for goal and Brazilian heritage suggest he could become Slot’s own Fabinho, with the iconic Klopp favourite doing the dirty work in the middle of the park for Liverpool, allowing the forwards to flourish and steal the headlines.

Liverpool signed Fabinho from AS Monaco in a deal worth £44m back in May 2018, the Brazil international going on to feature prominently across five campaigns, winning the full gamut.

Fabinho might not have had the flair of, say, Gravenberch, who is more of an elegant, shoulder-dropping maestro of a number six, but his industrious approach to his craft bred rich results for the Anfield side, anchored as he was in the middle, dispossessing opponents and calmly picking out teammates in opportune areas.

Now, it’s time to bring in the next version, one who could give Slot a greater width of possibility to pick from in the centre of the park. Described as a “machine” of a midfielder by journalist Carlo Garganese, Ederson is the real deal, a proven winner in Italy with the physicality and dynamism to make a positive impression with Slot’s champions.

He’s also tuned to the modern way of things, with a broad tactical reach that could see Liverpool’s boss shuffle him across a variety of positions to best serve their goals, maybe even discovering a formula which could see Gravenberch and Ederson playing together on the field.

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Given Liverpool fell by the wayside across tournament fronts this season, it might be wise to bring in a different profile to jockey with Gravenberch, who has performed remarkably well and was crowned the Premier League Young Player of the Year; however, sometimes a grittier style is required.

It’s the kind of profile Fabinho utilised so expertly across the span of his Liverpool career. Wataru Endo has been brilliant since arriving as a stop-gap replacement, but becoming a cult hero and a Premier League champion besides, but the 31-year-old doesn’t bear his predecessor’s completeness.

Transfer Focus

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

It’s clear: if Liverpool manage to complete their business this summer and recoup some lost money through the sales of several fringe stars, Ederson is the man to go for, especially if it foils Man United in their pursuit of a much-needed rebuild.

Same agent as Yoro: Man Utd make approach for £15m Premier League defender

He could be an instant upgrade.

1 ByTom Cunningham May 31, 2025

Arsenal are now keen on signing an “incredible” £50m forward, who could be a “great fit” for Mikel Arteta’s side, but there is set to be competition from Liverpool, according to a report.

Gunners set to strengthen attacking options

The Gunners have done incredibly well to reach the Champions League semi-final, given that they have been without a striker since Kai Havertz suffered a hamstring injury in February, but it is near certain a new forward will be brought in this summer.

That is according to Fabrizio Romano, who has now stated a new striker “will arrive” at the Emirates Stadium, with the north Londoners identifying the likes of Benjamin Sesko, Alexander Isak and Viktor Gyokeres as potential targets.

Not only that, but Arteta is seemingly eager to strengthen out wide too, with a bid for Athletic Bilbao winger Nico Williams now in the works, while they could also snap up Bayern Munich’s Kingsley Coman for a fee of just £30m.

Arsenal hold initial talks to sign bargain striker with 176 career goals

Mikel Arteta’s side have reached out to another player.

2 ByEmilio Galantini Apr 20, 2025

There is certainly no shortage of targets for Arsenal, and a report from The Sun has now revealed they could look to raid one of their Premier League rivals, with Brentford’s Bryan Mbeumo of interest, but there will be competition for his signature.

Newcastle United and Liverpool are also keen on a move for the 25-year-old – he is thought to be Magpies director Paul Mitchell’s dream target so the Gunners could throw a spanner in the works by hijacking a move instead of going for Isak.

Mbeumo’s current contract is set to expire in the summer of 2026, and he will not come cheap with the Bees looking to receive a fee of around £50m for his services, while there is an option for the Cameroonian to extend his stay by an extra year.

"Incredible" Mbeumo could be "great fit" for Arsenal

Amid links with a move to north London in the January transfer window, Robbie Lyle from AFTV stated he could be a “great fit” for the Gunners, and his performances this season indicate he could be a fantastic signing.

The France-born forward has scored a remarkable 18 goals in the Premier League, the joint-fourth highest total in the division, while also providing six assists, indicating he is more than ready for a move to a top club.

Most recently, the right-winger showcased his finishing ability by picking up a brace and an assist in his side’s impressive 4-2 win over Brighton & Hove Albion.

Lauded as “incredible” by reporter Dom Smith, Mbeumo could take Arsenal’s attack to the next level, but he may have to move to the left wing if he is to receive regular game time, given that very few players in the world are capable of displacing Bukayo Saka.

It might not feel like it at the moment, but the future is bright for Tottenham Hotspur.

Ange Postecoglou may be overseeing a dreadful domestic campaign this season, which has seen them lose more games than they’ve won in the Premier League, but his squad is bursting with young talent.

For example, the sensational Mikey Moore and Wilson Odobert look primed to battle it out to be Son Heung-min’s successor; Dominic Solanke and Mathys Tel could be fighting to lead the line next season, and Micky van de Ven, Djed Spence and the tremendously exciting Luka Vušković could become defensive stalwarts in the coming years.

Finally, the North Londoners’ midfield could become truly special, with one of its future stars already having won comparisons to Jude Bellingham.

Spurs' future midfield

So, before getting to the player in question, it’s worth examining the two other Spurs players we reckon will be starting alongside him in midfield in the coming years.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

Now, assuming the team will still be playing a three-man midfield, the most defensive of them will undoubtedly be Archie Gray.

The former Leeds United gem joined the North Londoners for around £30m last summer and, despite just turning 19, has played a surprisingly significant role this season, primarily in defence.

In all, he’s made 19 appearances at centre-back, seven at right-back, five at left-back, three in defensive midfield and another five so short as not to make it entirely clear where he was playing.

However, while most of his game time has come in a back four, he is a midfielder by trade and with how incredibly well he’s adapted to what has been needed of him this year, we wouldn’t be surprised to see him become the “future £100m cm” analyst Ben Mattinson has claimed he’ll be.

Just ahead of the Durham-born gem should be Dejan Kulusevski, as while he initially joined the club as a winger, he’s since spent much of this season as an attacking midfielder and thrived.

For example, eight of his 20 goal involvements have come from just 16 appearances across attacking and central midfield.

Moreover, as he’s still just 24 years old, the Stockholm-born monster has time to get even better before reaching the age that most attacking midfielders peak, which, according to The Athletic, is 26.

That leaves one more starting spot in the middle of the park, a place for someone who’s been touted for a lofty valuation and has been compared to Bellingham.

The Spurs star compared to Bellingham

There are a few other talented midfielders we have yet to mention, like James Maddison and Pape Matar Sarr, but in this instance, we are talking about Lucas Bergvall.

The young Swede has been seriously impressive since moving to Spurs in the summer, making 40 first-team appearances, and it’s he whom Mattinson described as “similar to Bellingham” in November 2023.

At the time, he claimed their similarity stemmed from the fact that the teenager “has the raw & technical ability to adapt to any role” in the middle of the park, something we have seen this season.

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For example, of his 40 appearances, 24 have come in central areas, five in defensive midfield, four in attacking midfield and even one in left midfield, helping to prove he’s the “uber-complete” talent Mattinson claimed he was over a year ago.

Moreover, on top of his five-goal involvements, the Stockholm-born gem has some brilliant underlying numbers from the last year, demonstrating his ability to do it all, akin to the Real Madrid star.

According to FBref, he sits in the top 1% of midfielders in Europe’s top five leagues for successful take-ons, the top 2% for penalties won, the top 4% for tackles in the attacking third, the top 7% for tackles plus interceptions, the top 11% for carries into the final third and more, all per 90.

Ultimately, the Swedish phenomenon looks destined to develop into a world-class central midfielder and someone who could even blow past the future “£80m” price tag Mattinson predicted for him back in 2023.

Ange could soon unleash a "freak" Romero replacement at Spurs

The sensational teenager could be a game-changer for Spurs.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Apr 8, 2025

The Pakistan top-order batter talks about his Test debut, the BPL, and what he needs to become an established international player

Mohammad Isam09-Feb-2024On a crisp Monday morning, Saim Ayub spoke of what he has to do to be a successful international cricketer. A soft-spoken 21-year-old, who seems to be in a bit of a pickle with his batting form, Ayub talked of the importance of the mental aspect of the game.We sat in the reception of the academy building at the Shere Bangla National Stadium in Dhaka. Ayub is playing for Durdanto Dhaka, and when we met, he had only scored 65 runs over three BPL knocks. He added 12 runs in his two remaining innings, finishing on a batting average of 15.40 for the tournament.He didn’t bring great form into the BPL. Ayub had scores of 0 and 33 in his only Test appearance, against Australia, followed by 39 runs in four T20Is against New Zealand.That didn’t stop Mohammad Rizwan, the far more established Pakistan cricketer, who plays for Comilla Victorians in the BPL, from lavishing praise on Ayub, predicting that he would be the next big thing in Pakistan cricket.”These leagues always help young players,” Rizwan said in a press briefing before a Comilla match the day I met Ayub. “We believe that Saim Ayub is the next superstar from Pakistan. If he goes to CPL or plays the BPL, he will be used to those conditions [and] get confidence from here, [read situations] well. If he learns from here, it is fantastic. He can apply it in the Pakistan team as well.”Related

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Ayub himself would demur. He certainly doesn’t think he is the next big thing in Pakistan right now – or anywhere close to being it. He just wants to get it right, and soon, for Pakistan.”All I know is that I have a lot left to do at the international level,” Ayub says. “I have a lot to learn. I need to improve my game a lot, which will help me dominate. I am working on those things.”I learned a lot from failures. Top cricketers told me that you learn more from failures than you learn from success. I am happy that I got failures in my early stage. Now I know what standards I have to reach. If I had early success, I wouldn’t improve in those important areas.”For the Test debut in Sydney, Ayub says he didn’t quite expect to play after missing the first two matches of the series. Now that the debut is out of the way, he has much to ponder.”One and a half years ago, I was watching [the Pakistan team] on TV. I never thought I would play with them so soon. Especially in Tests – I didn’t think it would happen. I had only played 14 first-class matches up till then. I thought I might need a few years to get into the Test team. I thought I’d be working on my technique and mentality.”By Allah’s grace, I got into the team. The Test cap is the most valuable thing to me. I was very excited about it. They suddenly told me. I was surprised. I was ready mentally. I was really happy.”The debut doesn’t happen again, so you have to now look past it. You have to dominate international cricket. There are no more excuses. You have to do it,” he says.”One and a half years ago, I was watching [the Pakistan team] on TV. I never thought I would play with them so soon. I thought I might need a few years to get into the Test team”•Getty ImagesTo that end, he has been widening his range of shots. There was a pick-up off the hips against Matt Henry that went for six – a no-look pull shot over fine leg in the Eden Park T20I.”[A range of shots] is needed in modern cricket. If there are eight zones in the field, I want to be able to hit the ball in all of them. There’s so much analysis in the game these days that you have to stay ahead of it. I want to prepare myself that way.Ayub says that playing Test cricket is his main goal, which he believes will help him as a limited-overs cricketer.”I have the same level of interest in all three formats. I love Tests as much as I love playing T20Is and ODIs. I want to play all three formats. Legends play all three formats. Your white-ball game becomes slightly easier when you play red-ball cricket.At the start of his career too, he was slightly rushed into action. After his time in the Under-19s, the PSL came calling in 2021. It wasn’t quite an auspicious start: he got 114 runs in seven innings.”When I first played PSL, I hadn’t played any domestic T20s. I didn’t play the U-19 World Cup due to injury, so I went directly from U-19 cricket to PSL. It is a big jump. PSL level is almost like international cricket. I would have got some idea about T20s if I had played some domestic [T20] matches. It was three-day and one-day cricket in our U-19 level,” he said.Ayub was starstruck by the big-name players in the PSL. He realised quickly that he needed to change his mindset to do well at that level. “I couldn’t believe I was playing in the PSL, especially when someone like Chris Gayle batted at the other end. I didn’t know what to do. It took me a bit of time to adapt.Ayub is lifted up by his Guyana Amazon Warriors team-mates after he hit the winning six in the 2023 CPL final•Getty Images”At 18 or 19, you can change and adapt quite easily. When you turn 25 or 28, changing something in your skill set becomes difficult. You have to make that change early. It is the mentality that needs enhancement.”It wasn’t that I totally changed my batting. I enhanced some of my skills. I had a bit of skills to work with. I did strike a few fours and sixes in that PSL. I could play a bit. But I didn’t have the mindset about how to think, how to play. My coaches helped me get that focus. Basically I enhanced my mentality about 90%. The other 10%, I worked on my skills,” he says.Ayub says playing the first two seasons of the PSL gave him a better understanding of what playing at the highest level of cricket involves.”You can say that PSL lets you play with similar level of cricketers. You have overseas players as well. You get to practise how to handle pressure. When you get used to it in the PSL, you know what you may be facing at the international level.”Otherwise, cricket-wise it is similar [to the lower levels]. Bowlers and conditions are almost similar. If a bowler is bowling at 150-plus kph [in domestic cricket], he won’t bowl at 160kph at the highest level. It is almost the same, except for handling the pressure,” he says.Although under pressure for his lean batting patch, Ayub has come across as a well-rounded individual. This is his second season in the BPL. He also played in the CPL last year – hitting the winning runs in the final – and is looking to learn from these experiences: not just how to be a better cricketer but to understand and communicate with all kinds of cricketers.On the field with Mosaddek Hossain (left) in the BPL: Ayub managed only 77 runs from five matches for Durdanto Dhaka•Durdanto Dhaka”For me, going around the world to play cricket, I want to experience different conditions, people, situations, grounds. To play in new places, [under] new coaches and meeting new people. It gives new challenges to win matches in different scenarios. It also develops my personality to know how to communicate with people from England, Australia, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, India and West Indies. I am very interested in all this, which will allow me to grow.”I like it when people give me love. I was like them, so I shouldn’t forget where I have come from. I never will.”I don’t use my social media. Someone else manages my account. I don’t have social media on my phone. I don’t use it. I am done with it. I don’t like it,” he says.Ayub will find as he goes along that social media is unavoidable. He will find out that on-field pressure sometimes gets mixed up with off-field drama. And that that is not confined to Pakistan cricket alone.Rizwan may have billed him as the next superstar, but it’s not an assessment Ayub shares. Still, he is at a point where he is assured about his talent. Now it is up to him to convert it to big runs.It all starts from zero, even for the biggest cricketers. Saim Ayub can give it a try too.

RCB’s team director feels that the ‘pleasing aspect’ of their season was the fact that ‘so many different players stood out’

Shashank Kishore28-May-20221:54

RCB’s Mike Hesson – ‘We had the potential to get 175-180’

Another season full of hope. Another season of disappointment. Or was it? Royal Challengers Bangalore have now made it to the playoffs for three seasons in a row. In IPL 2022, they crossed the Eliminator hurdle after two back-to-back misses. On Friday, they ran into an inspired Rajasthan Royals, perhaps a little nervous and lost their way with the bat. A target of 158 was too easy for Royals, who blasted 67 in the powerplay, and eventually romped home with 11 balls to spare.Mike Hesson, their director of cricket, felt they may have made a better fist of it with 175-180 to defend, but credited Obed McCoy and Prasidh Krishna for their impressive efforts with the ball. McCoy had to cope with the news of his mother’s illness back home in the Caribbean, while Prasidh had to channel the hurt of being unable to defend 16 off the final over in Qualifier 1 against Gujarat Titans as he saw David Miller go 6,6,6 to seal the deal.Both bowlers rose to the occasion to pick up six wickets between them, denying Royal Challengers any momentum at the back end where they lost 5 for 35 in the last five overs. Where McCoy mixed his lengths and pace with subtle variations and a superb back-of-the-hand slower one, Prasidh hit hard lengths, got deliveries to rear up awkwardly, and towards the end, delivered sharp bouncers and a superb yorker.”It’s a fair reflection,” Hesson said, when asked if the batting could’ve been better. “[At] 123 for 3 with five overs to go, we were very much in a position to get potentially 175-180 with [Glenn] Maxwell set along with [Rajat] Patidar. We lost those two wickets and then in the last three overs, Obed McCoy and Krishna bowled nicely, and we struggled to get any momentum. We only got 30 odd off the last five, probably leaving us 20 short.”Hesson was, however, quick to point out how one bad evening with their death overs batting wasn’t an overall reflection of where they stood as a team.”You’re always after more power hitters,” he said. “I think between Maxwell, who was well set after 15 overs, Patidar has got power, Lomror has power, Shahbaz Ahmed has shown he’s got power. We’ve had a number of guys stand up along with Dinesh Karthik who has been outstanding.”In the last five overs of the innings, our death run-scoring through the season has been exceptional. It’s probably more at the top end where we didn’t get that momentum, but other than today, we’ve pretty much nailed the last five overs of most innings.”Honest about the team’s frailties, Hesson was hopeful of the underwhelming performers turning a corner and learning from their mistakes, while also reiterating it wasn’t a case of them being dependent on just two or three players, as has been the perception around the group for a long time now.Rajat Patidar is all smiles after hammering a hundred in the IPL 2022 Eliminator•PTI “If you rely solely on two or three players, you’re not going to make it to the playoffs,” he said. “The beauty of our side has been we didn’t necessarily rely on all of our retained players. We built a squad around our retained players, but we didn’t necessarily have to rely on them for every game. That was probably the most pleasing aspect, the fact that so many different players stood out.”Mohammed Siraj is a fine bowler; he didn’t have the best tournament, but we know that he will come back strong. He just didn’t get those new ball wickets, didn’t get the ball swinging, and lost a little bit of confidence, but as I said, he will bounce back.”Glenn Maxwell had a good all-round season with both bat and ball – very high strike rate, average close to 30, strike rate of 170 and went for seven an over with the ball. Sure, you always want more, but he’s had a pretty good tournament.”At the top of the order, Virat (Kohli) and Faf (du Plessis). Obviously, we started with Virat at three and moved him to the top and he certainly got better and better as the season went on. Look, he was in really good touch in the last four or five innings. There are always things you want to tweak, when you get knocked out of a tournament, there are always areas we need to improve, but all in all, pleased with the way the team gelled this season.”Hesson picked out the development of a strong Indian core as their biggest takeaway from the season. Rajat Patidar, for example, wasn’t even in the original squad, and only came in midway following an injury to Luvnith Sisodia. Two nights ago, he became the first uncapped player to hit an IPL playoff hundred and backed that up with a half-century against Royals on Friday.Shahbaz Ahmed, the allrounder, featured in every game, playing key roles lower down the order. Harshal Patel, who had a record-breaking 2021 season, overcame personal turmoil with the passing away of his sister. He returned to the bio-bubble despite having had a newborn son the same week and delivered consistently as a death bowler despite a split webbing towards the playoffs.Dinesh Karthik may have been commentating on the season if he hadn’t been motivated enough to make an India comeback. He emerged as one of the best death-overs batters this season, striking at 220 across the 110 deliveries he faced in this period. This earned him yet another comeback to India’s T20I squad at 36. Among the overseas players, Josh Hazlewood and Wanindu Hasaranga, the current purple cap holder, were standouts.”Probably the non-established players, in terms of the fact that they’ve now established themselves as an Indian core,” Hesson said of the positives. “Think about Patidar, Shahbaz, Lomror. From a bowling point of view, Harshal Patel was exceptional. DK came in and performed an incredibly tough role. We really struggled to get consistency and he was probably one of the most consistent players at the back end of the innings.”They were real strong points. Josh Hazlewood was impressive, Wanindu Hasaranga, at the time of us getting knocked out, has the purple cap, as he got a lot of middle over wickets. We needed a little more in the powerplay from the wickets point of view, and with the bat, we left ourselves with a little bit, but otherwise, we were pretty good.”

Tarik Skubal won the American League Cy Young award in 2024 by winning the pitching Triple Crown and leading the AL in wins, strikeouts and ERA. In 2025 he proceeded to have an even better statistical season, lowering his ERA and WHIP and striking out even more batters than he did during his Cy Young season.

About to enter his age 29 season, Skubal has one more campaign under Detroit's control before he becomes a free agent. As of right now, he's due to make $22.5 million next season, which is about half what Max Scherzer got annually from the Mets when they signed him to a three-year deal back in 2022.

The Tigers made Skubal an offer last offseason that was deemed "non-competitive" and it seems that another incredible season on the mound did not convince them to make whatever he considers a competitive offer.

According to Jon Heyman of the , the two sides are about a quarter of a billion dollars apart. No, seriously. In the words of Heyman, "Yep, that’s not a misprint. It’s close to $250 million."

While the total money or number of years is not clear, Heyman says that the "baseline for Skubal is seen as $400M." So the Tigers could be doing anything from making an insultingly low offer to being right there on the average salary, but far apart on the length of the contract.

Either way, they're going to have to pay Skubal to keep him.

Who is the highest paid pitcher in MLB?

For Skubal to crack the top five highest-paid pitchers, he'd need more than $35 million a year, which is exactly what Corbin Burnes is getting from the Diamondbacks. Shohei Ohtani has an average salary of $70 million, but unless Skubal can hit 50-plus home runs a season as a designated hitter, he should probably focus on what these guys are making.

Here are the five pitchers with contracts worth an average annual value of over $30 million, when they signed those deals and how long they are.

Roma have officially opened negotiations with Manchester United regarding a January swoop for Joshua Zirkzee, a report in Italy claims. The Giallorossi are planning to terminate Evan Ferguson’s loan spell with the Brighton striker managing just one goal in 14 competitive appearances since joining the Serie A club in the summer.

Talks begin with Man Utd

The January transfer window is fast approaching, and Roma are determined to correct the mistakes of the summer. The capital club's attack has stalled in the first half of the season despite their positive results, prompting sporting director Frederic Massara to take decisive action. According to , he has established direct contact with the hierarchy at Old Trafford to discuss bringing Zirkzee back to Serie A.

The Dutch forward, who earned a big-money move to United after a breakout season with Bologna, has found life in the Premier League difficult. Often utilised as a substitute or left on the bench entirely, Zirkzee is reportedly open to a return to Italy, where his stock remains high.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportRoma target loan move for Dutch forward

According to , Massara has received the green light from the Friedkin Group to pursue the deal. The sporting director is reportedly planning a "blitz" to the UK, using Roma's upcoming Europa League trip to face Celtic as a logistical springboard to finalise discussions with United.

The negotiation will not be straightforward. United are eager to protect their investment and would prefer a permanent sale or a loan with a guaranteed obligation to buy. Roma, operating under financial fair play restrictions, are pushing for a loan with an option to buy, potentially set around the €35 million mark, which could become an obligation if certain conditions are met.

However, the will of the player could be decisive. Zirkzee is understood to be keen on the move, and his profile is viewed as the perfect tactical fit for Gian Piero Gasperini's system. Unlike a traditional poacher, Zirkzee’s ability to drop deep, link play, and orchestrate attacks mirrors the role Gasperini has successfully used with forwards in the past at Atalanta.

Ferguson to be sent back to Brighton

The urgency to recruit Zirkzee is a direct consequence of the failure of Irish striker Ferguson. He arrived on loan from Brighton in the summer with high expectations, tasked with providing the goals to fire Roma into the top four. Instead, his tenure has been a nightmare.

Ferguson has made 14 appearances across all competitions and registered a single goal – against Cremonese last month. His performances have been described by the Italian press as "ghost-like," with the striker struggling to adapt to the physicality and tactical rigours of Serie A.

Reports suggest that the upcoming match against Como in Serie A represents a "last call" for the 21-year-old, but the decision appears to have already been taken. Roma are preparing to terminate the loan agreement in January, sending Ferguson back to Brighton early to free up the squad space and wage budget necessary to register Zirkzee. It is a harsh conclusion to what was meant to be a developmental step for the young Irishman, but Roma’s precarious league position leaves no room for sentiment.

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AFPTel, Raspadori, and Silva on standby

While Zirkzee is the undisputed "Plan A," Massara is keeping his options open should negotiations with United hit a wall.

According to reports, Roma have identified Mathys Tel as a viable alternative. The former Bayern Munich prodigy is also struggling for game time since his summer move to Tottenham and could be available on a loan deal. The French forward offers versatility and pace, traits that appeal to the Giallorossi scouts.

Furthermore, domestic options remain on the table. Giacomo Raspadori is a player Gasperini has admired for years, though extracting him so soon after he left Napoli to join Atletico Madrid will be no easy feat. Finally, Fabio Silva is on the shortlist as a "wildcard" option amid his struggles since making a summer transfer from Wolves to Borussia Dortmund.

Aston Villa have now joined the race to sign an “agile” Emiliano Martinez replacement, who has been in impressive form so far this season.

Villa eyeing new goalkeeper amid Martinez uncertainty

Martinez is regarded as one of the best goalkeepers in the world, but he has looked shaky at times this season, off the back of major interest from Manchester United during the summer transfer window, before they ultimately decided to bring in Senne Lammens.

The Argentinian was criticised for not doing more to prevent Lukas Nmecha’s goal in the 2-1 victory against Leeds United, although the performances against AFC Bournemouth and Wolverhampton Wanderers were much more encouraging.

That said, with the shot-stopper now 33-years-old, and Villa willing to accept January bids, potential replacements are now being identified, including Manchester City’s James Trafford and Real Madrid’s Andriy Lunin.

According to a report from Sky Sports, a Bundesliga star is also of interest to Unai Emery’s side, namely Borussia Monchengladbach’s Moritz Nicolas, who wants to move to a top club next summer, given his ambitions to play in Europe.

A number of clubs are in the race for Nicolas, who stands at 6’3, including Villa, who view the colossus as a successor to Martinez, although the Argentina international remains under contract until the summer of 2029.

Related Aston Villa plotting £18m bid for "tremendous" defender, Martinez is a big fan

The Villans are planning a move for a new centre-back, who is also being targeted by Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City.

Posts ByDominic Lund Nov 27, 2025 "Agile" Nicolas in top form in the Bundesliga

The 28-year-old was nominated for Borussia Monchengladbach’s Player of the Season award last season, as a result of being the second-best goalkeeper in the Bundesliga in terms of xG prevented, conceding just 25 from an xG of 33.5.

After the nomination, the Monchengladbach star received plaudits from board member Roland Virkus, who said: “Mo is very agile for his height and is also really good with his feet.”

Having averaged a save percentage of 74.8% per 90 over the past year, the German places in the 81st percentile, when compared to other goalkeepers, which suggests he could be a solid replacement for Martinez, with the Villa goalkeeper averaging 71.1%.

Not only that, but the former Roda JC man has already amassed five Bundesliga clean sheets this season, including three in his last four matches, most recently making four saves to keep RB Leipzig at bay in a 0-0 draw.

Nicolas clearly has the quality to be Martinez’s successor, but Aston Villa should look to keep hold of their goalkeeper if possible, given that he is already proven in the Premier League, showcasing his quality by making three saves from inside the box against Wolves last time out.

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O atacante Thiago Galhardo recebeu a apresentadora Ana Goebel em sua casa no Rio de Janeiro e participou do quadro “Desafio da Carreira”, onde relembrou grandes tretas ao longo da sua carreira.

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A principal delas aconteceu com o atacante Taison, ex-companheiro do Internacional.

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“Ele tinha que ser homem. Não quis falar comigo, não passava a bola pra mim nos treinos…” – contou o jogador.

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GalhardoInternacional

For Oman, Kaleem and Faisal picked up three wickets each

ESPNcricinfo staff12-Sep-2025Innings By no means the perfect innings for Pakistan, but 160 should be enough on this Dubai wicket. A fiery return to form for Mohammad Haris, who scored 66 off 43 deliveries, was the primary contribution that helped Pakistan to that figure.Either side of him, Pakistan struggled. They managed just two boundaries in the first five overs, which produced just 31 runs, with Saim Ayub falling for a golden duck. Sahibzada Farhan, put down early, scratched through his innings for 29 off 29, and it was left to Haris, promoted up the order, to inject impetus into the innings.Sixteen came off the final powerplay over, and that was the start of the onslaught. Until then, Haris had 16 off 18. His next 25 balls would produce 50 as Pakistan raced up close to eight runs per over, but once again, Oman pegged them back. Aamir Kaleem, the left-arm spinner, was the pick of the bunch as he had Haris drag on, before Salman Agha lapped a full toss off his first delivery to deep midwicket.It produced another barren spell for Pakistan and the boundaries dried up again. Fakhar Zaman struggled for timing and Hasan Nawaz, so often a hammer at the death, couldn’t get himself in, and holed out off his 15th ball for nine runs. It wasn’t until Mohammad Nawaz arrived in the 17th over, his cameo ensuring Pakistan got past the 150 mark. On a slow wicket in Dubai, that might just do the job, but Oman’s bowlers have ensured their batters get a sniff.