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Has the ship already sailed? Will it ever happen for Federico Chiesa at Liverpool?

The forgotten man last season, the Italian winger has again been rather luckless this time around, having been unable to use the Mohamed Salah situation to his benefit this week.

Indeed, even with the Egyptian having been left out for the trip to San Siro, Chiesa could not pounce on that potential opening in the right-wing berth, having been forced to miss the meeting with Inter Milan through illness.

Almost halfway through his second season at Anfield, the ex-Juventus man – signed for a bargain £13m fee – remains bound to the periphery, featuring for just 29 times across all competitions in total.

Notable moments, like his crucial ‘winner’ against Bournemouth on the opening day, have seen the 28-year-old secure cult hero status on Merseyside, although the jury is out on whether he can truly emerge from the shadows.

Latest on Federico Chiesa's future

In truth, the Reds claimed Premier League glory last term without the impact of any new signing, with Chiesa – the only senior addition that summer – having been restricted to just six league outings all season.

Chiesa – PL Record

Stat (*per game)

24/25

25/26

Games

6

10

Starts

1

0

Goals

0

2

Assists

0

1

Big chances missed

1

1

Big chances created

0

1

Key passes*

0.3

0.1

Pass accuracy*

93%

74%

Successful dribbles*

0

0.1

Possession lost*

2.2

3.7

Stats via Sofascore

Frequently overlooked by Slot in 2024/25, even increased influence this time around has not altered his standing in the attacking pecking order, with all of his ten top-flight appearances coming from the bench.

The man who intervened to deny Wilson Isidor from securing a potential winner for Sunderland not too long ago, there is a will for Chiesa to do well, not least with options not exactly brimming on the flanks.

That being said, Slot – such is his neglect of the one-time Fiorentina star – appears to have other ideas, such has been the winger’s limited game time, with a January exit still being mooted according to recent reports.

As reported by The Athletic, the Euro 2020 hero is said to have a ‘number of admirers’ with the winter window now looming, albeit with it said to pose a potential ‘risk’ if Liverpool do let him depart, considering their relatively small pool of attacking alternatives.

That said, Chiesa himself may wish to push for a move, should his standing not improve, with reports last month suggesting that his agent was in talks over a possible switch, amid hopes of forcing his way back into Italy’s plans ahead of the World Cup qualifiers in March.

A desire to depart would be no surprise considering his lack of use over the last 18 months, with Liverpool perhaps left to reflect on the wisdom of signing off on such a deal.

That said, Chiesa isn’t alone in that department…

Liverpool's pointless signing belongs in the Rodgers era

As harsh as it may be, the minimal impact of Chiesa would force anyone to come to the conclusion that he has been an almost pointless signing, with Slot showcasing little appetite to hand a regular role to the albeit injury-hit forward.

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

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Rightly or wrongly, ‘pointless’ may be the word that springs to mind at present regarding this summer’s marquee signing, Alexander Isak, with the misfiring Swede again looking off the pace against Inter.

Hooked on the 68-minute mark, having made just 25 touches and registered just a solitary shot, the ex-Newcastle United man was again largely a bystander to proceedings at San Siro, with the excuse of his lack of pre-season now beginning to wear thin.

With just two goals in all competitions for his new side, following that controversial, club-record switch from St James’ Park, the 26-year-old has already entered disaster signing territory, with Slot and co in need of a drastic improvement heading into 2026.

There is also a sense that, while depth is needed, was this a move that FSG truly needed to make, considering they had already plucked Newcastle target Hugo Ekitike from Eintracht Frankfurt?

While Isak has toiled, the young Frenchman has dazzled, scoring eight times already from just 22 appearances, rubberstamping the belief that he should be the starting striker.

As for Liverpool’s actual number nine, Isak looks like following in the footsteps of the notable transfer misfires of the Brendan Rodgers era, echoing the post-Luis Suarez world that saw the likes of Rickie Lambert, Mario Balotelli and Christian Benteke all flatter to deceive at Anfield.

The summer of 2014, in the wake of Rodgers’ near miss with regard to the title, was particularly egregious, with that centre-forward pairing of Lambert and Balotelli ultimately scoring just seven times between them during their forgettable, brief stays on Merseyside.

Perhaps a better comparison lies with Benteke though, signed a year later, with the Belgian – like Isak at Newcastle – looking prolific in the Premier League at Aston Villa, having scored 49 goals in 101 games for the Midlands side.

Just ten in 42 would follow under Rodgers and Jurgen Klopp.

It might be too soon to write Isak off just yet, and throw him in with that trio of disastrous Rodgers signings, although on current evidence, he is looking like the Benteke of 2015.

Hopefully Ekitike can prove to be the Roberto Firmino…

Related Fewer touches than Alisson & only 10 passes: Liverpool flop must be dropped

Liverpool returned to winning ways in Italy but it wasn’t all positive for Arne Slot.

Posts 1 ByMatt Dawson 5 days ago

When it comes to flop signings, Chelsea have made more than their fair share over the last four or five years.

The likes of Romelu Lukaku, Kalidou Koulibaly, Raheem Sterling and Mykhailo Mudryk are just some of the players who arrived for big money and failed to live up to expectations.

Another star who looked destined for greatness at Stamford Bridge, but ultimately left a flop, was German international Timo Werner.

Unfortunately for Enzo Maresca and Co, one of the players in his current squad looks like he could be on his way to becoming Chelsea’s new Werner.

Werner's failed Chelsea career

When Chelsea agreed to pay RB Leipzig £45m to activate Werner’s release clause in the summer of 2020, there was an understandable level of excitement among the Stamford Bridge faithful.

Chalkboard

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

At the time, the then-24-year-old forward was one of the most exciting players in the whole of Europe and had just spent the last two campaigns scoring for fun.

For example, across the 18/19 and 19/20 seasons, the Stuttgart-born sensation had scored 53 goals and provided 23 assists in 82 appearances, totalling 6692 minutes.

In other words, the German international was averaging a goal involvement every 1.07 games, or every 88.05 minutes, which was a truly world-class rate of return.

Unfortunately, while he was perhaps not as bad as some fans made out, the 29-year-old would never recreate that sort of form for the Blues.

Appearances

45

52

Minutes

3589′

3831′

Goals

34

12

Assists

13

15

Goal Involvements per Match

1.04

0.51

Minutes per Goal Involvement

76.36

141.88′

In fact, he wouldn’t even get close.

Across his two campaigns with the West Londoners, in which he made 89 appearances, the 57-capped international would score 23 goals and provide 21 assists, averaging a goal involvement every 2.02 games.

Now, that isn’t horrendous, but it wasn’t deemed enough to lead the line, and something the stats don’t really show is that he ended up getting quite the reputation for missing chances, especially following that game against Real Madrid in the Champions League.

Chelsea decided to cut their losses in the summer of 2022, selling the rapid striker back to Leipzig for just £25m. Fast-forward to today, and it now looks like Maresca might have his own Werner in the squad.

Chelsea's new Werner

The unfortunate truth is that you could make the case that several of Chelsea’s summer signings have struggled this season, but the one who feels like he could become the new Werner is undoubtedly Jamie Gittens.

Now, the Englishman is still young and could therefore come good in the long run, but as things stand, it’s hard not to see the similarities between him and the German’s start to life in West London.

For example, like the former Leipzig star, the Reading-born gem joined the Pensioners after impressing in the Bundesliga for Borussia Dortmund.

Despite being so young, the 21-year-old scored 12 goals and provided five assists in 49 appearances for the German giants, totalling 2803 minutes.

In fact, the winger was so impressive at points during the campaign, such as his performance away to Real Madrid, that Sky Sports’ Dougie Critchley went as far as calling him “England’s best left winger.”

Unfortunately, as was the case with Werner, Chelsea fans are yet to see the dynamic winger at his best this year.

For example, while his tally of one goal and five assists in 18 appearances is already disappointing enough, it becomes more so when you take into account that three of his goal involvements came in the League Cup game against Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Appearances

18

Minutes

830′

Goals

1

Assists

5

Goal Involvements per Match

0.33

Minutes per Goal Involvement

138.33′

As things stand, the former Dortmund star is nowhere near good enough to start games for Maresca, nor does he seem to have much impact off the bench, so, while it’s harsh, it’s hard to disagree with one analyst who dubbed him a “pointless signing.”

Ultimately, there is still time for Gittens to come good at Chelsea, but at the moment, he looks destined to become another Werner.

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Manchester United and Liverpool have both been linked with signing Bournemouth winger Antoine Semenyo, but it is Ruben Amorim’s side who are in pole position ahead of the January transfer window.

Semenyo is one of the most impressive wide players in the Premier League currently, scoring six goals and registering three assists in the competition leading into the international break.

The 25-year-old is wanted by a host of top clubs, with United among those thought to be right in the mix to snap him up, potentially even in the January transfer window.

Semenyo has a £65m release clause in his current Bournemouth contract for a certain time period, with David Ornstein reporting the Cherries will effectively be powerless to stop a departure in early January.

Liverpool look to be the most interested out of United’s Premier League adversaries, as they look for an injection of attacking quality midway through the season, with the Reds believing Semenyo can be their next Sadio Mane.

Man Utd leading Liverpool in Semenyo race with player keen on move

According to a report from Spain, Manchester United are the front-runners to acquire Semenyo’s signature from Bournemouth in January, with INEOS seeing him as a top target for the Red Devils.

The report claims it’s “hard to believe Manchester United won’t secure the signing” due to their willingness to pay the release fee and Semenyo being interested in a move to Old Trafford.

They are ahead of Liverpool in the race, which will no doubt delight the supporters, with Amorim possibly eyeing a long-term replacement for Marcus Rashford, should he leave Old Trafford for good at the end of this season.

Semenyo feels like an ideal signing for United in the mould of Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha, in terms of players who have proven themselves in the Premier League and are ready to make the step-up to a bigger club.

The Ghanaian provides strong end product on a consistent basis, and has scored twice in three Premier League appearances against the Red Devils, while Pep Guardiola recently hailed his ability, calling him an “extraordinary” player.

Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola was asked earlier this week about the situation, saying he isn’t worried about losing his star player in January.

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Despite this, it is easy to envisage Semenyo’s head being turned by a move to United, especially if they continue their recent improved form under Amorim, and he would be a fabulous addition to the attack.

Man Utd have their own version of Semenyo & he's Amorim's "best player"

Roki Sasaki addressed the elephant in the room while getting officially introduced as the Los Angeles Dodgers' latest star free-agent signing on Wednesday.

Sasaki, a 23-year-old right-handed pitcher from Japan, arrived to MLB as an amateur international free agent, meaning his first contract will include six years of club control and a rookie salary in 2025. That allowed every MLB team to be in the mix to sign Sasaki, but like so many other star free agents the past few years, Sasaki chose to sign with the defending World Series champions.

Sasaki was asked Wednesday about his decision to pick the Dodgers over his offers from other teams—a move that disgruntled many in the MLB world as Los Angeles added another high-profile star while many teams continue to sit on the bench in free agency.

"I think the No. 1 thing that stood out was the stability of the front office," Sasaki said Wednesday through a translator. "I had the opportunity to speak with a lot of teams, and they had a lot of appealing features. But overall, when I looked at the general consensus, I thought that the Dodgers were at the top."

About 20 MLB teams reached out to Sasaki back in December in hopes of luring him to its city. He reportedly met with at least eight teams in person in Los Angeles—the Dodgers, San Diego Padres, Toronto Blue Jays, New York Yankees, New York Mets, Chicago Cubs, Texas Rangers and San Francisco Giants.

Teams were eliminated by Sasaki until it was down to three finalists: the Dodgers, Padres and Blue Jays. Sasaki opted to follow in the footsteps of Blake Snell, Teoscar Hernandez, Michael Conforto and Hyeseong Kim this offseason and choose the Dodgers above other offers.

"As I transition to the major leagues, I am deeply honored that many teams reached out to me with such enthusiasm, especially considering I haven't achieved much in Japan," Sasaki said. "I'm truly grateful to all the team officials who took the time to meet with me through this process.

"Every organization helped me in its own way, and it was an incredibly difficult decision to choose just one. … I am fully aware that there are many different opinions out there, but now that I have decided to come [to Los Angeles], I want to move forward with the belief that the decision I made is the best one."

Sasaki now joins the Dodgers' loaded starting rotation featuring fellow Japanese stars in Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Shohei Ohtani, as well as Snell, Tyler Glasnow, Tony Gonsolin and Dustin May.

"It wasn't a priority to me if there was or was not a Japanese player on a team as I was looking at all the teams," Sasaki said. "Being able to play with Ohtani and Yamamoto—both exceptional players—I'm really looking forward to playing with them, and not just them, but the rest of the team that is incredible as well."

The biggest bullet point on the New York Yankees' offseason checklist is retaining Juan Soto by giving him a new deal.

The Yankees took the first step by meeting with Soto on Monday in California, which included him speaking with chairman and managing general partner Hal Steinbrenner, team president Randy Levine, general manager Brian Cashman, manager Aaron Boone and senior adviser Omar Minaya. Steinbrenner said it was a "good meeting" that had "very honest back-and-forth dialogue." He didn't offer many other details. Soto told the Yankees how he thinks the team could improve in the future.

But it sounds like Steinbrenner and the rest of the Yankees front office hope to have Soto return to the Yankees lineup in 2025.

"Our fans really enjoyed having him in New York," Steinbrenner said, via ESPN's Jorge Castillo. "He's definitely a significant part of why we got to the World Series. I've got ears. I know what's expected of me. So, look, it's been a priority. We wouldn't have gone out to the West Coast if it wasn't."

Steinbrenner said he had "no idea" if the Yankees were confident in retaining Soto, but that "we'll be in the mix. I'll leave it at that."

The Yankees aren't the only team vying for a chance to sign Soto this offseason. Soto has met with the New York Mets, the Boston Red Sox and the Toronto Blue Jays. He is expected to meet with the World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers this week, and the Philadelphia Phillies are also interested in meeting with him.

KL Rahul headed to stumps unbeaten on 53 with India 242 runs behind England’s first innings 387

Alagappan Muthu11-Jul-20251:41

Manjrekar: ‘Bumrah did the hard work, played the waiting game’

Stumps Jasprit Bumrah was saved, or he had saved himself, for Lord’s. The temptation of the most famous honours board in the world might have had something to do with it, and if so, the plan worked. Bumrah claimed a five-for that helped bowl England out for 387 but he was far from the only fast bowler that set the pulse racing.Jofra Archer would have spent three years thinking about this moment, being told of the light at the end of the tunnel as he willed himself through the rehab his body needed to shoulder the burden that comes with Test cricket. Three balls into his first over back, the light wasn’t hypothetical anymore. His day in the sun had finally come and he was bathed in its glow as he celebrated a wicket. Yashasvi Jaiswal was sent back, wondering what he could have done against an 89mph rocket that had squared him up. Karun Nair was greeted by a 93mph missile.Related

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Bumrah was carving out legacy. Archer was clearing away the cobwebs. Lord’s was spoiled rotten. KL Rahul went to stumps unbeaten on 53 and holds in his hands much of India’s hopes of getting close to England’s total. They are 242 behind.The fans stood up as one to salute Joe Root when he got the chance the vent the nerves of spending the night on 99, the first ball offering him width. An outside edge squirted away to the deep-third boundary to signal his 37th Test century – which puts him in the top five in all of Test cricket. He went past Rahul Dravid and Steven Smith. Late in the day, he stooped to conquer the world, a beautiful diving catch to his left securing an unprecedented 211th catch.It was a special occasion at Lord’s – Red for Ruth Day, where everyone is encouraged to wear their support for the charity run by former captain Andrew Strauss on their sleeves. It seemed to have moved inanimate objects as well because the pitch became a lot more generous to those willing to bend their backs. The quicker pace it offered made the sideways movement all the more deadly.3:04

Root: ‘Great to see Archer smiling, enjoying his cricket’

Set batters found themselves undone when they least expected it. Ben Stokes’ off stump was off to the races immediately after he hit a boundary. Root, on 104, turned lead-footed all of a sudden, which created a gap between bat and pad for Bumrah to hurtle through. Shubman Gill, who came into this game with 585 runs in four innings, was snapped up for just 16. Jamie Smith went to lunch having rescued England from 271 for 7 to 355 for 7 but as soon as he came back, Mohammed Siraj found his outside edge. He celebrated the wicket by signalling the number 20, like many footballers have done this week to pay tribute to Diogo Jota, the 28-year-old Liverpool forward who died in a car crash recently.There was one who proved adept, so much that the very concept of dismissal started to look remote. Rahul made 53 off 113 balls and went to stumps unbeaten. This innings was built on his discipline and his judgment outside the off stump and his alertness for scoring opportunities when England shifted their lines straighter. Equally, his focus stood out.Archer tested him with a 142kph bouncer. Rahul was surprised by it – his feet off the floor, his balance shot to hell and yet, even in that vulnerable state, he was able to get his hands over the ball and cushion its journey back into the ground. There was another example of his defensive skills in the next over, when Stokes went wide of the wicket to maximise the away movement that he gets. Rahul was aware of what the bowler was trying to do and he was very careful to present a straight bat instead of being sucked in by the angle and offering a closed one.2:19

Manjrekar: Day two a learning curve for Gill

Rishabh Pant batted through injury. Nair almost got his redemption but fell 10 short of a half-century. England overloaded Gill. Targeting him with a bouncer barrage armed with five men on the leg side. Coaxing him across his stumps to bring lbw into play. Filling up the front of the wicket with catchers and also blockers that prevented easy singles. The India captain lost his patience this time, attempted to find loopholes, like backing away to cut a short ball way down leg, and didn’t see his wicket coming. Chris Woakes, with the keeper up to the stumps, switched up the play and went for his outside edge. He got it. England went to stumps with a lead that looks stronger for this bit of enterprise.A great many things happened on Friday, even though only 72.3 of the scheduled 90 overs were possible, and the most memorable were the work of a fast bowler who has turned modern-day cricket into his own playground. Nobody really came up to Bumrah’s level – he was getting the ball to swing one way and seam the other and four different batters could do nothing more than just give up their stumps to him.1:41

Manjrekar: ‘Bumrah did the hard work, played the waiting game’

Bumrah rested at Edgbaston so that he could play at Lord’s. He wanted to play here to get a five-wicket haul and a place on the honours board. When he did, he was merely relieved. Siraj had to act as puppet master, grabbing his new-ball partner’s hand and raising it aloft while the Indians in the crowd cheered. Kapil Dev was calmly brushed aside. He is no longer the Indian with the most five-fors away from home.In the middle of all this, there was a small victory for the visitors when Gill secured his first successful review on tour to get rid of Woakes.India continued to challenge the umpires, their irritation sparked by a second new ball that needed to be changed – a mere 10.3 overs into its use – and the replacement looking much the worse for wear. Gill spent the entire morning drinks break with umpires Paul Reiffel and Sharfuddoula voicing his dissatisfaction, which had to have played a role in the officials eventually switching out even the replacement ball, after eight overs.Away in the background, Smith, who was dropped by Rahul on 5, just kept his head down and did his thing. Once more, he led an England lower-order recovery mission, his skillset perfectly suited to the task. A 52-ball half-century was the result of a man concentrating on the job at hand while the opposition was too busy fretting about what could have been. India tried to forget about Smith and blow away the other end, but that didn’t work either. Brydon Carse was batting well enough to hit Akash Deep on the up through the covers and getting down on bent knee to slash Bumrah past point. He completed an entertaining maiden half-century in Tests as England’s last three wickets added 116 runs.

The first hour or so of play on the opening day of the Galle Test belonged to Sri Lanka. But after that, it was all Bangladesh, as Najmul Hossain Shanto and Mushfiqur Rahim struck centuries during an unbroken stand of 247, to seize control of day one.By stumps, Shanto was unbeaten on 136 and had Mushfiqur right behind him on 105 not out. Seamer Milan Rathnayake was the most economical of the Sri Lanka bowlers, his 12 overs going for just 19 runs, but the bulk of the overs were bowled by the spin pair of Prabath Jayasuriya and debutant Tharindu Rathnayake. The wickets were split between Asitha Fernando and debutant Tharindu, but once Shanto and Mushfiqur were set, Sri Lanka rarely caused them trouble.Winning the toss and opting to bat is usually the obvious call in Galle, but this time in particular, with conditions more favourable than usual for batters, Shanto was rightfully chuffed when the toss fell his way. That smile though, had become closer to a grimace when he stood at the non-striker’s end watching a third Bangladeshi batter fall with not even 50 on the board.When Mushfiqur walked out to join him, Shanto himself had faced just three deliveries; it took him only until his sixth though to show that he would not be cowed by the situation, skipping down the track and smoking one back over Tharindu’s head. That set the tone, if not outright aggression and displayed resolute confidence.Najmul Hossain Shanto celebrates his first Test century since November 2023•Associated Press

Tharindu had at that point been building up a head of steam. Mominul Haque had gone after him, but the ambidextrous spinner had the last laugh. And prior to that, he had removed opener Shadman Islam. Shanto though, made it a mission to put Tharindu off his rhythm; he would end the morning session having struck at better than run-a-ball against the spinner, and would continue to target him as a release valve of sorts throughout the day. Of Shanto’s 15 boundaries (14 fours and a six), ten came off Tharindu.Tharindu eventually settled in and brought down his economy rate, but Shanto and Mushfiqur continued steadily on, the run rate always hovering around 3-3.5 an over. The session counters reflected as much – 90, 92 and 110. The last session might have been less, after Sri Lanka began utilising defensive lines for the first hour, but they got tired in the final hour and it allowed Bangladesh to tick along at nearly four an over during that period.Considering the batter-friendly nature of the pitch, an argument could be made for Bangladesh perhaps having been able to go harder at the Sri Lankan bowlers, but even with the pitch taking less turn on day one than what it has in the past, the conventional wisdom in Galle has been to bat first and long, and Bangladesh are set up to do just that.Angelo Mathews receives a guard of honour in his final Test•AFP/Getty Images

Sri Lanka for most of the morning, would not have imagined proceedings ending up like this. The day had begun with a felicitation and a guard of honour for the retiring Angelo Mathews, and then just 4.3 overs into the day’s play, Asitha got one to seam away and catch Anamul Haque’s edge.Tharindu then added to the celebratory mood, grabbing two wickets in consecutive deliveries (across two overs), a dream start to his Test career. But then things took a turn with the experience of Shanto and Mushfiqur coming into play.Sri Lanka too were guilty of perhaps over-bowling the debutant when it was clear he was being targeted, while they could also have possibly refrained from pairing him with Milan, who was creating pressure at one end only for it to be alleviated at the other. For instance, it took until an hour after the lunch break for Jayasuriya to be reintroduced, and by that time, both batters had neared fifties.That said, both Shanto and Mushfiqur batted with clear purpose and it meant that when Sri Lanka erred, they were waiting and ready to capitalise.

Liverpool have made an approach for a young Brazilian player who could have a massive future in the game, with another Premier League club also in the mix.

Praise for Wirtz ahead of Liverpool Everton clash

The Reds host Everton in the Merseyside derby on Saturday lunchtime, with Florian Wirtz expected to be a key figure throughout at Anfield.

Liverpool’s big-money summer signing is improving all the time, as he adjusts to life at a huge club, with teammate Jeremie Frimpong praising him after the 3-2 win over Atletico Madrid: “He’s just getting started, you know? Obviously I’ve been with him for four years in Leverkusen, so I know what he can do. I’m seeing that it’s coming, there’s a lot more to see from him.”

Meanwhile, Arne Slot has also spoken positively about Wirtz, stressing the importance of remembering that he is still a very young footballer who is getting used to a new league.

“He was indeed a few times close to scoring a goal, he was also a few times close to assisting a goal,” Slot told reporters at Anfield. I think he was the one who created the most chances for us today. I can see with him as well also that he’s getting fitter and fitter and adjusting more and more to us, which is normal, you need a bit of time to adjust.

“We all know how much quality he has, but sometimes people forget that he’s a 22-year-old that comes for the first time abroad. Last year I came when I was 46 and it was my first time that I started working abroad, the first two or three months your whole life is changing.”

Liverpool make approach for Brazilian teenager

Speaking of youngsters, a new report from ESPN Brazil claims that Liverpool have made an approach for Gremio goalkeeper Gabriel Menegon, with the 16-year-old a highly-rated young prospect and already standing at an impressive 1.96m, bigger than Reds captain Virgil van Dijk (1.95m).

While he is now a part of Brazil’s Under-17s side, Megenon is expected to join Gremio’s senior side soon, with Nottingham Forest also in the race alongside the Reds and sporting director Richard Hughes.

Signing the best young talent around should always be at the forefront of Liverpool’s thinking, and in Menegon, they could have a very special player on their hands.

The Brazilian has one cap at Under-17 level for his country, and, in the long run, could be a future part of the senior squad. Alisson and Ederson are currently Brazil’s elite options, but over time, Menegon could be the next star keeper.

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Liverpool will eventually need to sign a replacement for Alisson, and while Giorgi Mamardashvili is pencilled in as his successor, signing Menegon could be perfect, giving the Georgian stern competition over time.

سجل أشرف بن شرقي، وأحمد سيد زيزو، لاعبا الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بالنادي الأهلي، هدفين أمام الاتحاد السكندري في اللقاء الجاري الآن.

ويلتقي الأهلي، مع الاتحاد السكندري، ضمن منافسات الجولة الحادية عشر من مسابقة الدوري المصري الممتاز، على ملعب استاد القاهرة الدولي.

طالع.. فيديو | أسيست زيزو.. بن شرقي يسجل هدف الأهلي الأول أمام الاتحاد السكندري

ورفع أشرف بن شرقي، رصيده من الأهداف في الدوري المصري إلى هدفين حيث أحرز الهدف بعد وصول الكرة له داخل منطقة الجزاء ليسددها في الشباك.

وأحرز أحمد سيد زيزو، هدف الأهلي الثاني أمام الاتحاد السكندري، ليرفع رصيده إلى 3 أهداف. ترتيب هدافي الدوري المصري

– صلاح محسن – المصري – 5 أهداف.

– محمود حسن تريزيجيه – الأهلي –4 أهداف.

– عبد الرحيم دغموم – المصري – 4 أهداف.

– عمر الساعي – المصري – 4 أهداف.

– أحمد سيد زيزو – الأهلي – 3 أهداف

– عدي الدباغ – الزمالك – 3 أهداف.

– محمد السيد شيكا – كهرباء الاسماعيلية – 3 أهداف.

– أحمد فاروق – وادي دجلة – 3 أهداف.

– صديق أوجولا – سيراميكا كليوباترا – 3 أهداف.

– أشرف بن شرقي – الأهلي- هدفين

– محمد شريف – الأهلي – هدفين.

-فيستون مايلي- بيراميدز- هدفين

– ياسين مرعي – الأهلي – هدفين.

– محمد الشيبي – بيراميدز – هدفين.

– عمرو السولية – سيراميكا كليوباترا – هدفين.

– عبدالله السعيد- الزمالك- هدفين.

– شيكو بانزا – الزمالك – هدفين.

– ناصر ماهر- الزمالك- هدفين.

– نيجك جراديشار – الأهلي – هدفين.

– وليد الكرتي – بيراميدز – هدفين.

UAE will host all ACB training camps and all Afghanistan A and age-group matches for the next five years and, possibly, senior men’s bilaterals in the future

ESPNcricinfo staff25-Mar-20256:01

A deep dive into Afghanistan’s recent rise

The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) and the Abu Dhabi Cricket and Sports Hub (ADCSH) have announced a five-year “destination support agreement”, making Abu Dhabi the UAE host for all ACB training camps and all Afghanistan A and national age-group matches. As a possible next step in the arrangement, which runs till 2029, the ACB and Emirates Cricket Board (ECB) will work together for Afghanistan to use the venues in the UAE for hosting senior men’s bilateral matches as well.The update came after discussions between the ACB, the ADCSH, and the Abu Dhabi Sports Council (ADSC) in which the parties affirmed their “commitment to expanding cricket opportunities for Afghanistan’s players on the global stage”. A statement said that “the agreement also encompasses support towards ACB to facilitate the Board’s global operations and enhance player development pathways”.Matt Boucher, the chief executive of ADCSH, said, “Our facilities have already welcomed the world’s best players, and this agreement strengthens our strong commitment to nurturing global sporting and cricket talent and leveraging its capacity to be a force for societal good. We’ve loved hosting Afghanistan over the last couple of years and are pleased we can confirm Abu Dhabi as their second home.”Related

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ACB chief executive Naseeb Khan said the opportunity to utilise “all the premium facilities available” in Abu Dhabi would be a boost for Afghanistan cricket, especially at the age-group level. Calling the development a “turning point” for Afghanistan cricket, Naseeb said, “The opportunity to now focus on Abu Dhabi as our training base and our home for age-group participation will allow us to elevate Afghanistan’s sporting success and build a strong national future for the game of cricket in our country.”The political situation in Afghanistan has meant that it has never developed as a touring destination for cricket teams, and the senior Afghanistan men’s team has “hosted” visiting teams at “home venues” in India – Dehradun, Lucknow and Greater Noida – as well as in the UAE. Abu Dhabi, in fact, has been the site of three of Afghanistan’s Test matches in the past, two in March 2021 against Zimbabwe and one in February 2024 against Ireland. They have hosted teams for ODIs and T20Is across India and the UAE as well.