Tottenham Hotspur are beginning to hold a real transfer regret, after they were offered an elite striker’s signature in the January window but opted not to pursue it with enough intent, with the Lilywhites now fearful they’re about to lose the race for his services.

Tottenham secure loan deal for Mathys Tel but future uncertain

Ange Postecoglou is convinced that January signing Mathys Tel, who joined Spurs on a six-month loan with an option to buy at around £47 million, will remain in north London beyond this campaign.

Journalist shares plan for Mathys Tel after speaking with Tottenham sources

The 19-year-old made his debut against Liverpool on Thursday.

By
Emilio Galantini

Feb 7, 2025

Postecoglou boldly stated that Tel would be staying, with the Australian convinced he’ll remain at N17 for the long run.

“He’ll be a Tottenham player, mate. He’ll be a Tottenham player. I think he’ll show everyone he’s going to be a Tottenham player in the next six months. I didn’t bring him here for six months,” said Postecoglou on Tel’s future.

Tottenham’s next five Premier League fixtures	Date
Man United (home)	February 16th
Ipswich Town (home)	February 22nd
Man City (home)	February 26th
Bournemouth (home)	March 9th
Fulham (away)	March 16th

“I think he is very, very exciting. When you meet him you realise he’s got that bit about him as a person who has enormous self-belief and confidence in what he can do and what he wants to do.

“Even though he’s young, physically he’s already in a place where he can take on the enormous challenges of being an attacking player in the Bundesliga and I think he can handle the Premier League. He’s a goal-scorer, he can take people on, he’s got speed. He is exciting.”

However, reports to the contrary suggest that the 19-year-old’s future isn’t quite as set in stone, despite the buy option.

A lot of it will centre around the forward’s own preference, with reliable Bundesliga journalist Christian Falk stating that Tel still has his eyes on a potential move to Man United this summer, while a return to Bayern is also possible.

Taking this into account, it would be a prudent move for Spurs to consider alternatives, in the event Tel doesn’t want to continue at the club.

Tottenham beginning to rue missed Jonathan David transfer chance

Lille star Jonathan David, who’ll be a free agent this summer, stands out as perhaps the biggest bargain alternative to Tel that Postecoglou could hope for.

The 25-year-old, who’s scored six goals in eight Champions League games this season, also boasts a total of 20 across 34 appearances in all competitions this season. He’s been a prolific scorer in France for years now, and elite clubs across the continent are standing up and taking notice, as the opportunity to snap him up at zero cost will soon present itself.

According to GiveMeSport, Tottenham were offered the chance to agree a pre-contract with David ahead of a switch this summer, and they’re beginning to regret not pursuing the opportunity with more gusto.

Spurs are now very worried they’ll lose the race for Canada’s superstar as a result, with Barcelona allegedly leading the race for David as things stand.

A deal for the Brooklyn-native would’ve been a very astute one from the club’s perspective, but chairman Daniel Levy and co are starting to rue the fact they didn’t move forward with a pre-contract agreement for Lille’s “world-class” marksman last month.

After denting their title hopes last time out, West Ham United are now reportedly eyeing the chance to hijack Arsenal’s move to sign a defensive target worth just £21m this summer.

West Ham transfer news

West Ham will certainly be an interesting side to watch when the summer arrives. Whilst they were among the busiest clubs last year, they’re yet to see the fruits of their labour and have since swapped Julen Lopetegui for Graham Potter. Whether those at the London Stadium take the same approach this time around remains to be seen, but the West Ham squad has some undeniable weaknesses.

The most prominent of those weaknesses comes within Potter’s frontline. With Niclas Fullkrug failing to bring his Borussia Dortmund form to the Premier League and Michail Antonio on his way back from an injury sustained in a horror car crash at the end of last year, the Hammers desperately need a star striker to arrive this summer.

£35,000-p/w West Ham star steps up recovery as fresh return date now eyed

He’s missed the last two games…

ByTom Cunningham Feb 25, 2025

Meanwhile, the Hammers could also do with an upgrade down the left-hand side of their backline in place of Emerson Palmieri, who found himself benched in victory over Arsenal last time out. And that could yet see one impressive option arrive.

According to Tuttosport, as relayed by Sports Witness, West Ham are now eyeing the chance to hijack Arsenal’s move to sign Maxim de Cupyer, who Club Brugge reportedly value at €25m (£21m) this summer.

The left-back has also attracted the attention of AC Milan, though it’s Arsenal who seemingly lead the race for his signature after making contact ahead of both West Ham and the Italian giants.

There’s still plenty of time for that to change, however. Having defeated Arsenal on the pitch, West Ham could yet swoop in and deal the Gunners an added blow away from the action.

"Excellent" De Cuyper could replace Emerson

After Aaron Wan-Bissaka arrived to jump ahead of Vladimir Coufal in the pecking order last summer, De Cuyper could now leave Emerson facing the same fate when the window swings open. A younger option who’s at the peak of his powers, the Club Brugge man could ensure that Potter’s first summer in charge gets off to the perfect start.

Previously dubbed an “excellent progressive passer” by analyst Ben Mattinson, the Belgian is exactly the type of player who should thrive in Potter’s system, which often features a slow, risky build-up with the chance to earn the greatest rewards.

At 30 years old, meanwhile, Emerson is a player likely to move beyond his peaks in the coming years and his place on the West Ham bench last time out could be a sign of things to come.

In a deal that would see them get one over on London rivals Arsenal, West Ham would be wise to step up their pursuit of De Cuyper.

Kevin De Bruyne’s wife is reportedly house-hunting in Italy, with it possible that the Manchester City legend could join Scott McTominay at Napoli.

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Will leave City when contract expiresLinked with clubs around the worldMay be tempted by Serie A challengeFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

After 10 memorable years at the Etihad Stadium, it has been confirmed that Belgium international De Bruyne will be hitting free agency this summer when his contract expires. A new challenge is ready to be embraced.

Advertisement(C)Getty ImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE

The 33-year-old Premier League and Champions League title winner has been linked with clubs around the world, from MLS to the Saudi Pro League, but may decide to extend his stay in Europe.

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According to , De Bruyne’s partner Michelle has already been eyeing up property in Naples. The city is familiar to De Bruyne and his family as they have holidayed there on several occasions and used to visit ex-Napoli star Dries Mertens on a regular basis.

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De Bruyne got married in nearby Sorrento and would welcome the opportunity to test himself in Serie A having already graced the English Premier League and German Bundesliga with distinction.

Celtic are in search of a domestic treble under Brendan Rodgers and continue their quest to claim more history with a Scottish Cup tie against Raith Rovers this weekend.

Celtic continue imperious form despite mixed January transfer window

The January transfer window took an unexpected turn for Celtic after their Champions League playoff clinching victory over Young Boys last month.

Overnight, Kyogo Furuhashi’s Parkhead departure rocked supporters and despite a frantic search for a replacement striker, Brendan Rodgers wasn’t able to secure additional cover for Adam Idah and Johnny Kenny in attack.

Despite the Hoops’ attempts to land Kelechi Iheanacho and Mathias Kvistgaarden, Daizen Maeda will now supplement the Irishman’s existing strikeforce when needed despite spending the majority of his Parkhead career veering off the left-hand side.

During midweek, a home clash against Dundee in the Scottish Premiership threatened to interfere with the feelgood factor that has engulfed Celtic since the start of the season if they couldn’t get off to a flying start.

Fear not, as the Bhoys wheeled away with a 6-0 victory to extend their lead at the summit over Rangers to 13 points. Counteracting the lack of a supporting cast, Jota’s arrival in Glasgow’s east end from Rennes has served to soften the blow of losing an iconic figure in Kyogo.

£15k-p/w Celtic man Rodgers called "a joy" agrees terms to leave Parkhead

The left-back situation at Celtic has taken another twist for Brendan Rodgers.

BySean Markus Clifford Feb 7, 2025

With the situation also presenting opportunities for someone like Kenny or even Daniel Cummings to emerge from the shadows, Rodgers has confirmed that another rarely spotted face will enter his starting line-up tomorrow against Raith Rovers, albeit at the other end of the field.

Brendan Rodgers to hand summer signing first Celtic start

On Friday afternoon, Celtic boss Rodgers confirmed goalkeeper Viljami Sinisalo will earn his first start against Raith Rovers after Kasper Schmeichel was ruled out of featuring due to a knock.

He stated: “No, only one (injury concern). Kasper Schmeichel won’t play. So Viljami Sinisalo will start. Kasper had a little issue with his back. He’ll miss out in the game and like I’ve seen in pre-season with Viljami, he’s a young goalkeeper who came in and played those games really well and so I’m really looking forward to seeing him make his debut.”

Viljami Sinisalo’s record across senior career

Appearances

88

Clean sheets

25

Last summer, Celtic paid a fee of £1 million to land Sinisalo from Aston Villa. Earmarked as one for the future, he hasn’t made a competitive appearance for the club in any form after Schmeichel’s run of 22 clean sheets in 38 matches.

Labelled ‘incredible’ by Gary Caldwell during a successful loan spell at Exeter City before his move to Parkhead, the Finland star has three caps to his name on the international stage and featured in a high-profile 2-2 draw with Scotland before their opponents went to EURO 2024.

Now, his biggest club career moment awaits as Celtic look to navigate their way into the Scottish Cup quarter-final. Following a show of faith from the manager, supporters will be excited to see what he has to offer between the sticks.

Good things worth waiting for as allrounder is relaxed at prospect of delayed Test debut

Vithushan Ehantharajah30-Nov-2022

Liam Livingstone talks to media ahead of his Test debut in Pakistan•Getty Images

“If it doesn’t happen, it doesn’t happen.”On Tuesday, Ben Stokes announced Liam Livingstone will be making his Test debut against Pakistan in Rawalpindi. Just 24 hours later, with the start of the first Test up in the air as a virus coursing through the England squad threatened to leave them shy of 11 fit cricketers, Livingstone remained at ease when asked if he was prepared to wait a little longer. With a decision to be taken at the last possible moment at 7:30am PKT on what may or may not be day one of the first Test in Rawalpindi, another night’s sleep won’t affect him too much. Livingstone is unmoved, in every sense.He had already opted out of the final day’s optional training at the ground before players began reporting symptoms late on Tuesday. “I’ve spent most of the morning on the golf simulator,” he says, like a man who had walked bleary-eyed to and from his local shop to buy a Diet Coke in the midst of a Zombie Apocalypse. “It was quite weird. Everybody was going down one by one. Thankfully I’ve been clear up to now.”I’ve just been chilling upstairs, had breakfast with Sax (Mark Saxby) who’s just come back from being ill, so I haven’t seen anyone. I don’t know what’s going on. Thankfully it’s way above me (the decision on whether the Test will begin as planned). I’ll stay way out of it. I’ll prepare as if I’m going to make my debut tomorrow and that’s that, if it doesn’t happen, it doesn’t happen but I won’t be wasting any energy thinking about what’s going to happen tomorrow.”Related

Brendon McCullum: 'We'll be pushing for results. If we get outplayed, that's okay'

Liam Livingstone to make England Test debut against Pakistan

Rise and fall of an English dynasty in just five years of Pakistan Tests

Morning decision for Rawalpindi Test as sickness bug disrupts England plans

Ben Stokes leaves door open for possible U-turn on ODI retirement

If you wanted an insight into Livingstone’s mindset, and what Stokes and Brendon McCullum see in him, there it is, in bold brash Cumbrian. The Lancashire batter is a man of his own mind who rarely sweats the small or big stuff.A lot has been made of the decision to hand cap number 708 to a player who last played first-class cricket at the start of September 2021, and has since made his reputation – and money – across the world as a franchise gun-for-hire, whether abroad or at home, notably when he carried the first edition of The Hundred as part of Birmingham Phoenix. That decision for specialisation, he cedes, was tactical, with an element of uncertainty.”The reason for that was to get into a World Cup squad in 2021,” he says. “That looked a long way off when I went out and played all these franchise tournaments and I guess I thought I was closer to a Test squad then than what I was.””Over the last couple of years I’ve pretty much lived life day by day, enjoying the fact that we’re travelling the world… we’re going to all these cool different countries to play in their franchise tournaments. I’ve learned that you really don’t know what tomorrow can bring and, if anything, this sort of proves that. If you asked me two or three months ago if I was going to be playing in this Test series, I’d have said probably not.”And yet, there is an element of fate to how things have panned out over the last month, starting with the victory in 2022’s edition of the T20 World Cup, then this call-up. Australia was the site of both, in many ways. Prior to the tournament, Stokes, a long-term friend of Livingstone, took the 29-year-old to one side to ask if he’d be interested in coming to Pakistan. It was a very quick yes. “When Stokes and Baz ask you if you want to play Test cricket, it’s quite hard to say no to them two.”It would also have been hard given as a kid, long before Twenty20, let alone franchise competitions, this offer was the stuff of garden hit and giggles.”The two things whenever I played in the garden with my brother was you’re either playing Test cricket for England or playing for England in a World Cup. So I guess being able to live them two dreams over the last couple of weeks and even more so win a World Cup and make my Test debut two weeks later is pretty cool.”An elated Liam Livingstone jumps on Ben Stokes after England’s T20 World Cup triumph•Getty Images

While we’re on family, it’s worth bringing in Livingstone’s father. A Facebook post from Steve Livingstone on November 12 talking about the imminent pride of travelling to Australia to watch his son in a World Cup final went viral on social media. Will he be able to do the double and see his son make his Test debut?”No,” answers Livingstone. “It was a trade off, he didn’t know which one to do. I guess being able to see your son win a World Cup would have been too hard to turn down. I don’t know what he would have done if we’d have lost that final but… thankfully that all worked out really well.”It’s a very proud moment to give back for years and years of driving up and down the M6 three times a week for three or four years while I was still at school and college. I owe a lot to mum and dad and I guess tomorrow will probably be more about them than it will be about me.”Even contained within the support, there was the odd moment his father could not hide the fact that Livingstone’s career looked like it was taking him away from this moment.”Dad has always said he wants me to play Test cricket. Even times when I’ve had chats with him thinking I’m probably not going to get that opportunity anymore, you could always see in his face that he was quite disappointed with that.”The closest he came before was a 2018 tour of New Zealand in which he was a non-playing squad member. That came off the back of his most productive first-class season for Lancashire, with two centuries within 805 runs at an average of 42.36, which followed an England Lions winter in which he scored twin hundreds against Sri Lanka A in the same match. Though the immediate red-ball experience between then and now is very different, he rates himself better equipped now for the whims of Test cricket.”I guess I don’t really have the red-ball cricket behind me of what I did back then, but I definitely didn’t have the experience back then of what I do now. The situations and challenges that are going to come up, I’m sure I’ll have seen them all before.”It doesn’t matter what colour the ball is, what format of cricket you play. There are always challenges you’ve got to take on. I’m sure this week will be no different. It’s the bit that excites me, the different challenges that can come up in five days of cricket rather than 20 overs of cricket.”No doubt the big hits will grab the attention. Stokes even went as far to state earlier in the week that Livingstone will try and clear the media centre at the Rawalpindi ground. But it is his part-time bowling, of leg spin and off spin that has him ahead of Surrey’s Will Jacks as the third spinner, behind Jack Leach and Joe Root. It has long been a nifty short-form selling point for Livingstone to clubs and country. Now, Stokes hopes it will have the same effect of almost coaxing dismissals out of quiet passages of play.”Having the skill-set to do different things is what has made me very selectable for Baz and Ben,” he boasts, matter-of-factly. “I’ll see what we need, what fits best at that certain time. It doesn’t always mean spinning the ball away from the bat: there may be rough outside a left-hander’s off stump that you can use to bowl leg-spin into, so being open-minded and making sure I can use them skill-sets to my advantage and ultimately try and make an impact of England winning a Test.”Whether the bowling translates to the longest format is all part of a bigger conversation as to whether Livingstone will translate to the longest format. Given how vague the predictions have been regarding conditions for the next three Tests, this might only be a selection for the here and now.Either way, a cricketer who has long been a glorious fantasy as a Test cricketer will soon become a reality. And there is perhaps no better setting for it to happen than in a group that encourages participants and observers to dream big.” The last couple of days, being around the environment, it’s been very different to the previous Test squad I was in,” Livingstone reflects. “The messaging is very simple, very clear and I guess the way I play my cricket is probably going to fit perfectly with the way Baz and Stokesy want to play their cricket. I’m just really excited for what’s to come.”As are the rest of us.

Gary Ballance has agreed a two-year contract with Zimbabwe Cricket, which should see him playing international cricket for the country of his birth five years after he played the last of his 23 Tests and 16 ODIs for England.Ballance, 33, was this week released from his contract with Yorkshire – with the stipulation that he could not play for another English county in the 2023 season – after requesting the chance for a fresh start to his career following the damaging revelations that emerged during the club’s racism scandal last year.Related

• Yorkshire 'covered up' Ballance drugs tests, claims Rafiq

• ZC to launch six-team T10 tournament in March 2023

And following the confirmation of his deal with Zimbabwe, Ballance said that he would be returning to the game with “a new-found passion and excitement”, having not played for Yorkshire since the end of the 2021 season, during which time he had been supported by the club during a mental-health break.”I’m thrilled to be joining Zimbabwe Cricket and can’t wait to start work with some great coaches and talented players,” Ballance said. “The opportunity to represent Zimbabwe has given me a new-found passion and excitement for the game.”I have kept in touch with a number of people within Zimbabwe cricket over the years and it has been great to watch their recent progress especially.”Born in Harare but educated at Harrow School in England, Ballance starred for Zimbabwe at the Under-19 World Cup in 2006 while still a schoolboy at Peterhouse Boys School in Marondera. He went on to feature regularly for England between 2014 and 2017, scoring four centuries at an average of 37.45 that compared favourably with many of the team’s other middle-order selections in that period.However, he was heavily implicated in Azeem Rafiq’s explosive testimony during the DCMS parliamentary hearings in Westminster last November, after his use of the racial slur “P**i” had been deemed to be “banter” in the initial report into allegations of institutional racism at Yorkshire.Ballance claimed in mitigation that the word had been used in the context of a friendly relationship between the two players, with Rafiq referring to him as “Zimbo” in return. However, earlier this year, he met Rafiq in person to apologise.He is one of seven Yorkshire players and staff to be charged by the cricket discipline commission in relation to the racism case, although the hearing has been postponed to the new year following a series of appeals.”On a personal level, I have gone through a challenging period,” Ballance said. “After much discussion I decided, together with my family, that it would be right to make a change. The support Yorkshire has given me off the pitch over the past year has been fantastic and I am appreciative of the club’s help, but I hope that my decision will mean that my career can have a fresh start.”Hamilton Masakadza, Zimbabwe’s director of cricket, welcomed the opportunity to give Ballance that chance to start over.”We are elated to have Gary, an immensely talented and experienced cricketer, back home where it all started for him,” Masakadza said. “He is a great addition to our domestic and international set-up and we are looking forward to him making a massive difference for us.”The ICC’s regulations state that a player wishing to transfer allegiance between Full-Member nations needs to have a three-year gap between international appearances. Ballance’s last match for England was the second Test against South Africa at Trent Bridge in 2017. He should be available for selection for Zimbabwe for their white-ball series against Ireland next month, followed by a two-Test series against West Indies.

MatériaMais Notícias

Após ver o São Paulo terminar com três jogadores expulsos a vitória por 4 a 2 sobre o Universidad Católica, no Chile, no duelo de ida das oitavas de final da Copa Sul-Americana, o técnico Rogério Ceni desabafou e pediu a volta da força de bastidores do Tricolor na Conmebol.

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GALERIAS
+ ATUAÇÕES: Com o São Paulo com três a menos, Luciano desencanta em goleada cheia de emoções

-Não queremos falar de arbitragem, mas temos que repensar, temos que ter mais força na confederação sul-americana. Eu me recordo de uma época em que a gente tinha força, mas hoje não temos e sofremos muito.

Ceni não escondeu a insatisfação com a arbitragem do uruguaioChristian Ferreyra, que tirou do campo Calleri, Igor Vinícius e Nestor e deixou o São Paulo terminar o jogo com apenas oito atletas em campo.

-No fim, quando vai cumprimentar o árbitro, ele dá bênção aos jogadores deles. Claro, pode, é respeitoso. Mas, não sei, três expulsos nossos, abraços, beijos… Quando um de nós foi cumprimentá-lo, ele diz que “você eu não cumprimento”. Estranho.

Apesar das críticas, o treinador falou que não ia se estender as críticas com medo do Tricolor sofrer retaliações no decorrer da Sul-Americano.

-As expulsões, quando se fala de competições como a Conmebol, é melhor não falar sobre arbitragem, porque são circunstâncias que se voltam contra você. A gente viu o que se passou no campo. A primeira expulsão foi uma vergonha… Vamos desfrutar das coisas boas de hoje e tentar estar bem.A vitória eu creio que foi muito importante, a gente poderia ter um resultado melhor se fosse 11 contra 11.

A primeira parte da batalha já foi!

Seguimos. Mais unidos do que nunca!#VamosSãoPaulo 🇾🇪 pic.twitter.com/2vp9dC3zu2

— São Paulo FC (@SaoPauloFC) July 1, 2022

TABELA
> Confira jogos, classificação e simule resultados do Brasileirão-22
> Confira os jogos da Copa Sul-Americana-22
> Conheça o novo aplicativo de resultados do LANCE!

Shamilia Connell and Shakera Selman also come back after injuries to bolster the pace attack

ESPNcricinfo staff30-Dec-2022Allrounder Stafanie Taylor and middle-order batter Britney Cooper have returned to West Indies’ squad for the upcoming T20I tri-series against South Africa and India. Shamilia Connell and Shakera Selman have also come back after injuries to bolster the pace attack, with West Indies naming 16 players for the tournament, which will act as their final preparation before the T20 World Cup.Taylor has been out of action since retiring hurt in the second ODI against New Zealand in September, and thus being ruled out of the entire five-match T20I series that followed. Cooper, on the other hand, last played for West Indies during the home series against South Africa in September 2021.”Our batting in the most recent series was less than par against a very good England bowling attack. We believe that with the return of some experienced batters, they will the able to support captain Hayley Matthews at the top of the order,” lead selector Ann Browne-John said of the squad.Related

India pick Shikha Pandey in squad for 2023 Women's T20 World Cup

“The team had commendable performances [during the four ODIs] in South Africa in early 2022, and we know that the entire team will be drawing on that experience as they take on the home team and India in this tri-Series and then potentially again at the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup also in South Africa.”Meanwhile, Connell had been left out of the side for three ODIs against England after going wicketless in two of the ODIs and a T20I against New Zealand. Although as per Browne-John, Connell was “expected to be ready to be considered for selection later in the series” after missing out on the first two of the five T20Is against England, she didn’t play any part in the remaining three matches either.Selman too had been ruled out of those T20Is after suffering an injury during the ODIs that preceded.West Indies’ squad otherwise wears a largely-familiar look, backed by the experience of captain Hayley Matthews, Shemaine Campbelle and Chedean Nation, among the relatively newer faces like Cherry Ann Fraser.The tri-series in South Africa begins on January 21, with two round-robin matches followed by the final on February 2. All games will be played at Buffalo Park in East London. The T20 World Cup then commences on February 10, with the final squads for the tournament to be submitted by February 2.Squad: Hayley Matthews​ (capt), Aaliyah Alleyne, Shemaine Campbelle, Shamilia Connell, Britney Cooper, Chedean Nation, Cherry Ann Fraser, Afy Fletcher, Shabika Gajnabi, Sheneta Grimmond, Chinelle Henry, Karishma Ramharack, Kaysia Schultz, Shakera Selman, Stafanie Taylor, Rashada Williams

أوضح متخصص سوق الانتقالات، فابريزيو رومانو، أن نادي ليفربول قد حسم ثالث صفقاته خلال فترة الانتقالات الصيفية الحالية.

ويسعى ليفربول إلى إجراء تعزيزات في صفوف فريقه استعدادًا للموسم المقبل، من أجل المنافسة على لقبي دوري أبطال أوروبا والدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز.

وكان ليفربول تمكن من التعاقد مع جيريمي فريمبونج هذا الصيف، قادماً من باير ليفركوزن الألماني بصفقة بلغت 35 مليون يورو، بالإضافة إلى ضم الحارس المجري الشاب، أرمين بيتشي.

اقرأ ايضاً.. سيميوني يرد على اهتمام ليفربول وآرسنال بضم جوليان ألفاريز

وأكد رومانو أن ليفربول قد أنهى صفقة لاعب الوسط، فلوريان فيرتز، قادماً من نادي باير ليفركوزن الألماني بصفقة تصل إلى 150 مليون يورو شاملة الإضافات.

وتابع أن اللاعب الألماني قد اتفق بالفعل مع ليفربول قبل أسبوعين وأن الانتقال إلى أنفيلد أصبح وشيكا، حيث أن فيرتز يقترب من الخضوع للفحص الطبي وتوقيع العقد مع الريدز، والذي من المتوقع أن يكون حتى موسم 2030.

وشارك فيرتز الموسم الماضي في 45 مباراة مع باير ليفركوزن في جميع المسابقات، وتمكن من تسجيل 16 هدفاً وصناعة 14 هدفاً طوال الموسم.

🚨🚨💣 EXCLUSIVE: Florian Wirtz to Liverpool, HERE WE GO!

Liverpool verbally agree deal in principle with Bayer Leverkusen for package reaching €150m add-ons included.

Player side already agreed two weeks ago with move now imminent.

Wirtz set for medical and contract signing. pic.twitter.com/0j6Bh9qAQ3 — Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) June 10, 2025

Leeds United’s lead at the top of the Championship table was cut down to three points on Saturday as they failed to secure a win against West Bromwich Albion at Elland Road.

The West Yorkshire outfit did, however, take the lead in the game when Junior Firpo rose to score his second header in as many league games for the club to make it 1-0.

West Brom found their equaliser before the break, though, as Darnell Furlong got the jump on Jayden Bogle and Illan Meslier appeared flatfooted as the ball looped over him and into the back of the net.

Unfortunately, Daniel Farke’s side were unable to break down a stubborn Baggies defence and they did not create another ‘big chance’ in the game after Firpo’s goal.

One of the reasons why Leeds struggled to create many high-quality opportunities against Tony Mowbray’s team was that the attacking players failed to step up and show their quality in the final third.

Brenden Aaronson was one of those players and the American attacking midfielder must, now, be dropped to the bench by Farke for the next league clash with Portsmouth next Sunday.

Why Brenden Aaronson should be dropped

The former RB Salzburg star has been a firm favourite of Farke’s throughout the Championship season, starting 33 of his 35 appearances in the division, but now could be the time for him to be taken out of the side.

Chalkboard

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Aaronson, as the attacking midfielder, should be in the team to make things happen at the top of the end of the pitch, contributing with goals and assists, as well as his excellent pressing and off-the-ball work.

However, Leeds have not been getting as much of the former as they have the latter. In fact, the 24-year-old dud has now failed to score or assist in any of his ten matches against the current top six in the Championship.

Form against the Championship top six

Brenden Aaronson vs

Goals

Assists

West Brom (A)

0

0

Burnley (H)

0

0

Sunderland (A)

0

0

Sheffield United (H)

0

0

Coventry (H)

0

0

Coventry (A)

0

0

Burnley (A)

0

0

Sunderland (H)

0

0

Sheffield United (A)

0

0

West Brom (H)

0

0

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, the American midfielder has offered very little in front of goal against the best teams in the division, which was the case yet again against West Brom on Saturday.

Aaronson ended the match against the Baggies with zero shots on target and zero ‘big chances’ created for his teammates, which is why he should be dropped from the team to see if another player can outperform him in the number ten role.

He is not the only poor performer from the draw with West Brom who should be dropped down to the bench, though, as Farke should also ruthlessly bin Manor Solomon from the line-up after his struggles.

Manor Solomon's performance against West Brom

The Israel international started on the left flank, with Aaronson in the middle and Dan James on the right, and failed to make much of an impact in the final third.

James was the only one of the front four to be directly involved in the team’s only goal, with his cross for Junior Firpo’s header, whilst Aaronson, Solomon, and Joel Piroe all blanked at the top end of the pitch.

Solomon, like the American lightweight, has also struggled against the top teams in the league. The Tottenham Hotspur loanee has as many errors leading to goals (one) as goal contributions (one) in his seven appearances against the current top six.

In the draw with West Brom, the Leeds flop was handed a dismal rating of 4/10 by Football Insider, who wrote that the Premier League loanee did not trouble the opposition’s goal.

Vs West Brom (H)

Manor Solomon

Minutes

79

Shots (on target)

3 (0)

Dribbles completed

0/2

Duels won

1/6

Big chances created

0

Possession lost

13x

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, the 25-year-old attacker lost 83% of his duels, as the West Brom defenders found it too easy to get the better of him, and he failed to offer much in front of goal with zero shots on target and no ‘big chances’ created.

Therefore, Farke must also ruthlessly ditch Solomon from the XI, with Wilfried Gnonto and Largie Ramazani waiting in the wings, after his dismal showing against the Baggies.

Leeds United's Manor Solomon dilemma

The winger is currently on loan from Tottenham Hotspur at Elland Road and TEAMtalk recently reported that Leeds are interested in a deal to sign the forward on a permanent basis.

It was claimed that the Whites are preparing to approach Spurs to negotiate a permanent deal to sign the attacker when the summer transfer window opens for business, if they secure promotion to the Premier League this season.

The outlet added that Tottenham are expected to value Solomon at a fee of up to £20m, amid interest from top-flight side Everton as well, and Leeds must decide whether or not that is good value.

He has scored seven goals and provided seven assists in 28 appearances in the second tier, which is a very respectable return, but his aforementioned form against the top six is a concern.

Crysencio Summerville scored 19 goals and assisted a further nine in the Championship last season and has only managed one goal and one assist in 19 games in the Premier League for West Ham United.

The Hammers reportedly paid a fee of more than £25m for the Dutch winger and he has been unable to translate his second tier form over to the Premier League as of yet, which illustrates how big of a gap it is between the two divisions.

Summerville and Solomon are also both similar players, as they are small and nimble wingers – standing at 5 foot 9 and 5 foot 7 respectively – who have thrived in the Championship thanks to their quick feet and lethal finishing.

However, the Dutch attacker has found it difficult to make an impact in the Premier League against quicker and stronger defenders, which could be the same issue that Solomon will face – particularly when you take into account his existing struggles against the best Championship teams.

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Posts ByDan Emery Feb 28, 2025

Therefore, Leeds have a difficult decision to make as they could end up wasting £20m on a player who cannot make the step up to the top-flight, which is why they have to be absolutely sure that he will be a success at a higher level next season.