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Liverpool are now ready to make an offer in the region of £54m for an “unbelievable” striker, according to a report.

Liverpool stall at the top of the table

The Reds are sitting pretty at the top of the Premier League table, but following the 2-2 draw against Fulham at Anfield, Arne Slot may feel he needs to strengthen his squad in January to ensure his side have the best possible chance of winning the title.

Andy Robertson has not been at his best this season, and Daily Mail reporter Lewis Steele has revealed that Slot is looking at the likes of AFC Bournemouth’s Milos Kerkez and Wolverhampton Wanderers’ Rayan Ait-Nouri to provide competition at left-back.

With Mohamed Salah still yet to sign a new contract to extend his stay at Anfield, potential replacements are still being looked at, and talks have now been opened with Barcelona’s Raphinha, who could be a high-profile signing for the Reds.

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PSV Eindhoven’s Johan Bakayoko is another name on Liverpool’s list of attacking targets, and the winger is a player Slot will already know very well, given his time in charge of fellow Eredivisie side Feyenoord.

Not only is Slot looking at new wide options, but he is clearly also keen on signing a new striker, having opened talks with Brighton & Hove Albion’s Joao Pedro over a potential summer move.

Liverpool ready to make offer for Joao Pedro

Now, there has been a new update on the Reds’ pursuit of the forward, with Caught Offside reporting they are now ready to make an offer of €55m – €65m (£46m – £54m). Arsenal and Manchester City are also interested in signing the 23-year-old, who is attracting the attention of some of the Premier League’s top clubs as a result of his performances for Brighton this season.

Liverpool are said to have prioritised the signing of the Brazilian, and they could start talks with Brighton over the intricacies of the deal as early as January. The Seagulls have set a price tag of £60m for their star player, who is open to leaving the club in order to play in the Champions League. Former Brighton boss Roberto De Zerbi was full of praise for the Brazil international during his time with the club.

Since then, the former Watford man has also received plaudits from Brighton captain Lewis Dunk, who described him as “unbelievable” at the beginning of last season.

The Brighton star’s year-on-year development is evidenced by his ever-improving record in front of goal since first emerging as a consistent first-team player for Watford in the 2020-21 campaign.

Season

League appearances

Goals

Assists

2020-21

38 (Championship)

9

2

2021-22

28 (Premier League)

3

1

2022-23

35 (Championship)

11

4

2023-24

31 (Premier League)

9

3

2024-25

10 (Premier League)

4

3

Joao Pedro has been in red-hot form so far this season, so it is clear to see why he is attracting the attention of the Premier League’s top clubs, and at 23-years-old he could be a fantastic long-term signing to strengthen Slot’s front three.

Everton would have walked away from their Premier League stalemate with Arsenal as the far happier side, having frustrated the Gunners all afternoon by putting in a defensively dogged display.

Mikel Arteta’s men would only muster up one big chance all contest consequently, as Sean Dyche’s visitors intentionally sat back in order to pick up a share of the points, with Arsenal even amassing a whopping 77% possession.

The Everton defenders certainly earned their praise come the full-time whistle, therefore, with the likes of James Tarkowski battling hard throughout the 90 minutes to keep stars such as Kai Havertz at bay.

How Everton's defence performed at the Emirates

The aforementioned Toffees captain led by example at the Emirates Stadium alongside his centre-back partner Jarrad Branthwaite, as the ex-Burnley man successfully won four duels alongside making seven clearances to preserve his resolute side’s clean sheet.

Branthwaite also put his towering 6 foot 5 frame to good use with three duels of his own won, whilst Jordan Pickford had to stay alert throughout with five saves tallied up which would constantly frustrate faces such as Bukayo Saka attempting to beat the clued-up 30-year-old.

Whilst Pickford would rightfully win a lot of plaudits at the full-time whistle for some top-notch stops, Ashley Young also put in a gritty display at the back to ensure a draw was sealed, with the ex-Aston Villa man winning a sublime seven duels to routinely thwart Gabriel Martinelli bombing forward.

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Everton's very own Alexander-Arnold

It wasn’t just in north London that Young has shone this term. For his relegation-threatened side this campaign, he has starred as an attacking menace, with the 39-year-old rolling back the years to become his side’s answer to Liverpool phenom Trent Alexander-Arnold.

Often operating as a winger during his hay day in the Premier League, Young’s creativity from this more forward-thinking spot is still managing to come to the forefront as he now regularly lines up in a back four.

This season to date, the top-flight veteran has amassed an impressive one goal and three assists, with that solitary strike coming against Wolverhampton Wanderers in a comprehensive 4-0 win just one match before the shut-out at Arsenal.

This resurgence is even more admirable considering there were shouts for Young to be axed from Goodison Park this summer, with his high £40k-per-week wage the topic of many a discussion on Merseyside.

Now, he is more than justifying this steep pay packet, with his numbers not too dissimilar to that of Alexander-Arnold – according to FBRef.

Games played

13

14

Goals scored

1

0

Assists

3

3

Shot-creating actions *

2.40

4.08

Passes attempted *

50.23

76.51

Progressive passes *

5.75

7.46

Tackles *

3.11

2.34

Interceptions *

1.44

1.03

Clearances *

3.11

1.28

While the Everton veteran is understandably still ranking behind Trent for a host of numbers, you can see the similarities between the two in the way they progress the play via their passing.

Unsurprisingly, Young has more defensive know-how than the Real Madrid-linked 26-year-old too, with more tackles and clearances averaged when glancing at the above table, albeit the Toffees are more defensively active than Liverpool.

It’s been quite the sharp turnaround for the ageing full-back, who will hope these stellar performances keep coming in order to see out the twilight of his playing days in style.

Dyche does have a reputation for getting the most out of experienced heads at his disposal, with the Toffees boss keeping his fingers crossed that Young and Co can continue picking up results like the draw at Arsenal to push further away from the dreaded relegation spots.

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Tottenham have joined Arsenal in the chase for a very highly-rated forward as his January transfer isn’t entirely ruled out, with reliable journalist David Ornstein of The Athletic name-dropping Spurs as potential contenders.

Postecoglou hints at January plans as Spurs target new wide forward

In the build up to January, there have been reports suggesting that Spurs are targeting a new defender and wide forward, with manager Ange Postecoglou also suggesting that the club could make new signings in the winter window.

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Speaking in a recent press conference, the Australian admitted that he’s held meetings with technical director Johan Lange over strategy, and claimed his side could dip their toes into the market if they think it is necessary.

“We’re always planning, planning for every scenario. A lot of it will depend on where we are as a squad at that time,” said Postecoglou on Tottenham’s plans for January.

“Between now and then, it is only really [Cristian] Romero and [Micky] van de Ven who will be back in that time frame, but Richy [Richarlison] will hopefully be back in the new year, and we will just assess where we are squad-wise but certainly, with Johan [Lange] I’ve already had a number of meetings for a strategy in January.

“I think last year we did a little bit of business which ended up helping us, but nothing concrete now, because January is always tricky, and it depends on where we are squad-wise.”

Bournemouth vs Tottenham

December 5

Tottenham vs Chelsea

December 8

Southampton vs Tottenham

December 15

Tottenham vs Liverpool

December 22

Nottingham Forest vs Tottenham

December 26

In terms of the wingers they’re reportedly looking at, it is believed Southampton winger Tyler Dibling is attracting attention from Tottenham, amid his excellent start to the season at St. Mary’s and comparisons with Man City star Jack Grealish (Football Insider).

As well as the English sensation, reports in the Spanish media have claimed that Tottenham view Real Sociedad star Takefusa Kubo as a key potential transfer target, with his contract including a £50 million release clause.

Tottenham join Arsenal in race for Athletic Bilbao forward Nico Williams

Ornstein, writing in a piece for The Athletic, has now named Spurs as potential contenders to sign Athletic Bilbao winger Nico Williams.

The Spain star has enjoyed a brilliant last 12 months, winning Euro 2024 with his country and racking up an incredible 19 assists in all competitions last term. The £200,000-per-week left-wide man is off the mark with two goals and five assists so far this season, and he has many admirers heading into 2025.

Tottenham have joined Arsenal in the race for Williams, whose contract includes a “fairly low” £46 million release clause for a player of his calibre, and while his January exit is unlikely, it also isn’t entirely ruled out either.

As well as the north London duo, Bayern Munich, Chelsea and Liverpool are also keeping tabs on his situation at Atheltic, with all the aforementioned clubs real admirers of Williams.

Attempting to make his mark, Ruben Amorim could reportedly get the chance to turn towards a familiar face, with Manchester United now leading the pack in pursuit of one big-money defender.

Man Utd transfer news

Recent rumours have unsurprisingly been coming thick and fast with Amorim set to take charge of his first Manchester United game this weekend. It’s clear that INEOS must find the funds to back another manager after keeping hold of Erik ten Hag during the summer proved a costly error. Just who those reinforcements are remains to be seen, but reports have already indicated several options.

The likes of Inter Milan forward Lautaro Martinez and Barcelona defender Jules Kounde have both emerged as reported targets in recent days with the former certainly a player who’d steal plenty of headlines at Old Trafford.

The World Cup winner has become the main man at Inter Milan over the years, but as Rasmus Hoijlund and new man Joshua Zirkzee continue to struggle, he could solve the Red Devils’ attacking issues. Meanwhile, those at Old Trafford could also welcome a defensive solution.

According to reports in Spain, Manchester United are now the frontrunners in the race to sign Ousmane Diomande from Sporting Club. The central defender won’t come cheap though, given his hefty €80m (£67m) release clause.

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Away from the transfer fee, however, United may not have any trouble in convincing Diomande to complete a move and are the main candidates ahead of the likes of Arsenal, Chelsea, Man City and Newcastle. In fact, Amorim could be the key to unlocking the deal, given that he worked with the defender during his time at Sporting.

Still just 20 years old, Diomande may solve the Red Devils’ defensive problems for years to come amid previous reports he prefers Man Utd over Man City.

"Fantastic" Diomande would lead Amorim's backline

Likely changing to a back three, Amorim may need a wealth of patience when it comes to transitioning the current Manchester United backline. Whilst Harry Maguire has been successful at the heart of a back three in the past with England, question marks still remain over Matthijs de Ligt and Leny Yoro; questions that Amorim may not have time to answer.

Instead, the former Sporting boss should reunite with Diomande and build the Red Devils’ backline around the talented 20-year-old, who can become both the present and future of the club. Dubbed “fantastic” alongside fellow impressive defender Antonio Silva by Football Talent Scout’s Jacek Kulig, Diomande’s rise is unlikely to come to a crashing halt anytime soon.

The one obstacle in the way will undoubtedly be his price tag, but if INEOS can raise the funds then reuniting Amorim with Diomande should certainly be on their list of priorities next summer.

As Alexander Isak continues to stall over a new contract, Newcastle United are reportedly weighing up a move to sign a potential replacement for the Swede in the form of a Champions League striker.

Newcastle transfer news

After such a disappointing summer, it always seemed inevitable that Newcastle would face their fair share of struggles on the pitch and that has very much become their reality in recent weeks. Without a Premier League win in their last five attempts, Eddie Howe’s side suffered their latest defeat at Stamford Bridge despite returning to the scoresheet courtesy of Isak’s second goal of the campaign.

Isak’s goalscoring return was well-timed too amid recent links with a move to the likes of Arsenal to spark concerns over his future at St James’ Park. Add reports that talks over a new contract have stalled and Newcastle certainly have every right to be worried about their star man.

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Potentially left with no choice but to seek a replacement, the Magpies may well turn their attention to Ligue 1 and one particular forward. According to reports in Spain, Newcastle are now weighing up a move to sign Randal Kolo Muani who has been shown the door at Paris Saint-Germain.

Struggling to find his best form since a hefty £76m move from Eintracht Frankfurt in 2023, Kolo Muani could be on the move in 2025 to bring an end to what has been a frustrating spell. It’s then that Newcastle could decide to strike and help the forward back to his most clinical form last shown in the Bundesliga.

Still just 25 years old, the Frenchman still has plenty of time to become the player that PSG believed they had signed just one year ago, and they ‘would not be against a convincing offer from Newcastle for the French striker’ in the next transfer window.

"Complete" Kolo Muani could revive Newcastle attack

With Callum Wilson heading for the exit door as a free agent as things stand and Isak potentially following the Englishman out the door, Kolo Muani could emerge to revive Newcastle’s attack next summer. Of course, he has had his struggles at PSG but it is worth noting that it’s often difficult to adjust to the Ligue 1 giants – as proved by the great Lionel Messi.

Prior to his PSG struggles, Kolo Muani thrived at Frankfurt, scoring a stunning 23 goals and assisting another 17 in the 2022/23 campaign. If Newcastle can swoop in to end his Paris nightmare, then they could pave the way for that version of the Frenchman to make his return and fire Howe’s side back into European football in place of Isak.

The forward earned plenty of praise during that campaign, including from France teammate Kylian Mbappe who said via The Metro: “He is a striker who offers different game options to our team. He is very complete and has an impressive volume of play.”

In a striker domino effect, Newcastle could yet grant Kolo Muani the ideal opportunity to put PSG behind him next summer should Isak depart.

Saudi Pro League chiefs reportedly believe they are "being used" by Mohamed Salah as they try to sign him and Liverpool attempt to extend his deal.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Salah in last year of Liverpool contract
• Saudi league wants to sign winger
• Feel they are "being used" by Egyptian

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• WHAT HAPPENED?

  According to the i Paper, there is growing belief in the Saudi Pro League that the Egyptian will stay at Liverpool – even though the 32-year-old would be the 'perfect signing' for the division.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  'WE ARE BEING USED'

  A senior advisor to the Saudi Pro League told The i Paper: “There is a feeling we are being used in contract negotiations this time. We want him, that is no secret. But we are getting less indication from the player that he is even considering moving here. Liverpool are flying this season and he is scoring goals like he was five years ago again.”

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Salah said at the turn of the year that he and Liverpool are "far away" in terms of a contract extension and despite being 'buoyed' by his public admittance that he may depart Anfield, faith in a Saudi transfer is reportedly 'dwindling'. The report adds that Al-Hilal are offering the ex-Roma star £65 million ($81m) for two seasons but whether he will accept remains to be seen.

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  WHAT NEXT?

  There is just a few short months for Salah, who is reportedly valuing personal accolades more as he puts together a superb goalscoring season, to sign a new Liverpool deal.

ICC promise ‘thorough investigation’ after disturbances outside Dubai Stadium

Matt Roller29-Oct-2021The ICC have asked the Emirates Cricket Board (ECB) to “undertake a thorough investigation” following crowd trouble caused by “thousands of ticketless fans” at Pakistan and Afghanistan’s Super 12s game in the men’s T20 World Cup in Dubai.The sides’ previous World Cup meeting, at Headingley in 2019, had been marred by crowd trouble, security lapses and pitch invasions and despite a pre-match plea from Rashid Khan to “remain cool and calm and just focus on enjoying the game”, huge crowds descended on Dubai International Stadium in attempts to gain entry.In a statement issued at midnight local time, the ICC said that more than 16,000 tickets had been issued for the game but that “thousands” of fans without them travelled to the stadium “and then attempted to force entry”. At least one external barrier was pushed over, with a surge of supporters gathered outside the stadium’s main gates throughout the game itself.Related

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“Dubai Police and security staff secured the stadium to ensure the safety of everyone inside and brought in significant additional resources to disperse the crowd and calm the situation,” the statement said. “At approximately 7pm, Dubai Police directed that all gates should remain closed and no further entry was permitted to maintain a safe and controlled environment inside the venue.”The ICC has asked the ECB to undertake a thorough investigation into tonight’s events to learn any lessons and will work closely with authorities to ensure there is no repeat of this situation in the future.”Fans have been permitted at 70-80 percent capacity throughout the World Cup depending on local restrictions, with tickets for matches involving Asian teams selling well. The ICC’s statement included an apology to “any fans with valid tickets who were unable to enter the stadium tonight”, who were advised to contact the ticket provider.Mohammad Nabi, Afghanistan’s captain, said in his post-match press conference: “For the Afghan fans, please buy a ticket and come to the stadium. Don’t repeat again. This is not good.”

Australia vice-captain says the WBBL is expected to go ahead as scheduled after the multi-format international assignment

Andrew McGlashan05-Aug-2021

Rachael Haynes’ WBBL participation could be affected given she and her partner Leah Poulton are expecting their first child•Getty Images

Australia vice-captain Rachael Haynes is prepared for what appears inevitable disruption to the start of the season and prospect of hotel quarantine around the series against India in September.India’s tour is currently due to start on September 17 with a warm-up match in Sydney followed by the first ODI on September 19. However, with the city’s lockdown already extended to the end of August that appears increasingly challenging to make happen alongside the various border restrictions that are currently in place. The series is also due to head to Melbourne and Perth before returning to Sydney for the T20Is in early October.As of Thursday, large swathes of Australia’s east coast were in lockdown with south-east Queensland, including Brisbane, and Victoria also back under tight restrictions due to Covid-19 outbreaks.Haynes said she expected some clarity in the next week or so about what plans would be put in place but was preparing to have to leave New South Wales and quarantine in another state at some point.Last season the international summer started with Australia facing New Zealand in Brisbane which involved players from Victoria and New South Wales having to quarantine for two weeks before the series although they were permitted to train.”The reality is that the players in New South Wales are probably very much aware that to leave the state we will have to participate in some form of quarantine,” Haynes told reporters. “Exactly how that looks, whether it’s a hard hotel quarantine or perhaps like when we quarantined in Brisbane and we were able to train some capacity, I don’t believe there is an answer to that question at the moment but there will be over the coming weeks.”Once we know that it’ll crystalise what it looks like in terms of our preparation but very much the players based in New South Wales are resigned to the fact that we’ll have to quarantine in some capacity.”Currently Haynes, who signed a new one-year deal as captain of defending WBBL champions Sydney Thunder on Thursday, and the rest of the New South Wales squad can continue pre-season training under various Covid restrictions.”Unfortunately, we probably aren’t too unfamiliar with this circumstance given the nature of the pandemic,” Haynes said. “It’s certainly had its challenges, but we have been fortunate that our New South Wales programme has been able to continue albeit under slightly modified restrictions. That’s allowed us to continue training, it’s allowed us a good preparation heading into the international season.”Think early next week we’ll find out exactly what that looks like in terms of our preparation against India and we’ve been given every indication that the intention is for the Big Bash to continue on beyond that.”As we know the pandemic always throws a spanner in the works, and if we had a crystal ball it would be nice to predict where we would be in a couple of months’ time, but I learnt last year there’s no point getting too far ahead of yourself.”Following the multi-format series against India, the WBBL is due to start on October 14 in Sydney with the hope that it can return to a country-wide tournament following last season’s hub. Haynes and her partner Leah Poulton are expecting their first child in mid-October, so if the start of the competition had to move out of the state, Haynes’ availability for the Thunder would likely be impacted.”I’m definitely not going to miss the birth of my child if I have any control over that, so I’ll definitely be returning to Sydney in October,” she said. “It’s really hard to know exactly how that will look and I’d be guessing how that transition will take place.”From my perspective I want to play as much of the season as possible and be there to support my team-mates. If we do kick off in Sydney as was originally intended I’ll definitely be a part of that and if there are any changes that I need to make then I’ll cross that bridge when it comes.”

Sky Sports pundit Jamie Redknapp has showed praise on a Tottenham transfer target, amid claims that chairman Daniel Levy is prepared to bid £33 million to sign him.

Tottenham extend winning run with 3-0 victory at Man United

Ange Postecoglou will be very happy with how his Lilywhites team have responded to their North London Derby defeat earlier this month, having now won four games on the bounce since their loss at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

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On-fire forward Brennan Johnson – after he was forced to delete his social media channels following online abuse – has since bagged a goal in each of Spurs’ last four victories against Coventry City, Brentford, Qarabag and Man United – showcasing his elite mentality as an athlete.

Another real positive has been summer signing Dominic Solanke’s three goals in Tottenham’s last three games, with the Englishman’s poacher’s instinct on full display as he attempts to take Harry Kane’s mantle and justify his £65 million price tag.

Brighton vs Tottenham

October 6

Tottenham vs West Ham

October 19

Crystal Palace vs Tottenham

October 27

Tottenham vs Aston Villa

November 3

Tottenham vs Ipswich Town

November 10

Strikes from Johnson, Solanke and winger Dejan Kulusevski sealed an impressive win away to United over the weekend, piling more pressure on Erik ten Hag and silencing some of the noise around Postecoglou’s own position.

Tottenham linked with new striker after Solanke

While Solanke is beginning to hit a rich vein of form, some reports have actually suggested that Levy and technical director Johan Lange could look to bring in another striker to ease the goalscoring burden on his shoulders.

Richarlison is out injured right now and will return to the fold, but the Brazilian’s record hasn’t exactly been prolific, despite his purple patch midway through last season. There are suggestions that Spurs could make an audacious move for Viktor Gyokeres, which would be quite the statement, but we believe that is highly unlikely given the Swede could command an £84 million price tag.

Elsewhere, it’s been reported this week that Bournemouth striker Antoine Semenyo is a target for Spurs. Indeed, Spanish media state that Tottenham are prepared to bid £33 million for Semenyo, following his excellent start to the new Premier League campaign.

The Ghanaian boasts three goals and an assist from Bournemouth’s first six league games of the season, averaging a very impressive 4.7 shots on goal per 90 according to WhoScored, which is the second-highest rate in the entire division behind Erling Haaland.

Jamie Redknapp praises "joy to watch" Antoine Semenyo

Amid reports linking Tottenham with a move for the 24-year-old, who can also play in attacking midfield and as a second striker, Redknapp has praised Semenyo as a “joy to watch” right now.

“He’s a lovely footballer to watch”, said Redknapp on Premier League productions.

“The manager’s taken him to another level, he obviously has that capability because you saw it with Solanke. I’m just seeing him elevate his game right now, we’ll talk about why does that happen, a lot of it is purely on confidence.

“He looks like he’s enjoying his football, his shoulders are back, he’s relaxed, every time he gets it, he plays with a bit of a swagger. He’s actually a joy to watch right now.”

Semenyo cost just over £10 million for Bournemouth to sign from Bristol City in January last year, but his price tag will surely be much more than that now.