Liverpool’s hopes of securing a domestic trophy to go along with what they hope will be a Premier League title were dashed when they were beaten 2-1 by Newcastle United at Wembley last weekend.

The Reds were beaten by goals from Dan Burn and Alexander Isak in the capital, in the same week that they were also dumped out of the Champions League on penalties by Paris Saint-Germain.

Isak scored what turned out to be the winning goal at Wembley when he reacted to Jacob Murphy’s header to sweep the ball past Caoimhin Kelleher with a ruthless finish into the bottom corner on the half-volley.

It was a lethal strike from the Sweden international who showcased his quality in the final third, whilst Liverpool’s number nine – Diogo Jota – struggled.

The Portugal international failed to find the target with his only effort on goal and only completed 40% of his attempted passes in the match, as he struggled to have a positive impact on the match.

Their contrasting performances on the big stage on Sunday may explain why the Reds have been linked with an interest in signing Isak from the Magpies.

Liverpool's reported interest in Alexander Isak

The Merseyside giants are reportedly keen on a swoop to land the former Borussia Dortmund marksman in the upcoming summer transfer window to bolster their options at the top end of the pitch.

Speaking on his YouTube channel earlier this week, Fabrizio Romano said: “Liverpool are also there for Alexander Isak, they already made some contacts with people close to the player, so both clubs are interested in Alexander Isak.

“For Arsenal, he is the absolute top target. For Liverpool, he’s one of names they are considering in that position.”

Liverpool just experienced first-hand the kind of quality that Isak could provide Arne Slot’s side, which may be why they are looking to rival the Gunners to his signature.

However, The Telegraph reported, back in December, that the Magpies are poised to demand a fee of more than £150m for the centre-forward, and that would make him a club-record signing for the Reds.

Transfer Focus

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

Liverpool could avoid splashing out more than £150m and smashing their club-record transfer fee to land a new number nine, though, as they are said to be keen on a bargain alternative to Isak.

Liverpool showing interest in Ligue 1 centre-forward

According to CaughtOffside, the Premier League leaders are one of a number of clubs interested in a deal to sign Lille centre-forward Jonathan David in the summer transfer window.

The report claims that Liverpool are ‘considering’ a swoop to bring the Canada international over to England ahead of the 2025/26 campaign, as he is due to be a free agent this summer.

David’s current contract with the Ligue 1 side expires at the end of this season and he will be free to negotiate with other clubs at the end of June, which is an opportunity that has attracted interest from plenty of sides.

CaughtOffside adds that Manchester United, Chelsea, Tottenham, Barcelona, Juventus, Inter Milan, and Paris Saint-Germain are also considering moves for his services, which shows that Liverpool are facing serious competition from massive clubs in England and abroad.

David, who scored against Liverpool at Anfield earlier this season, has also attracted interest from Premier League sides Arsenal and West Ham United, the latter of whom invited the centre-forward’s agent to watch one of their matches.

Michael Edwards must, now, push to win the race for his signature in the summer transfer window because the Lille marksman could arrive at Anfield as a bargain alternative to Isak, given that he will be a free agent in the summer instead of a signing in excess of £150m.

Why Liverpool should sign Jonathan David

Aside from the fact that he will not a penny in transfer fees, there are several reasons why signing David would make a lot of sense for the Reds.

The Canadian marksman only turned 25 in January and this means that Liverpool would be bringing in a striker who is heading towards the prime years of his career, with plenty of time left ahead of him to develop and improve.

That is particularly exciting when you consider that he has already scored 19 goals or more in each of the last four seasons for Lille in all competitions – including an eye-catching nine goals in 14 matches in the Champions League this term.

The Ligue 1 superstar was once described as “one of the best strikers in the world” by podcaster Tony Marinaro, which is hard to argue when you take his consistent run of goals over the last four years and his form in Europe’s biggest club competition this season into account.

David has proven himself to be a reliable performer at the top end of the pitch for the French side for several seasons, which shows that his current form is far from a flash in the pan and, instead, is something that suggests he could be a fantastic addition for Slot.

When you compare his performances for Lille since the start of last season with Isak’s for Newcastle, signing the 25-year-old on a free transfer seems like a dream scenario for Liverpool.

Appearances

55

58

xG

35.84

31.39

Goals

40

33

Big chances missed

32

26

Big chances created

15

12

Assists

7

7

As you can see in the table above, they boast similar records in their respective leagues, as both scorers and creators of goals, as they are both ruthless finishers who can also create for their teammates.

These statistics show that David is a clinical finisher who can make the most of the opportunities that are created for him, as he has outperformed his xG by almost two goals.

Meanwhile, Jota – who started up front in the League Cup final – has scored five goals from 7.21 xG across 18 appearances in the Premier League this season, which suggests that he has been an unreliable presence for the Reds in the centre-forward position.

Therefore, David could be the perfect signing for Liverpool to come in and make the most of the high-quality opportunities that have been wasted by the Portuguese international.

A "monster" Trent upgrade: Liverpool gearing up to sign £34m Madrid target

FSG are gearing up for a summer of change at Liverpool.

ByAngus Sinclair Mar 18, 2025

He would also be a bargain alternative to Isak because he can offer a similar level of quality in the final third, as shown by his aforementioned statistics for Lille, without the more than £150m price tag to go alongside him.

That is why Edwards must do everything in his power to convince David to make the move to Anfield over any of the other reported clubs that are eyeing him up this summer.

Amid what appears certain to end as Manchester United’s worst-ever Premier League campaign, the Red Devils will once again be looking to oversee something of a squad overhaul this summer.

The INEOS regime will likely need to be as ruthless as they were last summer, having notably allowed high profile stars such as Raphael Varane and Anthony Martial to depart following the expiry of their contracts.

Equally, the Old Trafford hierarchy also opted to cash in on Ole Gunnar Solskjaer favourites, Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Scott McTominay, while a raft of academy graduates were also shown the door, namely Willy Kambwala, Alvaro Fernandez and Hannibal Mejbri.

With new boss Ruben Amorim having already hinted that the club will need to sell before buying this summer, it could be a repeat scenario this time around, with the futures of a number of first-team assets currently up in the air.

Man Utd’s summer 2024 exits
Player	New club	Fee
Scott McTominay	Napoli	£25m
Mason Greenwood	Marseille	£22m
Aaron Wan-Bissaka	West Ham	£15m
Willy Kambwala	Villarreal	£9m
Hannibal Mejbri	Burnley	£5.5m
Facundo Pellistri	Panathinaikos	£5m
Alvaro Fernandez	Benfica	£5m
Donny van de Beek	Girona	£400k
Raphael Varane	Como	Free
Omari Forson	Monza	Free
Jadon Sancho	Chelsea	Loan
Anthony Martial	AEK Athens	Free
via Transfermarkt

If recent reports are anything to go by, there could well be a mass exodus from the Theatre of Dreams by the time next season rolls around…

Man Utd's mass summer exodus

As the player has hinted at himself this week, Christian Eriksen is likely to be moving on to pastures new following the expiry of his contract at the end of June, with the Danish playmaker having initially signed on a free transfer back in 2022.

The 33-year-old – as reported by Manchester Evening News journalist Samuel Luckhurst – is likely to be followed by fellow Scandinavian star, Victor Lindelof, with the long-serving Swede also unlikely to be handed a new deal.

Further experienced exits could lie in store for one-time academy graduates, Jonny Evans and Tom Heaton, with both men in line for retirement once their own contracts are up this summer.

As Luckhurst also alluded to, fellow veteran Casemiro is likely to be made available for transfer, despite the Brazilian having recently admitted that he would be willing to see out the remainder of his deal, which expires in 2026.

Sir Jim Ratcliffe and co are also likely to try and cash in on both Marcus Rashford and Antony, with the pair having joined Aston Villa and Real Betis, respectively, in January.

In the case of the Brazilian, there was no clause included as part of the move to Spain, although Villa do have a £40m option to buy as part of their temporary acquisition of Rashford.

Another man who could also be set for a permanent departure within the Premier League is Jadon Sancho, albeit with the Englishman’s future at Chelsea having been brought into fresh doubt of late.

Man Utd's total cost of signing Jadon Sancho

It is very on-brand for a chaotic club like United that even a seemingly routine obligation-to-buy clause has become rather complicated, with it looking as if the Stamford Bridge side could attempt to back out of the permanent signing of Sancho.

As reported by The Athletic’s David Ornstein, the Blues could avoid paying £25m for the addition of the 25-year-old by instead paying the Red Devils a £5m penalty fee, in order to send the winger back to Old Trafford.

That could potentially see the former Borussia Dortmund man return to Manchester this summer, leaving INEOS with the potential task of trying to find a suitable buyer for him, ahead of next term.

It would be no surprise if Chelsea do opt not to sign the wideman permanently, not least considering his meagre return of just two goals and six assists in 28 games for the west Londoners to date.

After a bright start, which included three assists in his first three Premier League games under Enzo Maresca, the one-time Manchester City youth star has failed to maintain that momentum, with Chelsea hero John Obi Mikel stating that he has simply “disappeared” of late:

Those woes reflect Sancho’s dismal time back at United thus far, with the 2021 arrival having contributed just 18 goals and assists in 83 games to date – a return bettered by Dan James, for instance, who chalked up 18 goal involvements from just 74 appearances.

Described by Solskjaer as “a forward player in the best traditions of Manchester United” upon his £73m switch from Germany, the England international has certainly failed to live up to that price tag, having proven a costly mistake instead.

Not only have the club had to fork out that initial fee, but they have also coughed up over £35m in wages since then, as per Capology, representing a total cost of around £108m in all.

The idea of then being burdened with him again next season, provided Chelsea wiggle out of a move, would be a real concern for the United hierarchy, with INEOS needing to ensure that they finally cash in on Sancho this summer – one way, or another.

INEOS must axe Man Utd flop who's cost them over £50m in wages

He’s likely to be part of the much-anticipated summer clear-out at Old Trafford.

1

By
Angus Sinclair

Mar 24, 2025

Richard Thompson says he will speak to ICC after disappointment of Old Trafford draw

Matt Roller27-Jul-2023

The Old Trafford Test finished as a draw after rain ruined the final two days of the game•Getty Images

Richard Thompson, the ECB chair, has said that he will lobby ICC chair Greg Barclay “to ensure that schedules can be more flexible” after England’s hopes of regaining the men’s Ashes were washed away in the Manchester rain on Sunday.The fifth day of the fourth Ashes Test at Emirates Old Trafford was abandoned without a ball bowled, after only 30 overs were possible on the fourth day. With several overs lost due to slow over-rates on the first three days, Joe Root proposed that greater flexibility should be introduced in the hours of play to ensure all overs are bowled.Thompson, speaking to the programme on BBC Radio 4, stopped short of saying he would call for the introduction of reserve days across the board in Test cricket, but said: “It’s a debate that we need to have.”Thompson said: “I will talk to Greg Barclay, the chair of the ICC, for sure, just in the sense of him understanding what England has done to Test cricket. We’ve elevated that format and reinvented the way Test cricket has been played now.”There’s significantly more excitement and interest around Test cricket now, and this is part of that broader conversation, to ensure that schedules can be more flexible to accommodate this type of strange eventuality. But we need to have that conversation.”Related

Urn secure but England look to deny Australia series glory

England named unchanged XI for Oval Ashes finale

No sign of James Anderson calling time just yet as England keep the faith

Speaking ahead of the final day in Manchester, Root questioned the lack of flexibility in the hours of play in England, where the vast majority of Tests start at 11am regardless of whether overs are lost the previous day, and play rarely extends beyond 7pm.”In England, it doesn’t get dark until 10pm,” Root told the BBC’s . “Why not start earlier?”Whatever it is, if you need to make overs up, instead of punishing teams for being slow on over-rates, can you find other ways of maximising play and finding chances of getting as much cricket in as possible? Why do you have to have hard and fast rules? Why not play until the overs are done?”According to the ICC’s Test match playing conditions, the hours of play are determined by the home board, rather than the governing body. “You could have a look at the schedule, in terms of the times you play,” Thompson said.”Fundamentally, people are buying a ticket expecting play to start at a certain time and end at a certain time, so from that perspective, you’re going to have to inject certain flexibility to broadcasters’ schedules, people with travel arrangements, all sorts of practicalities.”We are in the entertainment business. You want people to leave happy and entertained. Having a reserve day – as there was in the World Test Championship [final] – would be a great idea but you’d need to do that for each Test. That’s another five days you’d need to find in the schedule. There will be a lot of debate after this series.”

NBA superstar Jimmy Butler is a member of a consortium attempting to buy a stake in Crystal Palace, per a new report.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

Consortium to make offer worth $200 million (£147m)Aiming to buy 43 per cent stake from Eagle FootballButler a memberFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Per , Butler is a member of a consortium of sport and entertainment executives, who want to buy Eagle Football's 43 per cent stake in Crystal Palace. They are expected to make an offer of $200m. The group is being led by Bejan Esmaili and Wajid Mir, who previously had a period of exclusivity with Eagle Football head John Textor to buy a stake in Palace but they allowed it to lapse.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Butler has now entered into the group and the consortium is now being backed by an American group, which has previously invested in different football clubs. The proposed fee involved would value Palace at $465m (£343m) as a whole.

DID YOU KNOW?

Palace finished 12th in the Premier League but won the FA Cup and qualified for the Europa League as a result. Textor and Eagle Football also own Lyon, though, and as they have qualified for the competition too, Palace's participation is in doubt, hence the shareholder's desire to sell.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT?

Palace will hope to formalise a sale soon so that they can get on with the business of playing in the Europa League next season, and with reshaping their squad this summer.

Ben Stokes believes England did “literally everything we possibly could” to force a result in the drawn fourth Ashes Test at Emirates Old Trafford, delivering a “pretty much perfect” performance in a game they “completely and utterly” dominated.England led by 275 runs on first innings after winning the toss, bowling Australia out for 317 before racking up 592 in 107.4 overs, and led by 61 runs heading into the final day with Australia five wickets down in their second innings.But after rain had limited the fourth day’s play to 30 overs, it forced a total washout on Sunday, denying England the opportunity to push for victory and leaving Australia 2-1 up heading into the final Test at The Oval next week – thereby retaining the Ashes urn.”The cricket we got in, in this game, was potentially an opportunity for a team to play it safe; to wait and see what the outcome might be,” Stokes said. “We didn’t do that. We definitely didn’t shy away from what we needed to do.”We’re always putting our front foot forward and trying to press the game as hard as we possibly could. As a captain, that’s something that makes me very proud as a leader of the ten other guys out there. It’s just unfortunate that we managed to get three hours in over the last two days.”The draw was the first of Stokes’ tenure as permanent captain, after 12 wins and four defeats in his first 16 Tests in full-time charge. “I think it’s the first draw for us, through no fault of our own,” he said. “We try and take the positive out of these things. We did literally everything we possibly could.”The weather didn’t help us and we can’t change that. It’s a tough pill to swallow, knowing that’s the reason we sit here with a draw, but we’ve done everything we possibly could in the hours of play we managed to get. We were completely and utterly dominant throughout the hours of play we had. It’s a shame, but, oh well.”Ben Stokes believes his team have “already done wonders” for Test cricket in England•Getty Images

When asked to compare how he felt in Manchester to his emotions after England’s defeats in the first two Tests at Edgbaston and Lord’s, Stokes said: “I think they’re completely different.”We obviously played some brilliant cricket in those games, [but] we played some cricket that we knew we could have been better at. But in this game I can’t actually look back and think, ‘We could have been better there’, because we were pretty much perfect throughout the whole game.”Bowling Australia out and then scoring the runs that we did at the pace that we did – I can’t really say we got anything wrong about this game, to be honest. It is tough to say we ended up with a draw when we’ve dominated the cricket that we’ve managed to get in.”Related

• England name unchanged squad for Oval Ashes Test

• 'Cry me a river, England' – Australian press reacts to the turn of events at Old Trafford

• No regrets for Stokes but Old Trafford draw will hurt

• Pat Cummins: 'Good to retain Ashes but work to do for next week'

• Australia retain the Ashes, but can they close out the series?

England can no longer win the series outright, but can deny Australia a first away Ashes win since 2001 by beating them at The Oval in the fifth Test – just as they did four years ago – which starts on Thursday.”It’s very similar to 2019, when we had to go to The Oval and win to draw the series,” Stokes said. “We’ll have to get over the disappointment of today and then focus on that game. It is a massive game for us and 2-2 sounds a lot better than 3-1.”The mentality and mindset within the dressing-room is to go out and win. Go back to the Pakistan series, where we could have taken it easy in that last game knowing we’d won the series but we didn’t. We still went out with the same mentality of how we wanted to play our cricket.”Every time we walk out on the field, that’s all I encourage the players to do: just concentrate on what you need to do as an individual to influence a game in the right way. If it doesn’t happen, you’ve still got an opportunity to do that in a different way or a different session. Everything we do is to try and be positive and get a result for England.”Stokes acknowledged that a decider at The Oval would have been “a very, very special week in the history of English cricket” but said that his team have “already done wonders” for the sport across the country.”It would have elevated everything that the series has already done for Test cricket, especially in England,” he said. “But I think what we’ve managed to do, up until today anyway, has already done wonders for cricket in England.”I think we’ll still have the support that we have done throughout the series next week. We’ll be treating it as every other game and I hope the support we get will still be there or thereabouts, as if it was 2-2.”

MatériaMais Notícias

O Corinthians tem negociações avançadas para emprestar o atacante Léo Natel ao Casa Pia, da primeira divisão do Campeonato Português, por uma temporada.

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasFutebol NacionalOuça áudio do VAR de pênalti em Fluminense x Corinthians: ‘Trava na canela’Futebol Nacional26/08/2022CorinthiansCom a camisa 10, Róger Guedes reassume protagonismo e comanda ataque do CorinthiansCorinthians26/08/2022CorinthiansFausto Vera ganha confiança de Vítor Pereira e se torna ‘motorzinho’ do CorinthiansCorinthians26/08/2022

GALERIA – Quem é melhor: Flu ou Timão? Veja votação feita pelo L!

A equipe portuguesa irá arcar com100% dos salários de Natel, que recentemente foi reintegrado por Vítor Pereira e utilizado pelo treinador corintiano na derrota por 1 a 0 contra o Fortaleza, pela23ª rodada do Brasileirão.

As diretorias costuraram um acordo que obriga a equipe lisboeta a comprar os direitos do atacante de 25 anos caso eleatue pelo menos 45 minutos em 60% dos jogos enquanto estiver empréstimo. A informação das tratativas foi noticiada primeiramente pelojornalista Pedro Sepúlveda e confirmada pelo LANCE!.

O atacante disputou 55 jogos e marcou quatro gols pelo Timão. O contrato dele com o clube alvinegro vai até o fim de 2024.

TABELA – Timão tem chance de título brasileiro? Simule o Brasileirão

Léo Natel chegou ao clube do Parque São Jorge em 2020, após deixar o São Paulo. Em 2021, ele foi emprestado ao Apoel, do Chipre, onde atuou por uma temporada, mas os cipriotas não exerceram a opção de compra fixada em 2,5 milhões de euros (R$ 12,9 mi, na cotação atual).

A diretoria da equipe europeia até cogitou pagar e conversou com o Corinthians, que topou reduzir o valor para 1,5 milhão de euros (R$ 7,7 mi, na cotação atual). Contudo, a desvalorização do euro e a má temporada do Apoel, que gerou uma reformulação no comando do futebol, fizeram com que a equipe recuasse e desistisse de comprar Natel.

Mesmo fora da equipe cipriota, os representantes do jogador trabalhavam nos bastidores para mantê-lo no mercado internacional.

O Casa Pia disputou a segunda divisão do Campeonato Português na última temporada, onde foi vice-campeão. No momento, a equipe soma quatro pontos em três jogos na primeira divisão do futebol português.

Nottingham Forest have now submitted a £50m offer for a “fantastic” striker, who they hope to have signed before the summer transfer window opens, according to a report.

Nottingham Forest's striker search underway

It would be fair to say Chris Wood has been one of the best performers for Forest this season, with the New Zealand international bagging 18 goals in the Premier League to help propel his side into Champions League contention.

However, Wood is arguably in the twilight years of his career at 33 years old, which means Nuno Espirito Santo may need to start thinking about a long-term replacement, and his side’s push for Europe should place them in a good position to sign a top striker.

Brentford’s Yoane Wissa is one of the names on the shortlist, with Forest now working on a deal for the Brentford star, who could be available for just £20m, while fellow Premier League striker, Wolverhampton Wanderers’ Matheus Cunha is also of interest.

Nottingham Forest plot bold move for £150k-per-week star as club slash price

The Premier League side sense a golden opportunity to back Nuno Espirito Santo.

ByEmilio Galantini Mar 29, 2025

One of the most high-profile players on the shortlist is Napoli’s Victor Osimhen, with the Nigerian set to be available for £63m this summer, and the Tricky Trees would have no issues paying his wages.

Signing Osimhen would be a real statement of intent, but Nottingham Forest have reportedly now taken the first step towards signing a different striker, having submitted a formal offer of €60m (£50m) for Liverpool’s Darwin Nunez.

Nunez has fallen down the pecking order at Anfield, with Arne Slot making it clear the Uruguayan is not in his plans for next season, which means a summer move could be on the cards, and Forest believe he has the ability to be a key player.

Interestingly, the report states Nuno’s side are eager to get a deal done as soon as possible and they are currently leading the race for the forward’s signature.

"Fantastic" Nunez could reignite career at Nottingham Forest

Things haven’t always been easy for the 25-year-old since arriving at Anfield, having received widespread criticism at times, but he managed to maintain a decent goal record during his first two seasons on Merseyside.

Season

Premier League appearances

Goals

Assists

2022-23

29

9

3

2023-24

36

11

8

2024-25

23

5

3

Since then, the “fantastic” former Benfica man has fallen down the pecking order, but he has still managed to score some important goals for Liverpool this season, most notably finding the back of the net twice against Brentford to secure a late victory.

Nunez’s flashes of brilliance, coupled with his fantastic goal record in Portugal, demonstrate that he could be a top signing for Forest if he is able to perform at his best on a more consistent basis.

That said, it could be a risky move for Forest, and it may be wise to focus on other targets who have performed well in the Premier League this season, such as Wissa and Cunha.

Lionel Messi will come up against former side Paris Saint-Germain in the last 16 of the Club World Cup with Inter Miami.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

Messi joined Inter Miami from PSGSpent two unhappy years with French clubWill now face UCL winners at Club World CupFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Inter Miami confirmed their spot in the knockout stages of the Club World Cup with a 2-2 draw against Palmeiras on Monday. The result means that Messi will go on to face former club PSG in the last 16. Messi spent two seasons with the French club but has admitted he was "so unhappy" he did not enjoy his time in the French capital.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Messi will now have the chance to get one over on PSG as the MLS face face the reigning European champions. Ahead of the tie, the Argentine's Inter Miami team-mate Jordi Alba has warned PSG that Messi is determined to win the game and book his side a spot in the quarter-finals of the tournament.

Watch every FIFA Club World Cup game free on DAZNStream nowWHAT ALBA SAID

Alba told reporters: "In the end, what Leo wants is to win games, like the great player that he is. I know the feelings he has towards Barça, where we play together, but not towards PSG. He was there for two years and only he knows what happened. What is clear is that it will be a hard-fought match and hopefully we can ring the bell, knowing the difficulty involved in playing with these types of teams."

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

AFPWHAT NEXT FOR INTER MIAMI?

Inter Miami and PSG are due to face off in the last 16 of the Club World Cup on Sunday, 29 June at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia.

Real Madrid have ruled out the signing of Stuttgart midfielder Angelo Stiller after losing out on Martin Zubimendi to Arsenal.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Madrid miss out on Zubimendi
• Spanish side rule out Stiller signing
• Will not sign a midfielder this summer

Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Real Madrid will not be pursuing the signature of VfB Stuttgart midfielder Stiller this summer, after they already lost out on key transfer target Zubimendi to Arsenal. The claim comes from a report by who add that Madrid will not be spending big on a midfielder.

Advertisement

• Getty/GOAL
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Luka Modric is set to depart the club this summer, just one year after the retirement of Toni Kroos. Despite the presence of world-class names such as Jude Bellingham, Fede Valverde, Aurelien Tchouameni, and Eduardo Camavinga in the midfield, there's a prevailing sense that the club lacks a profile who can dictate the play and pull the strings from midfield as a deep-lying playmaker. New head coach Xabi Alonso had shortlisted Zubimendi as a key target, but the club opted against intervening in his switch to the Gunners. There were also links with Stiller, who was personally recommended to the club by Kroos. However, Madrid have withdrawn their interest.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  The club has been linked with blockbuster moves for players such as Rodri, Alexis Mac Allister, as well as Enzo Fernandez. However, the 15-time European champions deem those operations to be too expensive. On the contrary, they haven't found any player who wouldn't cost as much to be convincing enough. Stiller presented an intriguing option, but the prospect of signing him has been rejected by the club internally, despite Alonso's plea to sign another midfielder.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• AFP
  

  WHAT NEXT FOR REAL MADRID?

  After a disappointing debut under Alonso, with Madrid drawing against underdogs Al-Hilal 1-1 in their Club World Cup opener. They will next face Mexican outfit Pachuca on Sunday, June 22.

Fulham have reached out and made contact over signing a former Real Madrid player, as Marco Silva’s side begin planning for next season.

Fulham competing for European qualification

Just seven points separate ninth from fourth in this hotly-contested Premier League race for Europe, and Fulham are still in with every chance of competing in the Conference League, Europa League or even the Champions League.

Club "moving" to sign "very important" Fulham star with unique offer planned

Marco Silva’s side could lose him.

By
Emilio Galantini

Apr 3, 2025

While the latter competition is unlikely, Silva will be looking to end the season as strongly as possible to give Fulham the best chance to see their names in the Europa or Conference draws next season.

Tottenham are looking at Silva as a potential replacement for Ange Postecoglou, and if they decide he’s the right man for the job, then this could well be the 47-year-old’s final season at Craven Cottage.

Fulham’s next five Premier League games in race for Europe	Date
Liverpool (home)	April 6th
Bournemouth (away)	April 14th
Chelsea (home)	April 20th
Southampton (away)	April 26th
Aston Villa (away)	May 3rd

The tactician will want to end his Fulham career on a high if he does decide to part company, and what better way than sealing a European qualification place? After they disappointingly crashed out of the FA Cup to Crystal Palace.

Unfortunately for Silva, some very tough tests await his side over this final stretch of the campaign, including Premier League title frontrunners Liverpool, this season’s surprise package Bournemouth and a crunch west London derby against Chelsea.

Qualifying for Europe will also go a long way to attracting the best players possible to Fulham this summer.

Andreas Pereira has been linked with a return to Brazil as well, so the Whites may also need to sign a quality new wide player to replace the former Man United winger.

Fulham make contact over signing Deportivo sensation Yeremay Hernandez

According to TEAMtalk this week, Deportibvo La Coruna sensation Yeremay Hernandez is on their radar. Hernandez’s excellent form for the La Liga 2 side this season has attracted interest from the likes of Chelsea, according to reports in Spain, but it is now believed that Fulham are ready to go toe-to-toe with their cross-town rivals.

The 22-year-old can play on either flank, bagging 11 goals and four assists from out wide, and he is seen by many as a young player with serious potential.

TT report that Fulham have made contact over signing Hernandez already, with the former Real Madrid academy gem also scouted by Arsenal and targeted by Brentford.

However, it is Fulham who’ve made a head start by instigating an approach, and it is believed they’re extremely keen on the £30 million Spaniard. Hernandez, it is claimed, would be seen as a “perfect” option for Silva, who wishes to reinforce his wide options a a top priority.