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All of Sunderland’s focus right now will be on Saturday’s Championship playoff final as one of football’s most nerve-wracking finals is only a matter of days away.

But, beyond the high-stakes affair at Wembley, the Black Cats will also be contemplating what signings they can make during the summer transfer window, with their potential bumped up status as a Premier League club allowing to make some big purchases, away from sticking it out in the EFL.

Still, as was showcased in the surprise loan capture of Enzo Le Fee, Regis Le Bris’ men do have the pulling power to attract some statement buys to the Stadium of Light even when in the second tier, with another notable addition from France looking to be on the horizon.

Sunderland moving for Le Fee 2.0

Obviously, Sunderland fans will be praying their high-flying side do win promotion, with Premier League football returning to Wearside very much boosting their chances of keeping the likes of Jobe Bellingham and Chris Rigg around for longer.

Another added bonus will also be the calibre of star they can tempt in through the door as recently relegated Montpellier centre-back Modibo Sagnan begins to be linked with a switch to England away from the now Ligue 2 outfit.

A recent report from French outlet Midi Libre – as has been relayed by Sports Witness – has suggested that the Black Cats are a lone suitor currently looking at Sagnan, although Daniel Farke’s newly promoted Leeds United have been noted in the past as being interested in the 6 foot 2 defender’s services.

Sunderland will hope they hold an advantage in any race that could ensue considering how well their swoop of Le Fee has gone down, with the Mali international having the potential to be their next iteration of the Lorient-born ace if he also acclimatises to his new surroundings with ease.

How Sagnan could be Sunderland's next Le Fee

Before exploring deeper how Sagnan could be a great fit in Le Bris’ camp when making the move across from France, it’s only fair to look at how uncomplicated Le Fee has made his own transition to English football look.

Indeed, even whilst competing in the complicated lottery that is the Championship playoffs, the 25-year-old ace has continued to put in confident and assured performances, with his defence-splitting assist in the first leg versus Coventry City getting his promotion-chasing team up and running on their travels.

Black Cats supporters will be hoping their team can strike gold in a similar manner to Le Fee when utilising the French market again, with Sagnan’s glowing Ligue 1 numbers this campaign suggesting he should be able to settle in swimmingly to his fresh Stadium of Light location.

Of course, there will be concerns over the move considering the 26-year-old is still very raw off a relegation, but his numbers point in the direction that he wasn’t solely responsible for Montpellier’s demise. Rather, he might well actually be one rare positive defensively.

Sagnan’s Ligue 1 numbers (24/25)

Stat – per 90 mins*

Sagnan

Games played

27

Goals scored

2

Assists

0

Touches*

48.3

Accurate passes*

32.1 (89%)

Ball recoveries*

3.4

Clearances*

4.3

Total duels won*

4.5

Stats by Sofascore

After all, during large portions of his celebrated Lorient stay, Le Fee would regularly battle it out towards the bottom end of the top French division.

Therefore, Sagnan could come in and be as impactful as his 25-year-old counterpart, with the table above showing off a defender that would be unafraid to get stuck in for his new employers in either the Championship or Premier League, on top of also being assured to enough to play out from the back whatever league they were in.

Once heralded as “fantastic” by ex-Everton boss Ronald Koeman, time will only tell if this deal would go on to be as successful as Le Fee’s.

But, with Sunderland needing more defensive bodies very soon owing to Chris Mepham only being around on a loan basis, securing Magnan’s services could end up being a worthwhile swoop irrespective of any lofty comparisons.

Related Sky journalist: Big club "pushing hard" to sign £25m Sunderland star immediately

The Black Cats have received some unwelcome news ahead of Saturday’s Championship play-off final…

Posts ByDominic Lund May 21, 2025

The signing of Niclas Fullkrug has not worked out as expected for West Ham United. The German joined the club from Borussia Dortmund for £27m with plenty of Champions League pedigree, having reached the final of the competition last season. He also featured at Euro 2024 for Germany, scoring two goals for the hosts.

However, the 32-year-old has struggled with two fairly lengthy injuries and has been unable to adapt to the Premier League. He has managed just three goals and two assists in 15 top flight appearances this term. It has certainly been a struggle for Fullkrug.

Despite his woes, the Hammers might look to bring in another German forward this summer to bolster their attack.

West Ham target German forward

It has been a tough time in the Premier League so far for Timo Werner. The former Chelsea man, now on loan at Tottenham Hotspur, will not remain in North London beyond this season, which has seemingly opened up the door for a potential transfer elsewhere in the Premier League.

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Well, according to a report from talkSPORT, the 29-year-old might be set to stay in London, with West Ham one of the sides who are ‘on alert’ to his availability in the coming weeks. His parent club, RB Leipzig, seem willing to sell him this summer.

However, the Hammers are not the only London outfit linked with a move. West Londoners Fulham are also believed to be interested, if the attacker becomes available.

A price is not yet confirmed, but given Spurs had a buy option of £8.5m in their loan deal, it seems safe to assume hw will be available for a similar price this summer.

Why Werner would be a good signing

Make no mistake about it, the 2024/25 campaign for Werner has been underwhelming. He is far from the attacker who tore the Bundesliga to shreds back in the 2019/20 season, where he scored 28 goals and grabbed eight assists in just 34 games. That sort of form led Statman Dave to describe him as “very special”.

This term has been at the other end of the spectrum for the former Stuttgart attacker. He has played 27 times for Spurs across all competitions, featuring for 946 minutes. That equates to just 10.5 full 90-minute games. Since the turn of the year, he’s played just 70 Premier League minutes.

Werner has only managed one goal this term, too. That came against Manchester City in the Carabao Cup fourth round, a game which his Spurs side won 2-1. It was a strong finish too, meeting a cross from Dejan Kulusevski and firing home.

Should the Hammers bring Werner to East London this summer, he could prove to be a replacement for Mohammed Kudus. In the same talkSPORT article, it is reported that Arsenal are targeting the Ghana international, with West Ham ‘willing to cash in’ on the attacker.

It has actually not been the easiest season for the Hammers’ number 14, either. He has featured in 29 games in the Premier League this term, but has only managed four goals and two assists in that time.

That is just three goal involvements more than Werner in 11 more games.

There are underlying statistics via FBref to suggest that Werner would not be a bad replacement for Kudus. For example, the German international averages 0.52 goal-creating actions and 1.75 key passes per 90 minutes, compared to Kudus’ 0.26 goal-creating actions and 1.08 key passes each game.

Werner & Kudus key stats compared

Stat (per 90)

Werner

Kudus

Expected goals

0.18xG

0.26xG

Key passes

1.75

1.08

Goal-creating actions

0.52

0.26

Progressive carries

7.37

3.46

Ball recoveries

3.16

4.76

Stats from FBref

It might be an outside-of-the-box option, but for a fee that could be £8.5m, the £165k-per-week Werner might be an ideal replacement for Kudus. Like the Ghana international, he has had a tough season, but at his very best, he can hurt teams, having been hailed as a “nuisance” and a “threat” by Sky Sports pundit, Roy Keane.

For such a cheap fee, it seems like a relatively risk-free deal, and one that could enhance the Hammers’ attacking options next term.

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Posts ByJoe Nuttall May 1, 2025

Despite bowling with a wet ball, he conceded only three runs and picked up Moeen Ali’s wicket to put Punjab Kings ahead

Deivarayan Muthu02-May-20242:16

McClenaghan: ‘Unbelievable’ Brar, Chahar hit the perfect lengths at Chepauk

Conventional T20 wisdom suggests that only the super-specialists or the best bowlers like Jasprit Bumrah bowl the 19th over as the batting teams are looking to make the most of the remaining balls.But on Wednesday evening against Chennai Super Kings at Chepauk, Punjab Kings captain Sam Curran tossed the ball to legspinner Rahul Chahar for the 19th. It was the first time that Chahar was bowling the 19th over in the IPL, and it was also the first time since 2020 that PBKS were having a spinner bowl that over.Having already trapped Ravindra Jadeja for 2 off four balls in the tenth over, Chahar returned with a dew-slicked ball for the 19th. Eight members of the Chepauk groundstaff had just broken into the field, dragging four ropes between them.Related

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Chahar responded with a cagey three-run over, which also included the wicket of spin-hitter Moeen Ali. More importantly, Chahar doused MS Dhoni’s explosive finishing ability by hiding the ball wide outside off and denying him easy access to his favourite leg-side boundary. ESPNcricinfo’s Shiva Jayaraman puts Dhoni’s off-side limitations against spin in numbers: out of the 147 boundaries hit by Dhoni against spinners in the IPL, only 43 have come on the off side. The last time he hit a spinner for a boundary on the off side was in 2022. Since then, Dhoni has faced 35 balls from spinners without a boundary to the off side.Chahar does not have the T20 pedigree of Rashid Khan or Sunil Narine, but he still has attributes that make him a difficult bowler to put away. He is quick through the air, bowls into the surface, and doesn’t allow you to charge at him. He can also turn the ball sharply at that quick pace, and often runs up in a reverse diagonal across the umpire to confound batters.Chahar didn’t go for the funky run-up against Dhoni, but darted three of the four balls he bowled to Dhoni away from his reach. Dhoni hastily chopped the first ball to cover-point. He then tried to do something different by bringing out the scoop, but it narrowly missed leg stump and thudded into the keeper’s pads. Dhoni then stabbed a skiddy legbreak to cover-point for a single and closed out the over with a pulled single to deep midwicket.Rahul Chahar got 2 for 16 against CSK, and denied MS Dhoni boundaries•BCCIChahar deployed the angular run-up against Daryl Mitchell, and, like Dhoni, he could not find the boundary. Job well done.”I was backing myself that if I bowl my best ball [in the 19th over], then they can’t hit me,” Chahar said after helping PBKS restrict CSK to 162 for 7. “I wanted to ensure I don’t pitch it up to Dhoni, or not [bowl] near his face. Otherwise, it would have gone [to the boundary]. I think, yes [it was one of my best spells].”Dhoni has struggled against spin for some time now, and CSK have delayed his entry point so much this season that he had faced just three balls of spin before Wednesday’s game. However, Curran, a former CSK allrounder who had worked closely with Dhoni, held Chahar back and won the tactical battle.Rilee Rossouw, who had recently captained Quetta Gladiators into the PSL knockouts and has played T20 leagues around the world, was full of praise for Curran’s captaincy.”I’ve got to give credit to Sam,” Rossouw said after PBKS beat CSK by seven wickets. “He came to me and said: ‘What do you think about bowling the legspinner in the second-last over?’ And he took the gamble. It was his gut feel, and it came off beautifully well. So a lot of credit has to go to Sam for making that decision. It’s not something that we see every day in cricket nowadays. Also, Chahar bowled fantastically well. That’s how the game has evolved, I feel. On a slow, turning wicket that was a very good call from Sam.”Bowling at the death (overs 17 to 20), though, isn’t an entirely unfamiliar territory for Chahar, especially against CSK in Chennai. He has faced CSK four times at Chepauk, and has operated at the death in three of those games.Recall the IPL 2019 qualifier. Chahar, who was with Mumbai Indians then, had bowled the 17th over with Dhoni in the middle even though it meant Lasith Malinga would not bowl out. It proved to be a turning point for MI as Chahar gave away only three runs. Five years later, Chahar did the same for PBKS.Before this match, Chahar had made just four appearances for PBKS this season, managing just three wickets while conceding more than ten runs an over. He will be hoping that his match-winning spell of 4-0-16-2 against CSK in Chennai will turn his own form around as well.

It’s been a mad few days – we’re still making sense of it, or trying to

Andrew Fidel Fernando12-Jul-2022If cricket is art, and art imitates life, then conjuring magic from crisis is Sri Lanka’s medium.The approach to this Test was an untrammelled mess. The first to test positive for Covid in Sri Lanka’s squad was Angelo Mathews, who apparently is so careful he basically wakes up and puts on a mask before he meets his own reflection in the mirror.Mathews was okay to play the second Test having ended his isolation well before its start. But the infection spread. Dhananjaya de Silva, who was the most-recent Sri Lanka batter to have played a match-winning innings in Galle, was ruled out of this match. Left-arm spinner Praveen Jayawickrama also went down with it when he was pretty much a sure thing to play. Asitha Fernando, Sri Lanka’s best bowler from the recent Bangladesh tour, was Covided out too. As was Jeffrey Vandersay.They kept pulling players into the squad as more went down, with Prabath Jayasuriya being the last addition. On the eve of the match, captain Dimuth Karunaratne could not be sure of what his team the next day could be. “We have another Covid test in the squad this evening,” he said. “We don’t know who is going to get ruled out because of that. We don’t know what our team would be.”Related

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They’d also lost the last game in an embarrassingly short space of time (bowled out inside 22 overs in the second innings), seemed to have no earthly notion about how they should play Nathan Lyon, and had a spin attack that could barely keep it on the straight.But that was on the cricket field.Off it, Sri Lanka was in the midst of one of the worst throes of an economic crisis – little fuel to be found, food prohibitively expensive, businesses shutting down, hospitals short of medicines and staff. Which of course had sparked a major political crisis. Which in turn, prompted protests that the state bore down on with its military and police. You don’t have to be anti-government to know that banning spectators from watching the cricket from the fort’s ramparts because you’re afraid of protesters, is a little messed up. (This was one of the Sri Lankan state’s more minor infractions.)A crisis just waiting to have some magic conjured out of it? Let’s go over there. Reach in. Armpit deep into the hat. See what we find. This is what it’s about. This is where Sri Lanka lives right now. Or perhaps always.On the field, it’s mad. While people rush around the ground and reclaim a public space, the team bursts through Australia’s lower-middle order and overwhelms the tail, Jayasuriya running through the batters.Jayasuriya had not only not been in the squad when the series began, he was only called in a couple of days before the game, after Jayawickrama and Vandersay were both ruled out, and Lasith Embuldeniya was cut loose because he was woefully short of form.Two spinners ruled out through illness, another because he’s not very good right now – this is a crisis, right? Which, if we’re buying into this narrative, also means magic. Jayasuriya, getting spectacular flight and dip, turning most deliveries, sending others straight, getting six wickets on debut to have Australia out for a competitive-but-not-commanding 364. Minor magic, maybe. But screw it. Sri Lanka lost the last match inside two days, essentially. We’ll take it.Prabath Jayasuriya takes some mementos after a dream debut•Getty ImagesThen the batting starts. As protest chants ring out through the stadium, Karunaratne and Kusal Mendis put on 152 for the second wicket. Are they spurred by the chants? Are they distracted by them? Do they wish their cricket wasn’t put in such close proximity to the politics of it all in an article days later? That people supposed to write about cricket would just write about cricket?Who knows. Things happened. It’s been a mad few days. We’re still making sense of it.The 133-run Kamindu Mendis-Dinesh Chandimal stand? Still making sense of that too. Kamindu is playing his first ever Test innings. Chandimal his 123rd. And yet, to watch most of this partnership, you’d think the credentials had been switched. Kamindu is serene, picking casual singles on the offside, cutting Nathan Lyon backward of point, reverse-sweeping Mitchell Swepson through the same area, defending resolutely. Chandimal, pushing with hard hands, block-bashing his way to 50.But then, after lunch on day four, it is Chandimal who is still there, Kamindu’s innings now a distant memory. There are four sixes in the company of the No. 11, all of them spectacular. One is an astonishing cut off Pat Cummins, way over backward point. The rest are towering strikes against Mitchell Starc, the most spectacular was the one that sailed over the sightscreen, past the stadium fence, and on to the road beyond the stadium.At one point a lead of 100 seemed fanciful. Here was Chandimal, playing one of the best innings of his life, pushing it toward 200.Best bowling figures on debut in Tests•ESPNcricinfo LtdThe Australian unraveling in their second innings was almost too smooth to believe. Jayasuriya, now apparently Sri Lanka’s lead spinner, having been magicked out of the domestic system because of Covid reasons and been asked to win a match on the fourth day in Galle, is basically an unthinking devotee rushing through a religious routine, offering batters up at this altar of spin bowling.He’s taken 6 for 59, but through most of this, all the action seems involuntary. Usman Khawaja was out bat-pad, Steven Smith reviews a resplendently plumb lbw, Marnus Labuschagne considered following in the footsteps of his hero but walked off, and then Jayasuriya gobbled up the middle order and the tail.Elsewhere, Maheesh Theekshana takes two wickets, also on debut. And Ramesh Mendis snatches two of his own. This is not an experienced spin attack. Between them, these three spinners have 10 Tests on their ledger.But then this is a country in which a profoundly depressing economic crisis has sparked the kind of popular revolution that’s seen people take over the public-funded residences of top government officials. A place where debutants bowl their side to victory and whole batting line-ups suddenly fire simultaneously.Will it take Sri Lankan cricket to a new era? Who knows? There is crisis. But here’s your medicine. Get some magic down you.

“You don’t want that whenever anyone says something you lose the message because you use race as a filter.”

Matt Roller07-Jul-2020Given the extent to which he is associated with Ian Bishop’s famous line – ‘Remember the name’ – it comes as no surprise to hear who Carlos Brathwaite has sounded out for advice ahead of his first experience in the commentary box.Brathwaite’s experience behind the microphone extends to a few appearances as a pundit during the Regional Super50 – “20 minutes here or there” – but he is now preparing to cover West Indies’ Test series in England for the BBC, as part of the Test Match Special team and as a guest on their new highlights show.”Bish was fantastic. I reached out to him for some words of advice and encouragement, and he made me feel a little bit more confident in myself to be honest,” Brathwaite tells ESPNcricinfo. “I’m still nervous. It’s like preparing to face your first ball – no matter how many balls you’ve faced in the nets, those nerves are always there.”Brathwaite travelled down to the Ageas Bowl on Tuesday afternoon after spending lockdown in Oxford, where his wife Jessica works at the John Radcliffe Hospital. Because of her ethnicity, she worked from home throughout lockdown, but would still go to see low-risk patients, and he admits that it “hit home a lot harder” being so close to the NHS and knowing the risks that his wife’s friends and colleagues faced.He has used his public profile to help raise awareness of the Black Lives Matter movement during lockdown, speaking at a march in Oxford and attending protests in London last month. He made headlines last week when he described taking the knee as a “cosmetic” reaction to an issue that requires a legislative and societal response.This month, Brathwaite will be the new face in a BBC commentary box that has until recently been home to Geoffrey Boycott – who was forced to apologise during West Indies’ last tour to the UK in 2017 after suggesting he would have been knighted if he had “blacked up” – and has for some time been a space dominated by white men.

“I know in sport that it is prevalent. Black players are seen as players that can give you height, steel, strength. But when it comes to guile, you look more towards white players.”CARLOS BRATHWAITE

Last week, a report was published which revealed a “clear and significant” problem with racial bias in English football commentary, which has already led to introspection within the industry through unconscious bias training. The study found that white players are substantially more likely to be praised for their skill and intelligence compared to black players, who are reduced to pace, power, and other physical attributes. Brathwaite says he recognises a similar phenomenon in cricket.”I don’t want to speak out of turn just for the sake of saying it. Obviously there’s Bish, there’s Pommie Mbangwa who I rate very highly as a commentator, but there aren’t that many black commentators you can single out. With Michael Holding, I could probably count three.”I don’t know the space of commentary and media well enough to speak to their pathway or their individual rise, but I know in sport that it is prevalent. Black players are seen as players that can give you height, steel, strength. But when it comes to guile, you look more towards white players.”As a football fan, it’s something that I see. How many No. 10s or creative players do we see in the Premier League who are black? A good example would be John Obi Mikel, who came from Nigeria and the Under-20 World Cup as a No. 10 and got turned into a defensive midfielder by Chelsea. I can’t say exactly why, but my perception of it is: big, tall, strong, and black – you should run long and hard.”There is that perception and stereotyping in sport. Hopefully with the Black Lives Matter movement and the awareness of the racial bias that’s happening in the world today, it’s brought that to light and more black players will be seen as intelligent as well.”Carlos Brathwaite shapes to throw a ball•BCCIIn English cricket, there has been a noticeable, but often uncomfortable shift in the tone and language used by fans and in the media since Jofra Archer’s first international call-up at the start of last summer; never before has a player’s “body language” been up for discussion to such an extent.”Jof is laid back, but this all boils down to respect,” Brathwaite says. “I’ve heard it myself: I’ve been at franchises where I’ve tried to work my socks off as best I could, but as soon as you sit down they say: ‘ah, you’re resting, you’re relaxing.’ You might be early for a team meeting and they’ll be like: ‘I’m surprised to see you early’. Well, I’ve been early for the last 25 team meetings. Why is it a surprise?”It is a stereotype. It isn’t always racial, but traditionally persons from the Caribbean are more laid back than elsewhere. In England everything moves so quickly, so everyone is just on edge to do, do, do. In the Caribbean we relax and take more time out. I don’t always think it’s racially biased, but it’s about using those bits of information to then listen to the follow-up remarks and retorts in the conversation.”I don’t think every single thing that’s said about Jofra – positive or negative – has a connotation to his race or his colour. But it’s about listening to how people speak and what they follow up with when they speak about him.”And what about another trope that will inevitably come up on this tour whenever a West Indies batsman hits a six: ‘natural Caribbean flair’? “If you unpack it, it can be considered a stereotype, [the idea that] we just walk out of the womb, pick a bat up and hit sixes,” he says. “That we didn’t do the same amount of running, pumping weights that other guys do, that we’re just born with biceps and muscles to hit the ball out the park.”It doesn’t have to be racially motivated: if you can say there’s ten Caribbean players in the IPL and nine of them hit sixes or bowl fast, then fine. But it’s when that conversation continues and goes down a path of subjecting the person because of race. You don’t want that whenever anyone says something that you lose the message because you use race as a filter. It’s important to be aware of that potential filter, and to be cognisant of it, but not to always use it as a yardstick to shy away from criticism.”

“I’ve been at franchises where I’ve tried to work my socks off as best I could, but as soon as you sit down they say: ‘ah, you’re resting, you’re relaxing.’ You might be early for a team meeting and they’ll be like: ‘I’m surprised to see you early’. Well, I’ve been early for the last 25 team meetings. Why is it a surprise?”CARLOS BRATHWAITE

After this series, Brathwaite will travel to Trinidad for the CPL, after being signed by Jamaica Tallawahs in last week’s draft. He hopes to use the tournament as “a springboard” to get back into the West Indies’ T20I team, having lost both the captaincy and his place in the side at the end of last year.He has not been in regular contact with Phil Simmons, the head coach, and says instead: “It’s been up to me to go on a journey where I’ve been self-reflecting, and get to a place mentally and physically where I’m happy. I’m ready and raring to go, and I want to make it back into the team to represent West Indies at another World Cup – and hopefully help us defend the cup.”For now, though, his focus is on the Test series. He is reluctant to take any kind of credit for Ben Stokes’ journey from that night in Kolkata to captaining England for the first time this week, but says that cricket “needs Ben Stokes-type characters, who ruffle feathers and are there with bat or ball in the 90th over of a day’s play”.And while he does not think that the Stokes v Jason Holder narrative will necessarily determine the series, he hopes that West Indies’ captain can demonstrate why he is the No. 1-ranked allrounder by the ICC with the world’s eyes on him.”I don’t think they consider it to be: ‘oh, Jason made 70, I need to make 100′ or anything. It’s just two very good players trying to be the best they can for their teams. But it’ll be a good rivalry: Stokes’ story has been told and he’s received all those accolades, but I don’t think Jason has received the recognition that he should.”It’s important in this series for him to come onto Stokes’ turf and show off, and prove why he’s No. 1. People in the Caribbean will have seen why he’s risen to No. 1, but I don’t think the wider world has appreciated it. The stage is set.”

Liverpool have taken decisive action in the wake of Mohamed Salah’s shock outburst against the club, with the Egyptian superstar set to be left out of the Reds’ Champions League squad for the trip to Inter. The Premier League title holders are due to face Italian opposition at San Siro on Tuesday, and will do so without their leading goal-scorer from the last eight seasons.

• Why has Salah been dropped by Liverpool?

  Salah has been named among the substitutes in Liverpool’s last three fixtures. He stepped off the bench in a home draw with Sunderland, but saw no game time as the Reds headed out on the road to West Ham and Leeds.

  It was in the wake of the trip to Elland Road, which delivered a dramatic 3-3 draw and more points dropped for Arne Slot’s side, that Salah opted to speak out and air his grievances in public. He accused his current employers of throwing him under the bus, believing he has become a scapegoat for the struggles being endured as a collective, and admitted to having no working relationship with his current head coach.

  He said: "I have done so much for this club down the years and especially last season. Now I'm sitting on the bench and I don't know why. It seems like the club has thrown me under the bus. That's how I am feeling. I think it is very clear that someone wanted me to get all of the blame." Salah added on his dealings with Slot: "I said many times before that I had a good relationship with the manager and all of a sudden, we don't have any relationship. I don't know why, but it seems to me, how I see it, that someone doesn't want me in the club."

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• Getty/GOAL
  

  Who made the decision to exclude Salah from Champions League squad?

  Plenty of criticism has come Salah’s way in the wake of his explosive comments, with many accusing the 33-year-old of allowing ego to get the better of him. He has suggested that past achievements should almost guarantee him a regular role with Liverpool.

  The two-time Premier League champion has, however, seen it made clear to him that everybody – regardless of their standing at Anfield – must earn their place in the team. Salah will be left to reflect on that stance when his team-mates line up against Inter. is reporting that the decision to leave Salah out of the Reds’ travelling party was made “by the board and Arne Slot”.

• Authority undermined: Why Slot had to make an example of Salah

  Dutch tactician Slot was under pressure to make an example of Salah, with it vital that he does not allow his authority to be undermined by one frustrated individual. He has responded to calls for action to be taken.

  The Egypt international did, however, take part in Liverpool’s training session on Monday. The Reds were put through their places ahead of boarding a plane to Italy. Salah will be left watching on from afar as his colleagues seek to deliver a positive response to the surprising 4-1 reversal they suffered at the hands of PSV in the club’s last European outing.

  While Salah is likely to be forced to sit out a crunch clash with Inter, claims that his exclusion is not considered to represent “disciplinary action” by those working behind the scenes on Merseyside.

  Instead the “step is viewed in isolation, rather than having a bearing on Salah’s possible selection going forward – including for Saturday’s Premier League game at home to Brighton & Hove Albion”. A home date with the Seagulls will be Liverpool’s last before Salah heads off on Africa Cup of Nations duty with Egypt.

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  January transfer: Liverpool's stance on Salah exit talk

  Salah has said, after accusing some of trying to force him out of Anfield, that he intends to bid farewell to Liverpool fans against Brighton. According to , the Reds are expecting him back.

  They are said to “remain fully committed to Salah and his contract, which runs through until 2027, while maintaining that the current situation is temporary and can still be turned around”. Despite future rumours being sparked, Liverpool are “not currently planning for the forward’s exit, nor making plans to use the January transfer window for possible replacements”.

Jude Bellingham’s relationship with England boss Thomas Tuchel has been compared to the one that Roy Keane and Sir Alex Ferguson once experienced at Old Trafford. Wes Brown witnessed that at close quarters and has, during an exclusive interview with GOAL, been discussing Bellingham’s role in the Three Lions squad ahead of the 2026 World Cup group stage draw.

Character questions: Will Bellingham make England's World Cup squad?

Tickets to that event next summer were booked while Bellingham was watching on from afar. Despite recovering from shoulder surgery and returning to action at Real Madrid, the 22-year-old midfielder was left out of Tuchel’s plans in October.

He returned in November, as a faultless passage through qualification was completed, before more questions were asked of his character and temperament after a 2-0 victory over Albania – in which Bellingham made his first international start since June 7.

AdvertisementGettyKeane & Ferguson: Bellingham vs Tuchel likened to Man Utd legends

Tuchel has made it clear that he will not be selecting anybody that threatens to rock the boat and disturb group harmony, with a happy camp required in the United States, Canada and Mexico. That has led some to suggest that Bellingham may be overlooked, despite his obvious talent.

Asked for his take on that debate, former United and England defender Brown – speaking in association with – told GOAL: “First of all, when it comes to a player and a manager, there needs to be respect. You look over the course of my Man United career, with Keano and the gaffer – they weren’t the best of mates, but there is an understanding that they are both here to win and both can play a big part in that.

“You still need respect between the manager and the player. We all know how good Jude is and he’s a big part of the squad and a big player in the team – who the manager knows that he needs, by the way. He does need him in the team. At the same time, it comes down to making sure that the respect levels are right. Maybe that’s what it is. I’m sure it will be fine. At the same time, they have to come to an understanding. At any normal football club, if two people are not getting on then you find a way to work it out and fix it.”

Too good: Bellingham expected to get England call

Another former England international, Danny Murphy, told GOAL recently when asked if there are any concerns regarding Bellingham and his place in England’s plans: “I find the narrative around his character and any problems a little bit strange because when I have watched England – I have watched them a lot at tournaments and watched him closely, he is, by far, the best character on the football pitch when England play, in terms of producing big moments, grabbing the game by the scruff of the neck, leaving everything out there.

“If you could have 11 Jude Bellinghams, you would win most tournaments. The element of not talking to the press or not doing interviews or the odd swear word or rant or a little bit of what some people would call arrogance, that is what creates the player on the pitch. They are just rumours because a lot of the feedback from the players – Jordan Henderson recently said how much he likes him and how great a character he is – I think some of it has been exaggerated.

“From a footballing perspective, we have a much better chance of winning the World Cup if he is in the team. I don’t mean just in the squad, I mean in the team. He is a phenomenal talent. We should be – as pundits, fans, press – building him up, applauding him and being thankful that we have got him, not trying to pull him down because he is the best one we have got. He is the game-changer in our side. He is the one that can make things happen. He’s just a phenomenal player.”

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GettyWorld Cup draw: Date England will discover group stage opponents

The expectation is that Bellingham, who has 46 senior caps to his name, will be handed a place on the plane heading over the Atlantic next summer. For now, he – and the rest of the England hopefuls – are waiting to discover who they will face in the World Cup group stage. All will be revealed when the draw is held at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. on December 5.

There have been some miserable nights in the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era at Manchester United, with Monday’s defeat to Everton ranking high on that list, having allowed the ten-man Toffees to secure a first away win at Old Trafford for former boss David Moyes.

Ironically, there were shades of Moyes’ own nadir – the 2-2 draw with Fulham back in 2013/14 – about that 1-0 loss, with Ruben Amorim again in danger of heading the same way as the Scotsman in the United dugout.

Indeed, a year in charge has yielded just 12 Premier League wins for the Portuguese coach, with the positivity of the recent five-game unbeaten run now tempered with the angle of three games without a win in the top-flight.

A key crux of the issue is the use – or rather misuse – of Bruno Fernandes in a deep-lying role, with the Red Devils crying out for a new creative hub ahead of him.

Man Utd's search for a successor to Fernandes

From netting 38 goals and assists in all competitions last term, the United skipper has been forced to almost play with the handbrake on, having even operated as the deepest midfielder following Kobbie Mainoo’s introduction against the Merseyside outfit.

Currently looking ill-suited to this 3-4-2-1 system, the 31-year-old – who came close to joining Al Hilal over the summer – might be at the centre of speculation again heading into next year’s World Cup, with his current deal set to expire in 2027.

He does still lead the way at United for big chances created (3) – alongside Amad and Bryan Mbeumo – although that is half as many as the division’s leader, Jeremy Doku (6), as per FotMob, with Fernandes’ powers perhaps on the wane in his new role.

In need of a new chief creator? Well, enter Bayern Munich’s Michael Olise, with reports in Spain suggesting that the Manchester side are among the clubs to have expressed an interest in the fleet-footed Frenchman.

Reportedly valued at around £123m, the 24-year-old is also attracting attention from both Liverpool and Arsenal, albeit with INEOS viewing him as someone who would bring a ‘significant leap in quality’.

Now in his second season in Munich, following a £50m move from Crystal Palace last year, the London-born star is shining in German football. Could he be just what Amorim is looking for?

Why Olise would be a perfect signing for Man United

After a hefty summer of investment totalling almost £250m, there might be a sense that INEOS have already put together their long-term frontline, in the form of Mbeumo, Matheus Cunha and Benjamin Sesko.

Transfer Focus

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

As the recent loss indicated, however, a couple of injuries to that latter duo highlighted the lack of real depth, while the pair’s return of just three goals between them is also cause for concern.

Sesko, in particular, is far from the finished article, with Amorim potentially able to fashion a fluid attacking trio of Cunha off the left, Mbeumo through the middle and Olise on the right, with the Bayern gem currently looking so devastating in that role in Munich.

In the Bundesliga alone this season, the one-time Reading winger has chalked up six goals and six assists for Vincent Kompany’s side, while registering seven big chances created in total, as per Sofascore.

A “magician” – according to Bayern teammate Dayot Upamecano – in the mould of Fernandes, the left-footer has also averaged 2.3 key passes per game, while eclipsing that return from his five Champions League outings, with 2.4 key passes per game.

Three goals and assists and three big chances created have also come amid a standout start to this year’s league phase in Europe, with Olise now rightly lauded as “one of the best players in the world” by the likes of teammate Serge Gnabry.

That lofty status is more than warranted, as he currently ranks in the top 1% of attacking midfielders and wingers in Europe’s top five leagues for assists and shot-creating actions per 90, as per FBref, while also ranking in the top 4% for progressive passes per 90.

Mason Greenwood

13

Michael Olise

13

Lamine Yamal

11

Antoine Semenyo

9

Ilan Kebbal

9

Christian Pulisic

7

Romain Del Castillo

7

Domenico Berardi

7

Ritsu Doan

7

Bryan Mbeumo

7

In essence, everything he does is with an attacking thought in mind, possessing that Fernandes-esque knack for being able to unlock a defence with a moment of genius.

There is also an at-times erratic quality that comes with that approach, like the Portuguese, having lost possession on average 17 times a game in Germany’s top-flight.

He is a risk-taker, however, and as Monday showcased, United could certainly do with more of that.

Having – perhaps rightly – allowed the likes of Marcus Rashford and Alejandro Garnacho to depart, while clipping Fernandes’ wings, this is a squad in desperate need of a game-changer. Olise might just be that.

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Will Arsenal’s winning streak continue?

On Tuesday night, the Gunners swatted aside Slavia Prague 3-0 in the Champions League, with Bukayo Saka breaking the deadlock from the penalty spot in the Czech capital, before makeshift centre-forward Mikel Merino scored twice to rubber stamp the points.

That made it ten successive victories for Mikel Arteta, as well as being an eighth consecutive clean sheet, equaling Arsenal’s club record set in 1903, a sequence ended by Glossop North End all those years ago.

Only once before has a top-flight English club won eight games in a row all without conceding, this achieved by Liverpool in February 1920, a record the Gunners can break with victory at the Stadium of Light when they take on Sunderland on Saturday evening.

However, if they’re going to leave Wearside victorious, they will need to silence a familiar foe.

Granit Xhaka's roller coaster Arsenal career

Few players in football history have ever enjoyed quite the character arc at one club experienced by Granit Xhaka during his seven seasons at Arsenal.

The Swiss international was a key figure in the team that won the FA Cup under Arsène Wenger in his first season, but was then part of a team in decline, which ultimately led to Wenger’s departure and Unai Emery’s, at best, mixed reign.

This came to a head in October 2019 when Xhaka was infamously jeered off against Crystal Palace but, as someone who was in attendance that afternoon, it was all a massive misunderstanding.

Arsenal had raced into a 2-0 lead inside nine minutes only to, in trademark fashion under Emery, sit back, allowing Palace to grow into the game and equalise shortly after half time.

Thus, Emery decided to introduce a teenager by the name of Bukayo Saka, whatever happened to him?, and as fourth official Tim Robinson raises his board with a red number 34 on it, Xhaka trudged off the pitch at the speed of a naughty schoolboy sent to the head teacher’s office.

Having seen their side relinquish a two goal advantage, at first, supporters began shouting “get off”, meaning get off the pitch so we can resume this match and beat Crystal Palace, but Xhaka interpreted this as a personal attack, thereby emphatically cupping his ear and removing his shirt before angrily storming down the tunnel.

At this point, it appeared as though the midfielder would never play for the club again, but Emery was sacked later that month and everything changed following the appointment of Arteta.

Xhaka would go on to make 297 appearances for the club, only 12 men have made more for Arsenal in the Premier League, departing a hero, having been a key figure in the 2022/23 side that unexpectedly came so close to winning the title, laying the foundations for where the team is now.

After helping Bayer Leverkusen claim a first-ever Meisterschale, winning the unbeaten Bundesliga and DFB-Pokal double, Xhaka surprisingly returned to English football this summer, joining newly-promoted Sunderland, playing every minute of every game with the Black Cats flying high, sat fourth in the Premier League table, scoring his first goal for the club against Everton on Monday night.

Barry Glendenning of the Guardian asserts that the Swiss international has been the ‘most influential’ member of Régis Le Bris’ team so far this season, meaning stopping Xhaka will surely be key to Arteta’s game plan, so which current member of the Arsenal team is best equipped to do just that?

Arsenal's "aggressive" star who can silence Granit Xhaka

A concern for Gooners is their growing injury list, given that Martin Ødegaard, Gabriel Martinelli, Viktor Gyökeres, Noni Madueke, Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus will all miss this weekend’s trip to Wearside due to injury.

Others, such as Gabriel, William Saliba, Jurriën Timber and Declan Rice are having to take on a high workload while, in contrast, it has been a quiet week for Martín Zubimendi, so he will be raring to go at the Stadium of Light.

Having been booked in each of the first three Champions League matches, the Spaniard did not travel to Prague due to suspension, with Christian Nørgaard deputising at the base of midfield.

Largely because it was finalised right at the start of the window, Zubimendi’s arrival in North London was not met with the fanfare it deserved, but he has pretty inarguably been the Gunners’ most impressive summer recruit so far, with the table below supporting this assertion.

As the numbers highlight, Zubimendi ranks highly for pretty much every metric this season, most notably when it comes to passing, defending, distance covered and touches.

The Spaniard opened his account against Nottingham Forest in September, actually scoring twice that afternoon, this jaw-dropping strike named the Premier League’s goal of the month.

His performances have led to Football Transfers believing his estimated market valuation has increased to around £48m.

Meantime, Adam Keys notes that Zubimendi both “positions himself perfectly for second balls” while also orchestrating play when in possession, while Hand of Arsenal adds that he is a “sublime” player who is “deceptively aggressive” and “knows how to control the tempo and when to break lines and progress”

All of this is going to be needed if the Gunners are going to beat Sunderland on Saturday, thereby moving nine points clear of Manchester City, for 23 hours at least.

With the Black Cats likely to set up in a low block to start, while also posing a threat, often through their midfield general Xhaka, Zubimendi’s overall quality will be vital, with Tuesday acting as a timely reminder, without wanting to denigrate Nørgaard, of how important the Spaniard is, this crystallised in his absence.

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Glasgow Rangers decided to splash the cash in the summer transfer window to sign Youssef Chermiti from Everton for a fee of £8m, their most expensive signing since Tore Andre Flo for £12m in 2000.

The Portugal U21 international has scored one goal, which was aided by some fairly dismal goalkeeping, in 11 appearances in all competitions for the Gers so far, per Sofascore.

Michael Stewart criticised his “poor” finishing in the League Cup semi-final defeat to Celtic on Sunday, as he spurned two great chances, whilst Ally McCoist said that he was “showing nothing” up front against Brann in the Europa League.

Meanwhile, Hearts, who are top of the Scottish Premiership, reportedly paid a fee of around £400k to sign Claudio Braga, who has been far more impressive.

Why Rangers need to find their own Claudio Braga

Instead of splashing huge money on project players, like Chermiti, Rangers should be looking at bargain options to bolster their squad, because you can find some real gems.

Hearts paid less than a million pounds to sign Braga from the second division of Norwegian football, and he has been a huge success for the Jam Tarts.

The Portuguese attacker has delivered nine goals and one assist in 16 appearances in all competitions for Hearts, per Sofascore, this season, which shows that he has provided far more quality than Chermiti has since his £8m move to Ibrox.

Whilst Rangers can learn from the Jam Tarts to utilise different markets for cheaper prices in future transfer windows, Danny Rohl may have his own version of Braga, from a stylistic perspective, in the building.

First Impressions

What did pundits and fans alike think about their new star signing when they arrived? Football FanCast’s ‘First Impressions’ series has everything you need.

Expand Collapse Rangers can unearth their own Claudio Braga with this forgotten star

Before Rohl’s arrival at Ibrox, Brazilian centre-forward Danilo appeared to be forgotten about by Martin as a genuine first-team option for the Scottish manager.

The striker only made one appearance for the first-team under Martin in September and October, which was an 11-minute cameo off the bench against Sturm Graz.

Danilo’s last 10 matchday squad appearances

Opposition

Manager

Minutes played

Celtic

Danny Rohl

45

Hibernian

Danny Rohl

45

Kilmarnock

Danny Rohl

69

Brann

Danny Rohl

14

Sturm Graz

Russell Martin

11

Genk

Russell Martin

0

Hibernian

Russell Martin

0

Hearts

Russell Martin

0

Celtic

Russell Martin

0

Club Brugge

Russell Martin

59

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, he was an unused substitute on several occasions, when he even made the matchday squad, before Martin’s exit in October.

Rohl came in last month and immediately made the Brazilian striker an option, as he has played in all four of the manager’s games so far, and scored two goals.

Like Braga, Danilo is not a towering and physical striker who can bully opposition defenders. He is dynamic and looks to use his control and movement to create chances and score goals, as he did brilliantly against Hibernian.

For Hearts, Braga has struck up a partnership with Lawrence Shankland, who is a physical presence, and Rohl can unearth his own version of that partnership by continuing to play Danilo off another striker, whether that is Chermiti or Bojan Miovski.

Danilo, who ex-teammate Ofir Marciano claimed “has the quality to be a big player for Rangers”, scoring two goals in two Premiership matches under Rohl shows that he can be effective in the final third.

However, it is now down to the manager to find the right blend alongside him to ensure that his skillset is used to its fullest potential, as Hearts have done with Braga by playing him alongside Shankland.

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Once forgotten by Martin at Ibrox, the former Feyenoord centre-forward looks like he might have a bright future under the German head coach.