Vinicius Junior has confirmed that he is ready to sign a new Real Madrid contract as he reiterated he is not interested in a Saudi Pro League move.

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• Vini Jr ready to sign new Madrid contract
• Will snub Saudi's lucrative offer
• Madrid take on Atletico on Tuesday

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• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The winger has been the number one target for Saudi Pro League clubs who were reportedly ready to submit an outrageous bid to convince the player to move to the Middle East. reported last month that the Saudi officials were reportedly offering Vinicius Jr. €1 billion (£825m) in wages over five years, which would make him the highest paid footballer in the world.

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  The Brazilian has maintained throughout that his goal is to stay at Santiago Bernabeu and win many more trophies with the Spanish giants. The player publicly revealed that he aims to sign a new Los Blancos deal as soon as possible and explained why he will not follow the money to Saudi Arabia.

• WHAT VINICIUS JR SAID

  Speaking to reporters, the 24-year-old said: "I am very calm because I have a contract until 2027 and I hope I can renew it as soon as possible because I am happy here. Everyone loves me and likes me very much. I couldn't be in a better place than here.

  "I am here to continue the story, everything that the president and the club have given me. I hope I can continue scoring more goals and playing more games with this shirt. I have won, but I can win much more and I can go down in the history of this club with so many great players who are legends."

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  WHAT NEXT FOR REAL MADRID?

  Carlo Ancelotti's side will be back in action on Tuesday as they host rivals Atletico Madrid in the first leg of their Champions League round of 16 fixture.

Celtic’s centre-forwards, Kyogo Furuhashi and Adam Idah, have not enjoyed the most prolific start to the 2024/25 campaign in the Scottish Premiership.

Kyogo has been the go-to number nine for Brendan Rodgers, starting eight of the 11 league matches, and has missed a whopping 12 ‘big chances’ to only score four goals.

Meanwhile, Idah has played a back-up role and contributed with two goals and four ‘big chances’ missed in eight appearances, four of which came as a starter.

The issue for a lot of Celtic centre-forwards is that it is incredibly difficult to live up to Henrik Larsson’s legacy at Parkhead, as the greatest striker in the club’s modern history.

Henrik Larsson's goalscoring record for Celtic

The Sweden international joined the Scottish giants from Feyenoord on a permanent deal in the summer of 1997 and had a decent, but not spectacular, debut season.

Larsson scored 11 goals in 23 games in the Premiership in his first year with the Hoops, before a return of 12 goals in 19 league outings the following term.

He then went on a run of four successive seasons with 26 goals or more in the top-flight for the Hoops, which helped him to finish his career in Glasgow with 147 goals in 186 league matches.

Larsson, who scored 220 goals in 287 games for Celtic in all competitions, was an incredibly prolific goalscorer who set the bar high for any future number nines at the club to live up to.

The Hoops did once have a striker on loan, however, who appeared to have the potential to be their next Henrik Larsson in the making – John Guidetti.

John Guidetti's Celtic potential

In the summer of 2014, Celtic swooped to sign another Swedish forward, who had also played for Feyenoord, on loan from Premier League giants Manchester City, after he had a few major injury issues.

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.

Guidetti had missed 91 games through a knee injury between April 2012 and January 2013 and was still working to get back to full fitness by the time he moved to Celtic.

He had, however, scored a stunning 20 goals in 23 games for Feyenoord on loan in the 2011/12 campaign, and racked up 20 goals in 29 games for Manchester City’s reserve side at academy level.

These statistics suggest that the potential was there for him to be a prolific scorer, at a similar rate of goals to Larsson, for Celtic if he could recapture his best form.

Guidetti showed plenty of signs of promise during the 2014/15 season with the Hoops. The Swedish star produced 15 goals and ten assists in 23 starts, and 35 appearances in total, across all competitions.

However, Celtic were unable to tie him down to a permanent deal beyond that term, and the striker later revealed that it was because he did not want to stay. Guidetti said that he preferred playing in ‘big’ games and was unimpressed by ‘Ross County away’, as well as the lack of celebration after winning the Premiership that year.

The Scottish Sun described his form for Celtic as ‘prolific’ but the forward refused to see what he could achieve over five or six years at Parkhead, as his compatriot Larsson did.

Guidetti then failed to consistently perform in the ‘big’ games in Spain. In seven seasons in LaLiga with Celta Vigo and Alaves, he failed to score more than seven goals in a single term.

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1 ByDan Emery Nov 16, 2024

The striker turned down the chance to go on and become a legend at Parkhead to struggle to make a name for himself in Spain, and he now plays for AIK in Sweden at the age of 32.

Thunder inflict their third-heaviest defeat in BBL history as they jump to second on the table

Tristan Lavalette08-Jan-2022

Daniel Sams hit seven fours and eight sixes in his 44-ball 98*•Getty Images

Sydney Thunder 7 for 209 (Sams 98*, Hales 63, Richardson 2-39) beat Melbourne Renegades 80 (Seymour 25, Hasnain 3-22, Sandhu 2-8, Sangha 2-12) by 129 runsDaniel Sams and a rejuvenated Alex Hales destroyed Melbourne Renegades at Marvel Stadium to set up red-hot Sydney Thunder’s fifth-straight BBL victory.An almost flawless Thunder (7-3) stormed to second on the ladder after Sams (98 not out off 44 balls) and Hales (63 off 28) powered them to a massive 7 for 209 after being sent in. Their disciplined bowlers then tore through meek Renegades batting as Thunder cemented their standing as the BBL’s in-form team.The crushing 129-run victory – the third heaviest in BBL history – was made even more impressive for Thunder after stand-in captain Chris Green was a late withdrawal due to being a close contact of a person who tested positive for Covid-19.The Hales-Sams show
Thunder have emerged as a serious title contender even without Hales firing. The English import had a highest score this season of just 35 and also missed a couple of matches due to testing positive to Covid-19.But Hales was always going to emerge from the rut and he did so with trademark pyrotechnics featuring five sixes. The opener needed just 17 balls to surpass his previous best of the season, relishing the short boundaries and launching several slog sweeps into the second tier of the grandstands.He was especially ruthless against Afghanistan’s Zahir Khan, smashing two sixes in his first over, before eventually holing out in the 12th over.There was no respite with Sams, elevated to No.4 after Ashes-bound Sam Billings’ departure, signalling his intention with a second-ball six, and he dominated square of the wicket much like Hales. Sams, who boasts of the highest strike-rate in the tournament, notched his highest BBL score with brute force highlighted by eight sixes.Needing six runs off the final ball, Sams agonisingly fell short of a deserved century with a miscued boundary, but the eye-catching knock of Australia’s T20 World Cup squad member surely may have caught the attention of the national selectors.Zahir struggles amid onslaught
Renegades’ attack was without speedster James Pattinson and allrounder Mohammad Nabi, whose spin was particularly handy in their previous outing. Left-arm seamer Josh Lalor made his season debut but struggled to find his rhythm as Renegades had no answer against Hales and Sams with the pair especially laying into Zahir, who finished with 1 for 49 off three overs.Zahir has had a strong season with 10 wickets at an economy rate of 7.81 but he copped a flogging and his confidence slumped. Spearhead Kane Richardson and the youngster Will Sutherland tried hard to stymie the runs but to no avail.Highly-rated Sutherland has had an underwhelming BBL season but showcased his obvious talent by clean bowling Thunder stand-in captain Jason Sangha. He finished with 1 for 23 off 3 overs in a rare positive for Renegades.Mohammad Hasnain had an excellent outing with the ball•Getty Images

Thunder crash through meek RenegadesThunder’s attack didn’t miss a beat without the services of Green and spearhead Saqib Mahmood, who returned to the UK as part of England’s T20 squad for the Caribbean. Pakistani speedster Mohammad Hasnain and legspinner Tanveer Sangha returned as Thunder’s well-oiled machine never gave Renegades a sniff.Hasnain bowled swiftly from the get go to set the tone and he was well supported by seamer Gurinder Sandhu fresh off claiming his third hat-trick in Australian cricket.In his first over back after being sidelined due to Covid-19, Sangha bowled Aaron Finch with a perfect legspinner as Thunder could do no wrong. Sams’ terrific performance continued when he claimed the wicket of Mackenzie Harvey as Thunder’s irresistible form showed no signs of abating.Reality bites for RenegadesIt might have just been a reality check for Renegades, who had leapfrogged two places off the bottom after victories against Covid-19 decimated opponents Melbourne Stars and Heat.They would have felt confident of giving the daunting total a shake under the closed roof but never threatened after losing three wickets in the four-over powerplay. Veteran Shaun Marsh, who has inserted confidence in the team since his recent return, was run out in the third over and skipper Nic Maddinson fell a few balls later as Renegades crashed.The burden was on Finch, who was dropped at slip in the second over, but he couldn’t conjure heroics as Renegades were embarrassingly bowled out in the 15th over.Renegades will need to return to the drawing board after a confidence denting defeat.

Looking to add that missing spark back to their frontline, West Ham United are reportedly plotting a move to sign an in-demand winger who’s been compared to Chelsea great Eden Hazard.

West Ham transfer news

After such a busy summer transfer window, West Ham should not be in the position where they find themselves and in need of further reinforcements. A 3-0 thrashing courtesy of Nottingham Forest exposed their issues for all to see, however, with Julen Loptegui now under increasing pressure to turn things around or simply head for the exit door.

The Hammers welcomed players such as Niclas Fullkrug, Jean-Clair Todibo and Crysencio Summerville in the summer; there was even a strong argument that the London club won the transfer window. Yet after 10 games, they sit routed in the Premier League’s bottom half and well away from the high expectations placed on Lopetegui and his new side.

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The Hammers are keen on a real prodigy.

ByEmilio Galantini Nov 2, 2024

Left to turn towards the transfer market once again, those at the London Stadium could revive their attack with one move ahead of Premier League rivals. According to Pete O’Rourke of Football Insider, West Ham chiefs have set their sights on a move to sign Andreas Skov Olsen from Club Brugge, who value their winger at £25m-£30m amid interest from West Ham and Tottenham Hotspur.

The Dane has earned plenty of plaudits in recent years and has even been compared to Chelsea legend Hazard as well as Mohamed Salah and Arjen Robben by Danish reporter Klaus Egelund, who told Het Niewsblad: “He is an Eden Hazard type, but since he’s left-footed and plays on the right, you could better compare him to [Arjen] Robben or Salah.”

Given recent doubts over the future of Mohammed Kudus, welcoming an additional right-winger could be a wise move, especially one on the rise such as Skov Olsen.

"Physical" Olsen could replace Kudus

If Kudus does swap the London Stadium for pastuers new next summer then West Ham should turn their attention towards Skov Olsen. The winger is among the stars of the show in Belgium and has already thrived where Kudus has struggled in the current campaign. At just 24 years old too, the best is arguably yet to come for the Club Brugge star.

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Described as a “physical winger” by analyst Ben Mattinson, Skov Olsen has simply picked up where he left off in the previous campaign when he managed a staggering 26 goals and eight assists. With little sign that he’s set to slow down, West Ham should strike a deal whilst his price tag remains around the £30m mark.

Beating Spurs to the winger’s signature could make quite a statement to their rivals, especially if the Dane lives up to his Hazard and Salah comparisons in the Premier League. One to watch, Skov Olsen could quickly become one of the bargains of the year.

أعلن نادي يوفنتوس الإيطالي، إصابه مدافع فيديريكو جاتي، خلال مواجهة الفريق أمام جنوى، مساء السبت الماضي، والتي انتهت بفوز البيانكونيري 1-0.

ويعاني يوفنتوس منذ بداية الموسم بسبب الإصابات في خط الدفاع، وأبرزها جيلسون بريمر الذي أصيب بقطع في الرباط الصليبي، سبتمبر الماضي.

وحسب ما أكدت التقارير الإيطالية أن اللاعب سيغيب لمدة شهر، بعدما غادر مباراة جنوى في الشوط الأول بسبب تدخل مع المهاجم أندريا بينامونتي لاعب الأخير.

طالع أيضًا | الإعارة الثالثة تفشل.. ميلان يرفض استمرار جواو فيليكس

يوفنتوس أعلن بأن الفحوصات كشفت عن وجود كسر مركب في عظمة الشظية للاعب، دون تحديد مدة الغياب، ولكن كما ذكرت التقارير، فإن الفترة المحتملة شهر على أقل تقدير.

واعتذر بينامونتي عن إصابة جاتي، وكتب عبر حسابه على انستجرام: “أسف جدًا لإصابتك، وأتمنى لك الشفاء العاجل وأن تتمكن من العودة إلى الملاعب في أقرب وقت ممكن”.

ويعاني يوفنتوس هذا الموسم في الدوري الإيطالي، والخروج من جميع البطولات الأخرى، ويسعى لتحقيق هدفه بالوصول إلى دوري أبطال أوروبا، بعد إقالة تياجو موتا وتعيين إيجور تودور.

ويحتل يوفنتوس المركز الخامس في الدوري الإيطالي، بفارق نقطة عن بولونيا الرابع، آخر المراكز المؤهلة لدوري أبطال أوروبا الموسم المقبل.

ولعب جاتي هذا الموسم 26 مباراة مع يوفنتوس، وهو أكثر لاعب ظهورًا بقميص البيانكونيري بالتساوي مع مانويل لوكاتيلي لاعب الوسط.

But interim managing director urges England to recognise “there is life beyond them as well”

Matt Roller09-Feb-2022Andrew Strauss has insisted that “no-one is saying this is the end of the road” for James Anderson and Stuart Broad after they were left out of the squad for the Test series against West Indies but urged England to recognise that “there is life beyond them as well”.Strauss, the ECB’s interim managing director of men’s cricket, was part of a three-man selection panel – along with interim coach Paul Collingwood and national scout James Taylor – which dropped eight members of England’s Ashes squad for next month’s West Indies tour, with Anderson and Broad the headline omissions.Strauss said in a press release that England needed to “refresh” the squad in order to compete away from home, and at Lord’s on Wednesday, he added that the decision had been made in order to give other seamers – such as Chris Woakes and Mark Wood – the opportunity to “show a bit of leadership”.”They were both disappointed and you wouldn’t expect anything else from two of England’s greatest bowlers,” Strauss told the BBC. “I just think it’s important to look at the frame in which we’re looking at this tour.”The truth is our Test team haven’t performed well for a while now and our batting in particular hasn’t been up to the level it needs to be. Secondly, if we want to be the best team in the world, we have to win away from home consistently. We haven’t done that – I think we’ve won four out of our last 13 series away from home, and that needs to improve. And this is the start of a new cycle, so it’s an opportunity to refresh and look forward.Related

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“With that in mind we see this as an opportunity to bring some new blood into the bowling resources. [There’s] obviously some change in the batting line-up as well, but [we will] also ask our existing bowlers to play a slightly different role to the one they’ve played before and show a bit more leadership, so we have the opportunity to do that now.”No-one is saying that Broad and Anderson won’t feature this summer and beyond but my job, I think, as director of cricket, is to give whoever takes over, the new director of cricket and coach, options from which to pick. I think this tour we can learn more about the options we do have.”Strauss denied that Anderson and Broad – England’s all-time leading wicket-takers in Test cricket – created an “intimidating” environment in the dressing room, but stressed the importance of succession planning.”I’d struggle to criticise Stuart Broad or James Anderson in any way,” he said. “They’ve been great servants to the game, they’ve been utterly professional, their performances have been outstanding and of course they’ve earned the right to have that stature.”But as a team we have to also think there is life beyond them as well, and we need to develop some of the other bowlers and allow them to play more of a leadership role rather than a followership role and so we have the opportunity over these five weeks to do that. The new coach and director of cricket will look at selection over the summer and Broad and Anderson will be very much in the mix.”Strauss added that it was “blatantly obvious” that England needed variety in their bowling attack in order to compete away from home, but said he had made it “as clear as I can” that he was not trying to end their careers.”This is more about us finding a bowling resource that’s capable of winning away from home and obviously you need a lot of variety in your attack to do that; that’s blatantly obvious,” he told Sky Sports News.”It is the start of a new cycle and it is a refresh and a reset and that dressing room will feel very different without Broad and Anderson in it over the course of the tour but I wouldn’t in any way want people to think that Broad and Anderson aren’t thoroughly professional in everything they do in an England shirt. That’s why they’ve been as successful as they have been in England colours and they’ve still got a lot to offer both on and off the field.”They’re both very disappointed, and that doesn’t surprise me; they’re very passionate about playing for England. So I hope that they understand the rationale for the decision and I hope also they understand that no one is saying this is the end of the road for either of them.”I suppose there’s a danger [they see it that way], but I was trying to be as clear as I can with them. And I suppose their job right at the moment is to get themselves fired up and ready to go for the start of the international summer in June.”

A new transfer report has claimed that Newcastle United are one of several Premier League clubs whose scouts have been wowed by a player who is “incredibly good defensively”.

Newcastle transfer news

In some much needed positive transfer news, the Magpies have reportedly been boosted in their efforts to sign Brentford star Bryan Mbeumo, who has been enjoying a superb season for the west Londoners and is a dream target for sporting director Paul Mitchell.

While a summer transfer in 2025 looks more likely than a switch during the January transfer window, the Bees may entertain offers of £50m for the Cameroonian’s services, considering he will only have one year remaining on his contract at that point.

In terms of other transfer rumours doing the rounds at Newcastle, Sevilla centre-back Loic Bade is seen as an option for Eddie Howe, as the Magpies look to bring in more defensive cover, amid long-term injuries to Sven Botman and Jamaal Lascelles.

Alexander Isak’s St James’ Park future is in some doubt currently, with the likes of Arsenal and Chelsea believed to be eyeing a move for him, and Paris Saint-Germain striker Randal Kolo Muani has emerged as a target for Newcastle, should they need to replace the Swede.

Newcastle scouts wowed by 21-year-old star

According to Caught Offside, Mitchell’s Newcastle’s scouts have been blown away by Barcelona midfielder Marca Casado, with Liverpool and Manchester United also mentioned as potential suitors.

The Magpies are among the clubs who have “received positive feedback” on the 21-year-old, with scouts seeing his “vision on the ball and ability to control a game from midfield” as strong aspects of his game, despite his tender years.

Casado is a footballer with an immense amount of potential, already becoming a vital figure for Barca this season, starting eight matches in La Liga, including in the memorable recent 4-0 win away to Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu. Hansi Flick is under no illusions as to how good he is, saying of his player: “He’s incredible. If you see him play now, if you know where he comes from and the level now, everything that has improved.

“He’s incredibly good defensively, also with the ball at his feet. This is La Masia. I’m very happy. Everyone sees the quality of these players. You can see it in the second half when we combined and kept possession. It’s been very good.”

Casado looks a class act both in and out of possession, with his technical ability highlighted by three assists and a 91.2% pass completion rate in the league in 2024/25. Flick’s praise of his defensive game also speaks volumes.

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Newcastle signing the young Spaniard would be a major coup, especially if they pipped Liverpool and United to his signature, but Barca will surely be desperate to retain his services.

Ruben Amorim has said he will speak to Alejandro Garnacho about leaving the pitch after being substituted in Manchester United's win over Ipswich.

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Argentina forward reacted angrily to being substitutedWinger sacrificed after Dorgu red cardGarnacho previously disciplined by AmorimFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Garnacho was taken off by Amorim towards the end of the first half in the 3-2 win over Ipswich after Patrick Dorgu was sent off and the winger did not take the decision well. He appeared visibly annoyed and marched straight down the tunnel to the dressing room rather than sitting on the bench. The player then bizarrely posted a picture of himself leaving the pitch on his Instagram story.

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Garnacho has been in and out of the starting XI since Amorim took over as United boss in November. He was left out of the squad for the Manchester derby against City in December alongside Marcus Rashford, although he immediately returned to the fold for the next game while Rashford remained exiled and did not play for the team again before being loaned out to Aston Villa in January.

WHAT AMORIM SAID

Asked why he had taken Garnacho off, Amorim told a press conference: "It was cold and wet, maybe? The thinking was we'd play more in the 5-3-1. I know that is a risk because you are taking one – maybe the only player who has one against one pace, but I felt the team was okay in the controlling of the game, almost half time, then you make the subsitution. We have to choose someone to go out, we have to think about set pieces also, so it was Garnacho."

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The coach was then asked if he was disappointed with Garnacho for going straight down the tunnel and he suggested that the journalist asking the question was "making the connection with Rashford". He added: "What I'm saying is I'm going to talk obviously with Garnacho about that. So I will talk about that if you want in the next press conference."

No one foresaw this. Even the most optimistic of Liverpool supporters wouldn’t have dreamed up a world where Arne Slot basked in an eight-point lead in the Premier League heading into December.

December 1st marks quite the date: Liverpool host Manchester City in the league as Pep Guardiola seeks to stop the rot that has sent his season into a tailspin.

Early days. Early days. Liverpool are champions elect after climbing back to beat Southampton? More fool the fan who is subscribed to that notion.

There are plenty of twists and turns left as Liverpool move through this crooked season, and a Citizen victory by the River Mersey would change the narrative with the swiftness of a Redmen counter-attack.

Liverpool do look good though, it must be said. Even when the parts don’t combine to the most rip-roaring effect, Slot’s squad still find a way. Of course, with Mohamed Salah at the spearhead, such things are child’s play.

Mohamed Salah's talismanic season

Salah’s days on Merseyside might be numbered, but he’s not letting that affect his performances for Liverpool this season. In fact, the Egyptian sensation is supercharged by a sense of urgency that perhaps speaks of a man on borrowed time.

That’s a downcast thought that would be fit for the conditions that Slot’s side faced at the St. Mary’s Stadium. The thing is, though, this is a team with a moveless mindset. Salah’s brace turned the game on its head and Liverpool are now eight points clear at the top of the Premier League.

We’ve met too many false dawns to get excited yet – after all, Manchester City journey to Anfield next weekend. Salah said post-match that “hopefully we can beat City,” and he’s certain to be confident after his performance on the South Coast.

The 32-year-old’s two late goals negated Southampton’s fine work in turning the game on its head, with his effort now leaving him with ten goals and six assists across 12 Premier League matches. Salah’s consistency on English shores is frankly absurd and he is undisputedly one of the finest players to have graced the division.

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Salah wasn’t the only one to produce an emphatic display though, with Dominik Szoboszlai opening the scoring and putting in a high-class performance that might just leave him undroppable going forward.

Performance in Numbers

Want data and stats? Football FanCast's Performance in Numbers series provides you with the latest match analysis from across Europe.

Why Dominik Szoboszlai is now undroppable

Admittedly, Szoboszlai can be frustrating to watch sometimes. Do more, we cry. Please, channel that energy and electricity into something prolific and potent and all the rest.

His “sublime” finish against Southampton, as Sky Sports’ Jamie Carragher put it, proved that he can produce those moments of genuine quality to illuminate his name on the big board, but it’s perhaps important to dig deeper into the underlying data and understand that the attacking midfielder is quietly becoming one of Liverpool’s most important players.

Having been benched in two of the previous three top-flight outings, this was a welcome return to form and something that the Hungary captain will feel he can use as a springboard to more positive noise.

Journalist Bence Bocsak hailed the 23-year-old’s “brilliant performance” and rightly so. As per Sofascore, he notably completed 100% (2/2) of his dribbles, made three key passes and won six of his eight contested ground duels.

That duel success is particularly interesting, a step up from his campaign average of 2.2 per game. It’s the tactical dimension that would speak volumes to Slot, proving to him that Szoboszlai is deserving of an unmoving starting berth in Liverpool’s Premier League line-up.

He also made four tackles, four ball recoveries, and completed all four of his long balls, showcasing a technical range that indeed compelled Jurgen Klopp and Jorg Schmadtke to fork out £60m for the RB Leipzig talent’s transfer in the dog days of 2023.

The Liverpool Echo’s Ian Doyle awarded Szoboszlai with an 8/10 match score – the same as Salah – and wrote: ‘Led the Liverpool press, used ball well, had some shots and curled in a fine finish for the opening goal. Energy and work-rate made such a difference.’

It’s important to note that Szoboszlai’s athleticism could be a decisive factor against Guardiola’s beleaguered outfit next week, with Tottenham Hotspur’s Dejan Kulusevski – a player of similarly indefatigable energy and powerful dribbling – running roughshod over the Sky Blues’ defences on Saturday.

The Swede claimed an assist but more importantly, succeeded with all four of his dribbles and won each of his six contested ground duels, as per Sofascore, which pertains to Szoboszlai’s potential continuation of form next weekend given he has the quality, and demonstrated as such against Saints, to adopt that blueprint.

Szoboszlai’s ball-carrying and -playing skills have been discernible from the get-go at Anfield, but fluency in crucial moments has been choppy across the past 15 months.

To be sure, there’s more in the attacking midfielder’s locker, but if he performs as he did against Southampton going forward, there’s no way that Slot will want to demote him to the bench, for his energy and impact on the other forwards is so important.

Salah, for example, is an extraordinary forward, but his life is made easier by Szoboszlai’s movements and they will be called into play once again next.

Liverpool are flying, but there’s so much football still to be played. The quality of a player like Szoboszlai ensures that even when not flourishing, three points can still be secured.

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Tottenham Hotspur have been dealt a new worry over star defender Cristian Romero and his potential switch to Real Madrid, after a fresh update on the Argentine’s future from broadcast giant talkSPORT.

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The Galacticos are suffering from a fair few long-term problems in defence this season, with both Dani Carvajal and Eder Militao out for the rest of this season after sustaining ACL injuries.

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Spurs are now said to be keen.

Posts ByEmilio Galantini Dec 4, 2024

David Alaba is also making his way back from an ACL injury, leaving Carlo Ancelotti desperately short in central defence for the foreseeable, and it is believed Real could look to the January transfer market for solutions.

Even when the likes of Militao and Alaba return, the La Liga champions still have to consider the long term, with Antonio Rudiger, Alaba and Carvajal all on the wrong side of 30 and potentially reaching the twilight phase of their careers soon.

Tottenham’s next five Premier League games

Date

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

Real are believed to be targeting Romero from Tottenham as one option on their shortlist of centre-backs for 2025, with Arsenal defender William Saliba also attracting interest from Ancelotti as they look to the Premier League for elite new defenders.

Spurs are trying to tie Romero down with a new contract, according to multiple media outlets, in an attempt to ward off the likes of Real and keep their star defender.

Both the South American and Micky van de Ven have formed an excellent partnership since the beginning of 2023/2024, and it is the bedrock of Ange Postecoglou’s high line, so losing either one of the duo really wouldn’t be ideal for the Australian.

Romero has missed Tottenham’s last few games with a toe injury he sustained in mid-November, with van de Ven also sidelined, leaving both Ben Davies and Radu Dragusin to fill in for the crucial pair recently.

Tottenham dealt new Cristian Romero worry after update on future

As per talkSPORT, who revealed further details on Romero and his long-term future at N17, there is a genuine concern for Postecoglou.

Indeed, it is believed that Tottenham face losing Romero next year if they fail to qualify for the Champions League, with the ex-Atalanta star keen to pit himself against Europe’s elite again after playing just a handful of games in the competition.

Ancelotti can offer that exact thing to Romero, meaning he could surely be very tempted by the prospect of quitting north London for the Bernabeu if the opportunity presents itself in 2025.

TalkSPORT describe the 26-year-old, who’s on a reported £165,000-per-week via his current contract, as “central” to Postecoglou’s long-term plans – so the possibility of his exit next year could be very damaging.

“He could play in any side in the top four of the Premier League. He is a Champions League player, a top player,” said pundit Paul Robinson to Football Insider in 2022.

“If Spurs are going to go places, Romero is the type of player they will need to keep and build around.”