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It is no understatement to say that Glasgow Rangers require a major overhaul this summer.

Not just in the playing squad or staff members, but in mentality. Since the Ibrox side won the Premiership title in 2021, the Gers have won only two trophies since.

In comparison, Celtic have won every available league title on offer and have clinched a domestic double this season, although they did lose to Aberdeen in the SFA Cup final.

Things have to change at Ibrox, and fast. The 49ers’ involvement should give those at the club a boost, but the priority is a new manager.

The likes of Steven Gerrard and Davide Ancelotti have been linked with a move to Glasgow, while several other candidates have been touted for the vacant role.

Whoever becomes the next permanent manager will have work to do in order to improve the first-team squad this summer.

There are various positions that need urgent improvement, no doubt about that. Furthermore, several players could be sold to raise funds and help reduce the wage bill.

Cyriel Dessers may finish the season as the top scorer in the Premiership, but if a reasonable offer comes in this summer, the club should cash in.

Why Rangers must sell Cyriel Dessers

Never has a Rangers player exuded more Jekyll and Hyde-like qualities than Dessers. One minute, he is simply unplayable, causing chaos for opposition defenders domestically and in Europe.

Next, he struggles with the easiest of chances and offers next to nothing in the final third.

There is no doubt about his record in front of goal for the Light Blues since he joined in a deal worth £4.5m from Cremonese in the summer of 2023. Indeed, the Nigerian striker has scored 51 goals and grabbed 16 assists across 109 games for the club during his first two seasons.

On the surface, this is an impressive record in front of goal. He has shone in Europe, with his display against Fenerbahce one of the finest by a Gers forward in quite a while.

Unfortunately, these performances are few and far between. Throughout the 2023/24 league season, Dessers missed a staggering 27 big chances across 35 matches.

Over the same number of games in 2024/25, he missed 21 big chances, a slight improvement, but still not great.

Metric

2023/24

2024/25

Goals

16

18

Assists

4

2

Shots per game

2.9

2.4

Big chances missed

27

21

Goal conversion percentage

16%

22%

During the winter transfer window, several clubs were linked with making a move for Dessers. Saint-Étienne, Cagliari, and Empoli were all showing interest in securing a move for the 30-year-old.

Much to the disappointment of large sections of the support, the centre-forward remained in Glasgow until the end of the season at least.

He has two years left on his current contract, which suggests now would be the ideal time to cash in and secure a decent fee for the player.

This could be used to fund future signings, especially a couple of younger players with a higher ceiling for growth.

Dessers shouldn’t be the only player to be moved on this summer by the new manager. Nedim Bajrami is reportedly attracting interest from afar, and now might be a good time to part ways with the Albanian.

Nedim Bajrami has offers on the table

According to reports in Albania (as relayed by Glasgow Times), Bajrami has two options on the table with regard to a summer exit away from the Light Blues.

One comes from the Italian top flight, while the other is from the Bundesliga, and the report states that the midfielder is likely to leave Glasgow when the transfer window finally opens.

Much will depend on the price, however, as the 49ers will be keen on recouping much of the £3.4m that was spent on the Albanian last summer.

It’s safe to say he hasn’t exactly enjoyed the most productive of campaigns in Scotland, despite arriving with plenty of hype.

What exactly went wrong with Bajrami?

Why Rangers must sell Nedim Bajrami this summer

The 26-year-old had impressed for his country at Euro 2024, scoring an incredible opener against Italy after just 23 seconds.

A move to Ibrox in the final days of the summer transfer window looked like a real coup for Philippe Clement.

What looked like a potentially transformative signing for the club eventually turned into a waste of money. Across 44 games for Rangers, he only scored five goals and chipped in with four assists, showing that he has rarely made a big impact at the top end of the pitch.

Considering the sum of money the club had paid, this was hardly the best of returns, especially following a decent start to life in Glasgow.

The midfielder only started 15 Premiership matches, creating only four big chances, averaging one key pass and succeeding with just one dribble per game in the top flight.

In Europe, Bajrami didn’t fare much better. Indeed, he could only muster a single goal from 11 appearances, winning less than half of his total duels per game and averaging 1.3 key passes per game, which shows how ineffective he has been on the European stage since his move to Ibrox.

The nadir came against Queen’s Park in the Scottish Cup back in February. Rangers suffered a shock 1-0 home defeat – arguably one of their worst domestic losses – but Bajrami was subbed at half-time following a dismal display.

Stevie Clifford, who runs Four Lads Had a Dream, criticised the Albanian a month before, saying:

“I’ll highlight it again, it’s not singling him out, but Nedim Bajrami is not offering enough at all.

“We need him to influence games & be involved, largely anonymous so far, again.

“£4m is big money to do it in these type of games & he’s miles off it so far.”

All of these points point towards a likely summer exit when the window opens next month. Should Rangers receive a bid that is deemed acceptable, then they must be ready to cash in.

He didn’t live up to initial expectations, and regardless of who the new manager is, Bajrami’s future already looks settled with the offers that are on the table from other clubs.

Hopefully, he can make better signings this summer.

Gerrard's next Defoe: Rangers could sign PL "living legend" this summer

Rangers must make a move for a current Premier League striker this summer

ByRoss Kilvington May 24, 2025

Leeds United know that they will be playing Premier League football next season and the rumour mill is already well underway ahead of the summer transfer window.

The Whites know that they will have to bolster their squad in order to avoid being instantly relegated back down to the Championship, as the last six newly-promoted sides have been.

A new centre-forward appears to be one of the priorities on the agenda for the West Yorkshire centurions. Newcastle United marksman Callum Wilson and promising St. Gallen striker Willem Geubbels have both been linked with moves to Elland Road in recent days.

Former Norwich City star Gabriel Sara, who played and scored against Daniel Farke’s side in the 2023/24 campaign, has also been linked with a switch from Galatasaray.

The club’s interest in these high-profile signings show that the 49ers mean business and that they want to improve the squad, which will also come as bad news for some of the current squad.

There will be some Leeds players who played key roles in the Championship who will now be concerned about their place in the starting XI next term, and one of those will be Jayden Bogle.

Why Jayden Bogle's Leeds position is not secure

The English right-back enjoyed a sublime season in the second tier with the Whites as their first-choice right-back, beating off competition from Isaac Schmidt and Sam Byram to lock down that position on a regular basis.

Bogle ended the campaign with 44 starts in 44 league appearances, which shows that he was Farke’s bona fide first-choice right-back, and the defender delivered excellent performances during that time.

The 24-year-old full-back was signed from Sheffield United for a reported fee of £5m in the summer transfer window last year, and it is fair to say that he has repaid the club by helping them to earn promotion to the Premier League.

Bogle scored six goals, created 11 ‘big chances’, and delivered four assists in his 44 appearances in the league, which shows that he made a huge impact at the top end of the pitch from a right-back position.

However, Leeds will be battling against relegation next season and will need more defensive quality from their defenders, rather than an emphasis on their attacking ability, and the English full-back does not have a great track record in that respect.

Appearances

16

34

Goals conceded

24

98

Goals conceded per game

1.5

2.88

Clean sheets

2

1

Dribbled past

19x

34x

Ground duels won

43%

47%

As you can see in the table above, Bogle has been part of a team that has conceded 122 goals in 50 matches at Premier League level for Sheffield United in the past, more than two per game on average.

The club’s interest in signing a new right-back will, therefore, leave the defender worried because the Whites may look to replace him as a starter.

Leeds enquire about deal for Premier League defender

According to journalist Ben Jacobs, Leeds United are one of the teams plotting a move to sign West Ham United right-back Vladimir Coufal in the upcoming summer transfer window.

The reporter claims that both the Whites and Everton, managed by former Hammers boss David Moyes, have enquired about a deal for the Czechia international.

Transfer Focus

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

Jacobs told GIVEMESPORT: “Vladimir Coufal may be a market opportunity as well. I’m told that Leeds and Everton are the two clubs that have enquired for him. So, there is substance to both of those links for sure and like I said a moment ago, I’m fully expecting Leeds to explore the goalkeeper market.”

The experienced defender’s contract at the London Stadium expires this summer, and it has already been confirmed that he will be on his way, which has presented Leeds and Everton with the chance to snap him up for nothing.

Why this news should leave Jayden Bogle worried

Bogle should be worried by the news that Leeds are plotting a swoop to sign the 32-year-old right-back in the summer transfer window, because Coufal could arrive at Elland Road to take the Englishman’s place in the starting XI.

As aforementioned, the Whites star has struggled big time in the Premier League in his last two times in the division, particularly defensively in duels, and there is no guarantee that this time around will be any different for him.

Coufal, on the other hand, is a battle-hardened and proven Premier League defender who has been a part of a West Ham team that has avoided the drop for five consecutive seasons.

Throughout his time in the top-flight with the Hammers, the former Slavia Prague titan has shown that he can combine reliable defensive work with a creative threat in possession.

Appearances

20

36

27

28

34

Dribbled past per game

0.6x

1.0x

0.5x

0.6x

1.1x

Ground duel success rate

47%

50%

54%

52%

57%

Aerial duel success rate

60%

52%

65%

49%

56%

Big chances created

1

6

4

4

9

Assists

0

7

1

4

7

As you can see in the table above, the West Ham defender has plenty of experience in the Premier League and has usually been reliable in duels on the deck and in the air, whilst delivering ‘big chances’ and assists for his team.

Coufal, once hailed as “outstanding” by former teammate Declan Rice, has only been dribbled past more than once per game on average in his top-flight career, whilst Bogle has been dribbled past 53 times in 50 matches in the division.

These statistics indicate that the Czechia international is more likely to be a reliable option for Farke at right-back in the Premier League, based on their respective performances at that level to date.

That is not to say that Bogle cannot improve and make the step up this time around, but the arrival of the West Ham defender on a free transfer would surely leave him worried about his position because of the optics of the move, given the calibre of player coming in.

Now worth more than Ampadu: Leeds must rue letting go of a "monster" for £0

The former Leeds United defender is now worth even more than Ethan Ampadu.

ByDan Emery May 19, 2025

While it’s impossible to deny that for large parts of this season, Arsenal haven’t performed to the standards they’ve set in previous years, they have also been quite unlucky regarding injuries.

Specifically, in late December, Mikel Arteta lost his best player and talisman to a severe hamstring injury that kept him out of the side for almost four months: Bukayo Saka.

The best way to demonstrate what a difference having the Hale Ender in the side could have made in that period is to look at his outrageous output, as despite missing so much football this season, he’s still managed to score 11 goals and provided 14 assists in 33 games, at an average of a goal involvement every 1.32 games.

So, with the Englishman unquestionably being the Gunners’ most important player, it would make sense to sign players who would make great teammates for him, which, based on recent reports, seems to be the opinion of Andrea Berta and Co.

Arsenal transfer news

Before we get to the player in question, it is worth looking at some of the other stars Arsenal are looking at who could help Saka reach that next level by improving the left-hand side, such as Jamie Gittens and Raphinha.

Transfer Focus

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

The former has recently popped up as a target for the Gunners and could be available for around £51m, which for a youngster who’s scored at the Bernabeu and has racked up a haul of 17 goal involvements this season and could prove a worthwhile investment.

Likewise, while the reported price tag of £77m for the Barcelona star is indeed steep, he would undoubtedly be worth it, as in just 52 games this season, he has managed to rack up an unreal haul of 57 goal involvements.

Yet, what would likely help Saka more than anything else is signing a new striker, which is where Liam Delap enters the fray.

According to a recent report from Football Transfers, Arsenal are now incredibly interested in the Ipswich Town striker, with Andrea Berta particularly keen.

Furthermore, it’s moved beyond just an interest, with the report revealing that the club have now made an offer for the Englishman, who has a £30m release clause in his deal following the confirmation of the Tractor Boys’ relegation.

He might not be the biggest of names, but given how well he’s performed this season and his potential, Delap is someone worth signing, especially as he’d be a dream for Saka.

Why Delap would be a dream for Saka

Now, there are a few reasons why Delap would be a dream signing for Saka this summer, but they ultimately boil down to his ability in front of goal, as the Arsenal winger would surely thrive with a more clinical striker to his left.

We feel comfortable calling the Englishman more clinical than the Gunners’ current options up top, as it’s a statement more than backed up by the numbers.

For example, Understat has worked out that his 12 league goals this season have come from an expected goals figure of just 11.85, which, in other words, means he’s actually outperforming his underlying numbers.

Delap

11.85

12

Havertz

11.76

9

Jesus

3.38

3

In contrast, prior to his injury, Kai Havertz scored his nine league goals from an expected goals figure of 11.76, and Gabriel Jesus scored his three goals from an expected figure of 3.38.

On top of being better at putting away his chances, of which he’d be provided plenty from the Hale Ender, the 22-year-old marksman is more than capable of creating his own chances.

For example, FBref places the “complete” forward, as dubbed by analyst Ben Mattinson, in the top 8% of forwards in Europe’s top five leagues for successful take-ons, the top 9% for shot-creating actions from successful take-ons, the top 10 % for carries into the final third and more, all per 90.

So not only would he help boost the Arsenal ace’s assist tally, but the attacking “monster” – in the words of Ipswich podcast Mark Heath – would almost certainly boost his goal output as well.

Ultimately, from price to goals and his ability to get the ball into dangerous areas, Delap seems like an ideal signing for Arsenal and, just as importantly, someone who’d be a sensational teammate for Saka.

Mega upgrade on Odegaard: Berta lining up Arsenal move for £100m "machine"

The £100m-rated star would be a game-changer for Arsenal.

ByJack Salveson Holmes May 7, 2025

Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers has been immensely successful throughout his time with the Scottish giants, in his second spell now with the club.

The Northern Irish boss won seven trophies in just over two-and-a-half years at Parkhead between 2016 and 2019 in his first go at it with the Hoops, before joining Premier League side Leicester City.

Rodgers won two trophies in his first year back at Celtic last term, securing the Scottish Premiership title and the SFA Cup, and is currently on course to land the domestic treble.

The Hoops beat Rangers on penalties to win the League Cup in the first half of the season, they are one game away from winning the league title, and they are in the SFA Cup final against Aberdeen.

This means that the former Leicester and Liverpool head coach could have won 12 trophies in his career with Celtic to date by the end of this season.

The Northern Irish tactician has clearly been hugely successful for the Scottish giants, but that does not mean he has been perfect throughout that time. In fact, there have been some question marks over his centre-back selections of late, with Liam Scales getting the nod at the weekend.

Celtic's centre-back debate

The Hoops started the 2024/25 campaign with Cameron Carter-Vickers and Stephen Welsh as the two first-choice options in the right centre-back role and Auston Trusty and Liam Scales as the two first-choice options on the left side of the pairing.

Rodgers recently revealed that he prefers to play a left-footed player on the left side of the defence because it “allows you to get through the pitch quicker”, but he has had problems in that position this season.

Scales and Trusty have both dropped out of the team at times, with neither able to definitively say that they are the number one option, and thay may be because of the mistakes that they have made in the Premiership.

Appearances

22

20

Starts

17

20

Error led to shot

1

4

Error led to goal

0

1

Penalties committed

1

0

Dribbled past

4x

10x

As you can see in the table above, they have both started a similar number of matches and have combined for five errors that led to shots, one error that led to a goal, and one penalty conceded. Trusty has also been dribbled past twice as much as the Irishman, as opposition forwards have found it too easy to get the better of him.

These statistics show that the two naturally left-footed defenders in the squad have not been particularly reliable at the back, because of the errors that they have made in the Premiership.

Scales started the 5-0 win over St. Johnstone in the SFA Cup and the 5-1 win over Kilmarnock in the Premiership, suggesting that he is currently ahead of Trusty in the pecking order.

That is despite Scales (£3m) being worth significantly less than Trusty (£6.4m), as per Transfermarkt, who joined the club from Sheffield United last summer.

The Irish defender’s value may have been higher, however, if he had more game time on the pitch because he has only started 17 times in the Premiership, which means that the centre-back has not had as many starts to showcase his quality as Trusty has had.

But Scales is not the only central defender who falls into that category. Rodgers has also messed up with Polish stopper Maik Nawrocki, whose value has plummeted during his time at Celtic.

Why Maik Nawrocki's value has plummeted at Celtic

The Hoops were in the market for a replacement for Carl Starfelt in the summer of 2023 and decided to splash a reported fee of £4.3m on the Legia Warsaw squad to bolster their options in that position.

That was a significant outlay, given it was the most expensive signing of the summer as per Transfermarkt, for Celtic and that suggests that they expected him to play a key role on the pitch.

That was not what happened, though, as Nawrocki went on to play just ten times, starting seven of those outings, in the Premiership during the 2023/24 campaign.

He won 57% of his duels and did not make a single error that led to a shot, goal, or penalty in those ten matches, but that was not enough to earn him a regular place in the team.

Carter-Vickers has nailed down the right-sided centre-back role and that has left Nawrocki fighting for a place on the left, which leaves him at an immediate disadvantage as a right-footer.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

He did not make a single appearance in the league until March of this season, when injuries to Trusty and Scales presented him with a chance to shine against Rangers and Hearts.

Nawrocki took his chance to impress in both of those matches, as you can see in the table below, by dominating opposition attackers in duels and being reliable in possession.

Minutes

90

90

Clearances

7

9

Blocks

0

3

Tackles + interceptions

5

1

Duels won

7/10

8/9

Dribbled past

0x

0x

Pass accuracy

93%

98%

Error led to shot/goal

0

0

These performances from the £12k-per-week star were not enough to keep his place in the side, however, as he has been an unused substitute for the last two Premiership matches and did not make the matchday squad against St. Johnstone in the SFA Cup.

As a result of his lack of minutes on the pitch in the last two seasons, Nawrocki’s Transfermarkt value has plummeted millions down to just £1.7m, making him worth even less than Scales and Trusty.

This shows that Rodgers has messed up with the defender because Nawrocki was brought in for a whopping £4.3m and has rarely been used by the manager, despite his impressive performances, and the club now have a depreciating asset because of it.

Celtic fumbled the next Dembele when "generational" star left on the cheap

Celtic fumbled another Karamoko Dembele when they lost Ben Doak on the cheap.

ByDan Emery Apr 22, 2025

It will now be interesting to see what Celtic do with Nawrocki in the summer because he is not worth anywhere near as much as the fee they paid for him due to Rodgers’ reluctance to use him, and he does not seem likely to be a key player moving forward due to his lack of minutes.

After a very rare defeat last Sunday, can Celtic get their pursuit of yet another treble back on track?

Last time out, the Hoops were beaten by the side bottom of the Scottish Premiership for the first time in two decades, defeated 1-0 by struggling St Johnstone at McDiarmid Park.

This actually means Brendan Rodgers’ side have lost three of their last six Premiership fixtures, having only endured two defeats across their previous 46 league outings.

Nevertheless, this’ll merely delay the party, and a record-equalling 55th Scottish top-flight title could be secured as soon as this weekend, if Celtic are able to beat Kilmarnock in Saturday’s early kick, and then Rangers are beaten at Aberdeen 24 hours later.

Plenty of players are getting the plaudits for the Bhoys’ continued monopolisation of Scottish silverware, but one unsung hero is going under the radar, reminiscent of a fans’ favourite of yesteryear.

Aaron Mooy's Celtic career

Aaron Mooy only made 42 appearances for Celtic during one season in Glasgow, but he certainly left a lasting impression.

He arrived in July 2022, reuniting with Ange Postecoglou, who’d previously been his manager with the Socceroos, although there were question marks about this move, considering the Australian had made just 31 appearances during his two-year spell with Shanghai Port; Chinese football massively affected by the Covid-19 outbreak.

Eric Knott of Read Celtic described the signing as ‘underwhelming’, adding that the move ‘might not work out’, while Sean Martin of the Celtic Way did not believe the signing made sense.

On the contrary, Mooy proved to be an extremely useful addition, registering seven goals and 11 assists, that’s a goal involvement every 110 minutes on average.

Postecoglou stated there is “no doubting” Mooy’s quality but, after the manager departed for Tottenham, the midfielder announced his retirement from football, news incoming boss Rodgers said he was “disappointed” to learn, although this was “something we absolutely respect”.

So now, is a current Celtic midfielder having a similar impact, albeit a player they’ll hope to have around for longer than one season?

Celtic could now be brewing the next Mooy

After Hibernian had made four unsuccessful bids to sign him last summer, Celtic ultimately snapped up Dundee midfielder Luke McCowan on deadline day, paying £1m plus add-ons for his services.

Given that the Hoops had also just signed Arne Engles for a club-record fee, with Callum McGregor, Reo Hatate and Paulo Bernardo already in the squad, many questioned how much the 27-year-old would actually play.

Well, so far, this has been money well spent, with McCowan scoring six goals and accumulating seven assists in hoops, currently ranked joint-14th in this season’s Premiership for goal involvements.

His manager Rodgers labelled McCowan as “fantastic”, adding that he has been “absolutely first class”, while Michael Shearer of the Celts Are Here praised his ‘outstanding performances’.

So, let’s see how his statistics compare to Mooy’s from a couple of seasons ago.

Appearances

42

42

Minutes

1,983

1,987

Goals

9

7

Assists

13

11

Shots

49

20

Shot accuracy %

54.29%

60%

Chances created

35

36

Passing accuracy %

83.78

85.39%

Through balls

10

Zero

Duels won

81

49

Ball recoveries

103

95

Touches

1,320

1,245

In a near-identical number of minutes so far, McCowan – who writer Kai Watson lauded as “tenacious” – comes out on top when compares to Mooy for the vast majority of metrics.

The current Celtic star has registered more goals and assists this season, while also racking up higher numbers when it comes to shots and touches as well as defensive metrics such as duels won and ball recoveries.

Mooy did create one more chance and register a slightly higher passing accuracy, there’s still time for McCowan to change that of course, but all of this proves that the 27-year-old was an absolute bargain at only £1m.

Rarely-seen Celtic flop is fast becoming their new James McCarthy

The rarely-seen Celtic flop could end up becoming the new James McCarthy at Parkhead.

ByDan Emery Apr 10, 2025

INEOS and Manchester United have now reportedly sent scouts to watch one defensive target as they begin to plot a summer swoop to secure his signature and ease their Lisandro Martinez injury woes.

Man Utd still targeting defensive additions

After Anthony Elanga ran the length of the pitch before firing home for Nottingham Forest in midweek, it should come as no surprise that Manchester United are still seeking defensive reinforcements. Now in April, the Red Devils are yet to win back-to-back games in the Premier League and their defensive issues in Ruben Amorim’s 3-4-2-1 system have played a large part in what has been a disastrous campaign.

Nottingham Forest 1-0 Man Utd

01/04/2025

Leicester City 0-3 Man Utd

16/03/2025

Man Utd 1-1 Arsenal

09/03/2025

Man Utd 3-2 Ipswich Town

26/02/2025

Everton 2-2 Man Utd

22/02/2025

It should not go without saying, however, that defeat at the City Ground was United’s first in five league games and Amorim echoed that positivity in his post-match press conference, telling reporters: “It’s more [of] the same since this season began. So I think if you look at the game we are improving the way we play football. We are creating more chances, we are dominating more games.

“But in the end, when you don’t win, you feel that and that is a good thing. So we know that this season is going to be like that, the momentum. So we continue to go to the next [game].”

The former Sporting Club boss may well look at his side’s recent run as something to build on before welcoming some key additions. Among those already linked with a summer switch to Manchester United includes Oumar Solet. The Udinese centre-back has impressed at times this season and now has a queue beginning to form for his signature, with United in that queue.

Solet isn’t the only defender that has caught the eye of those at Old Trafford, however, with another Serie A star emerging on INEOS’ reported radar.

Man Utd plotting move to sign "superb" Comuzzo

According to Caught Offside, INEOS and Manchester United are now plotting a summer swoop to sign Pietro Comuzzo from Fiorentina this summer and have already sent scouts to watch the 20-year-old in action. Valued at around €45m (£38m) by the Italian club, the deal should be within the Red Devils’ range even as their cost-cutting measures continue around the club.

Dubbed “superb” by football talent scout Jacek Kulig, Comuzzo’s arrival would instantly see the injured Martinez replaced next season, before Amorim is handed the ultimate selection headache when the Argentine completes his eventual return.

Liverpool claimed a hard-fought 1-0 win over local rivals Everton last night, moving themselves one step closer to claiming the Premier League title in Arne Slot’s first campaign.

Diogo Jota’s second-half strike claimed all three points for the Reds, handing them a 12-point advantage over second-placed Arsenal with just eight games remaining.

Controversy struck in the first half with James Tarkowski only receiving a yellow card for an awful tackle on Alexis Mac Allister which was described as a “leg breaker” by Gary Neville.

It wasn’t a vintage display from Slot’s men, but ultimately, it was what was needed after the previous Merseyside Derby at Goodison Park back in February.

However, that being said, numerous players failed to deliver against the Toffees, potentially putting their starting role at risk ahead of the weekend’s clash.

Liverpool’s poor performers against Everton

Virgil van Dijk has been pivotal in Liverpool’s success over the last few months but struggled against the club’s local rivals last night in one of his worst displays of the campaign.

The Dutchman made a mistake in the first half which allowed opposition forward Beto to get one-on-one, with the post bailing the centre-back from an embarrassing mistake.

As for the reliable Mohamed Salah, the winger endured a very quiet night compared to his other outings this season, often with the Egyptian unable to provide the magic he has so often this season.

Player ratings courtesy of Sofascore.

He lost 11 duels during the encounter – the most of any player in the match – whilst also missing a big chance in front of goal and failing to complete a single dribble of the five he attempted.

However, despite the showings of the aforementioned duo, one other starter failed to deliver, with the manager needing to take action before Sunday’s trip to Fulham.

The Liverpool player who needs to be dropped by Slot

This Premier League season has undoubtedly been a successful one for Liverpool, with the transition phase under Slot being seamless – enabling them to achieve their success.

The Dutchman and his side have excelled beyond all imagination, but that doesn’t mean that numerous players have failed to deliver in recent matches.

Dominik Szoboszlai is one player who’s hit the heights in recent months, notching 12 combined goals and assists across all competitions in 2024/25 to date.

However, his showing last night was certainly one to forget, unable to reach the expectations he’s set for himself given his showings under Slot at Anfield.

The Hungarian international featured for the entirety of the contest, but only managed to win two of the seven duels he entered – often being dominated at the heart of the side.

He managed a total of 67 touches, losing the ball 12 times, and giving the ball away once every five times he had possession – highlighting his wasteful nature when having the opportunity to impress.

Minutes played

90

Touches

67

Possession lost

12x

Duels won

2/7

Shots taken

1

Crosses completed

0/2

Dribbles completed

0

Szoboszlai also only managed one effort on goal and failed to complete any of the crosses he attempted, showcasing the lack of impact he had in the final third.

As a result of his showing on Merseyside, the midfielder was handed a measly 5/10 match rating by The Express’ Alex Turk – further showcasing how poor he was against the Toffees.

Given his display, Slot must drop him from his starting eleven, handing another player the opportunity to showcase their talents in the first-team.

The Reds will look to move one step closer to title glory at the weekend, but if they are to claim another victory, the manager will have a brutal call to make with his selection.

He's better than Frimpong: Liverpool working on deal to sign "complete" RB

Liverpool are already working on a deal to replace Trent Alexander-Arnold this summer.

ByEthan Lamb Apr 2, 2025

Liverpool have gone from strength to strength under Arne Slot, with the fight for the Premier League title beginning to look like a procession.

13 points ahead of second-placed Arsenal, the Reds are no doubt loving life with the Dutchman at the helm, but this is a team assembled by Jurgen Klopp, and FSG need to get it right in the transfer market this summer to maintain their current level of dominance.

That’s not to say Slot is riding on his predecessor’s coattails; he’s an elite-minded tactician who has defied expectations in establishing Liverpool as Europe’s team to beat in 2024/25.

Alas, signings will be needed during the off-season, for Liverpool are expected to part with several first-team stars.

Liverpool's most expensive sales of all time

Some great players have departed Anfield for huge money.

ByHenry Jackson Oct 9, 2025 The players who might be leaving Liverpool

It’s March. Liverpool are flying high. Trent Alexander-Arnold, Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk still haven’t extended their contracts on Merseyside, and are out of a job in just four months.

Transfer guru David Ornstein revealed recently that the industry consensus is that Salah and Van Dijk will stay. However, Trent’s future is far more worrying given Real Madrid have a vested interest in bringing him to La Liga.

Other Redmen could be on the move. Most prominently among them is Darwin Nunez. The Uruguay striker simply isn’t kicking on. It’s a shame, he’s affable and entertaining, but 6 goals from 36 games this season isn’t good enough for an £85m club-record striker.

However, he’s not the only one, with Joe Gomez potentially on the move after a prospective switch to Newcastle United broke down last year.

While Gomez hasn’t enjoyed the most productive of seasons under Slot’s wing, his sale would make signing a new centre-back imperative this summer, for Jarell Quansah would be the only recognised option at the club outside of regular starters Van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate.

Elsewhere, Liverpool will need to figure out what to do with Luis Diaz, a valued and impactful member of the team but perhaps part of that crew of sellable stars.

Why Liverpool should sell Luis Diaz

Only Salah (30) and Cody Gakpo (16) have scored more goals for Liverpool this season than Diaz, who has equalled last season’s tally of 13 having played over 1,000 fewer minutes.

It’s a measure of Slot’s tactical brilliance, and how he has effectively insinuated himself and his teachings into this talented Liverpool squad.

Diaz, 28, has been at Liverpool since January 2022, leaving Porto for an initial £37m to join Klopp’s cause, and he’s had his ups and downs, but there’s no question he’s one of the most valuable members of the outfit, crucial as the title charge continues.

However, he’s about to step into the penultimate year of his £55k-per-week deal and it may be more practical to cash in while his stock is raised, especially since Barcelona retain a long-standing interest.

Were Liverpool to sell both of Diaz and Nunez, FSG would bank quite the pretty penny. For sure, both players would need replacing with first-class forwards, but Anfield has become one of the leading platforms for a player’s career growth over the past decade, and this is something transfer targets will consider with disc-like eyes upon receiving the call.

By the time Diaz’s current contract expires in 2027, he will be 30 years old. There’s no doubting his ability, having been hailed as “one of the best wingers in the world” by Liverpool U21 star Luca Stephenson.

But is he indispensable? For a forward of Diaz’s talent, his numbers leave something to be desired, especially from a creative standpoint. He’s a “livewire” – as dubbed by journalist Peter Hall – but there are yawning holes to his game.

2024/25

38 (28)

13

4

0.45

2023/24

51 (42)

13

5

0.35

2022/23

21 (15)

5

3

0.38

2021/22

19 (14)

4

4

0.42

As a reference point, Diaz’s ostensible predecessor, Sadio Mane, scored 120 goals and supplied 39 assists from 269 appearances for Liverpool, equating to a rate of 0.61 goal involvements per game.

His goals this season have been crucial to Liverpool’s success. Indeed, Diaz has selflessly played in an unconventional focal striker’s role for the good of Slot’s side, but now decisions must be made pertaining to his long-term future.

According to CIES Football Observatory, the world’s leading football statisticians, the Colombian is currently worth about £60m in the modern market – a figure that FSG would surely consider were it lodged during transfer season.

Should Barcelona be willing to act on their intrigue and bring him to Camp Nou, it would be Liverpool’s biggest sale since allowing Philippe Coutinho to head off for pastures new.

In fact, perhaps it could have a similar effect. After all, Liverpool would be selling a silky South American player to the Spanish giants for a hefty sum – with the banked funds then directed toward new impactful signings.

It’s unlikely Liverpool will claim the same sort of money as they did when La Blaugrana last came calling, with a £142m proposal presented to the Anfield side for their Brazilian playmaker, who left just as Klopp’s dynasty was taking off.

The money collected was redirected to Van Dijk and goalkeeper Alisson Becker, making a telling comment on Liverpool’s ability to recognise an opportunity and act on it.

Though Coutinho was the bright spark during that backwater period between the gripping 2013/14 campaign and Klopp’s arrival, it quickly became apparent that he wasn’t expendable, for Liverpool went on to lift all the biggest honours with a complete and rounded team.

With 28-year-old Diaz heading into the penultimate year of his contract, some important conversations must be held.

Maybe Liverpool won’t want to sever too large a chunk from their frontline with Nunez seemingly headed for the exit, too. However, if the right opportunity comes along, this would be the perfect time to cash in for a lucrative figure, with Diaz then able to leave as a proud Premier League champion.

Sold for £15m: Klopp’s Liverpool star is playing like a £100m Salah heir

This former Liverpool star could have been a valuable asset in Arne Slot’s system.

ByAngus Sinclair Feb 28, 2025

Manchester City’s last outing was a hugely disappointing 3-1 defeat in the Champions League against Real Madrid. It saw the Citizens crash out of the premium European club competition in a frustrating manner, losing 6-3 on aggregate.

A phenomenal Kylian Mbappe hattrick was enough to sink Pep Guardiola’s side, with the French forward scoring three superb goals, including a lob over goalkeeper Ederson and a lovely strike from range with his weaker left foot to seal the treble.

City lost John Stones just minutes into the game, with the England international succumbing to injury. It was a bit of a makeshift defence for City, which included new signing Abdukodir Khusanov at right-back.

Khusanov’s performance vs. Real Madrid

So far, the Uzbekistan international has played a bit-part role in a Man City shirt. The January signing from French outfit Lens has featured four times, with his start against Madrid the first time he has played in the Champions League for City.

However, it was a tough night at the office for Khusanov against Los Blancos. Defending against Mbappe, Jude Bellingham, Rodrygo and Vinicius Junior, a quartet often quite fluid in their rotations, you could not have really asked for a tougher assignment.

In fact, the youngster received a 3/10 for his performance against the Spanish giants, courtesy of Goal. Richard Martin said Khusanov ‘was tortured from start to finish’ by the likes of Mbappe and Vinicius.

Chalkboard

When the Frenchman received the ball for his second goal, it came to him after City’s number 45 had the ball poked through his legs by Rodrygo.

It was certainly a baptism of fire in the Champions League for the first time donning that famous Blue shirt. It will be interesting to see if Guardiola keeps him in the side for the heavyweight clash with Liverpool on Sunday.

The same thing could be said for another City defender, who also struggled against Madrid.

The City player who could be dropped against Liverpool

When you’re defending against the likes of Mbappe, Bellingham, Vinicius and Rodrygo, it is never going to be easy. Khusanov found that out first-hand, but perhaps no one can relate more than Josko Gvardiol.

If Khusanov had a tough night, then Gvardiol certainly did. He was, in many ways, embarrassed by Madrid’s hattrick hero, who sat him down for his second goal, moments after the Uzbek defender was nutmegged by Rodrygo.

With Gvardiol sliding in for a challenge on Mbappe, the Madrid number nine simply shifted the ball from his left foot to his right, and watched as the Croatian defender slid past him and ended up on his back. Gvardiol could only watch as Mbappe slotted home,

It was a poor performance from City’s left-back at the Santiago Bernabeu. He received a 4/10 from Martin, which was justified when looking at his stats on Sofascore.

He won just five out of 14 ground duels and was dribbled past twice, including for Mbappe’s second goal.

Stat

Number

Touches

69

Pass accuracy

90%

Ground duels won

4/12

Aerial duels won

1/2

Tackles won

2/4

Number of times balls lost

8

Fouls committed

3

Sadly for Gvardiol, there will be no respite this weekend against the Premier League leaders, Liverpool. Should he get the nod at left-back again, he will have to face one of the most in-form players in the Premier League, Mohamed Salah.

The Reds’ number 11 has 29 goals and 20 assists in just 37 games in all competitions this season, playing as a right-winger. That means Gvardiol will come up directly against the Egyptian international.

Perhaps Guardiola will decide not to risk his number 24. After being embarrassed by Mbappe, there is no reason to say why the same will not happen against another world-class attacker.

This is a crucial game for City in their fight for a top-four spot, and perhaps the City boss will want a more watertight defence.

It would not be hard to argue against dropping Gvardiol for the clash at the Etihad Stadium. The left-back has not been playing to the high levels he can hit, and City might need someone else in better form to help keep someone like Salah quiet.

Man City already sold their answer to Mbappé who Pep dubbed "incredible"

Following Kylian Mbappé’s hat-trick to dump Manchester City out of the Champions League, did the sky blues sell their own superstar attacker?

ByBen Gray Feb 21, 2025

Sunderland confirmed their latest addition of the summer transfer window on Thursday when they unveiled Simon Adingra as a new player for Regis Le Bris.

The Ivorian forward, who has scored eight Premier League goals in the last two seasons, is a right-footed winger who can operate on either flank and will provide competition at the top end of the pitch.

Adingra joins Chemsdine Talbi, Noah Sadiki, Habib Diallo, Reinildo, and Enzo Le Fee in making the move to the Stadium of Light ahead of the upcoming Premier League season.

There is more still to come from the Black Cats before the deadline at the start of September, though, as they are reportedly eyeing another new forward option.

Sunderland pushing to sign new winger

Despite having just signed Adingra and Talbi in the last few days, Le Bris and his recruitment team are hoping to bring in another wide option to improve the team.

Transfer Focus

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

According to Calcio Mercato, Sunderland are pushing to sign French winger Armand Lauriente from Italian side Sassuolo in the summer window.

The report claims that the Black Cats are continuing to put pressure on the Serie A outfit to strike a deal for the 26-year-old forward, whilst Sassuolo are eyeing up Canada international Tajon Buchanan as a possible replacement for him.

It has previously been reported that it will take a fee of around £17m to secure a transfer for the French whiz, who has also attracted interest from Roma and Marseille.

Why Sunderland should sign Lauriente

The Black Cats are right to be pushing to sign the Sassuolo star this summer because he is an exciting attacker who could be an even better signing than Adingra for the club.

In the 2024/25 campaign, Lauriente fired his side to promotion from the Serie B with an outstanding haul of 18 goals and five assists in 33 appearances from the left flank, which shows that he made a big impact in the final third on a regular basis.

Before last season, the 26-year-old star showcased his quality as both a scorer and a creator in the Serie A in the 2022/23 and 2023/24 seasons for Sassuolo.

Appearances

66

60

xG

9.6

6.87

Goals

12

8

Big chances created

12

9

Assists

10

3

As you can see in the table above, the French whiz produced more quality in front of goal in those two seasons than Adingra provided in his two Premier League campaigns with Brighton before his move to the Stadium of Light.

Lauriente, who was previously hailed for his “amazing” free-kick for Lorient in 2021 by talent Jacek Kulig, could provide more to the team next season than the Ivorian youngster, as a winger who has proven that he can make a huge impact in the final third in a major European league.

Sunderland should sign the winger in the hope that his electric form in the Serie B propels him on to offer even more quality at the top level than he did in the Serie A in the past.

The statistics suggest that he has more potential to make an immediate impact on the pitch in the Premier League, due to his form in the top two tiers in Italy, than Adingra next term, which is why the club should push to bring him to the club this summer.

Adingra & Lauriente's dream CF: Sunderland have big interest in £21m "icon"

Sunderland are still in the race to sign this exciting attacker who could well be Armand Lauriente and Simon Adingra’s dream partner up top.

ByKelan Sarson Jul 9, 2025