Chelsea are in no danger of losing Cole Palmer this summer amid fears the attacking midfielder has a release clause in his contract.
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Palmer contract reported to have release clause
Chelsea in danger of missing out on Champions League
Attacking midfielder went on 18-game goalless run
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WHAT HAPPENED?
Reports have suggested the England international's contract includes a clause that would allow him to leave for around £60 million ($80m) should the Blues fail to qualify for next season's Champions League. They currently occupy the last spot that would guarantee a place in next season's league phase.
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However, the reports there is no such clause in his deal that relates to the European competition. Palmer's slump of 18 games without a goal – although he registered two assists in that time – saw him heavily criticised before he ended that run in the 3-1 win against Liverpool at the weekend. Throughout that drought, the report says, coach Enzo Maresca had many discussions to reassure him that the spark would return.
DID YOU KNOW?
Despite such a long spell without scoring, Palmer has managed 15 goals and eight assists in the league for the Stamford Bridge side, who have now won four games in a row in all competitions.
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WHAT NEXT FOR PALMER?
Palmer played the second 45 minutes of Chelsea's 4-1 win against Djurgaarden in the Conference League last Thursday and, with the London side holding such an advantage, he may be rested when they meet again this week.
Bas de Leede put in an all-round performance for the ages as Netherlands stunned Scotland to book their ticket to the 2023 men’s ODI World Cup in India. First, de Leede’s maiden five-wicket haul helped Netherlands restrict Scotland to 277 for 9. Netherlands needed to chase that down inside 44 overs to trump Scotland on net run-rate. Around the halfway mark, they looked all but out of the contest, before de Leede smashed 123 off 92 balls, his first ODI century, to power them over the line in 42.5 overs, with four wickets to spare.This will be Netherlands’ fifth appearance in the men’s ODI World Cup. They last featured in the 2011 edition. De Leede, meanwhile, became only the fourth player to score a hundred and take five wickets in a men’s ODI, reducing Brandon McMullen’s equally outstanding hundred for Scotland to a footnote.In the morning, Scott Edwards opted to bowl citing help for seamers in the first hour, and Logan van Beek duly sent Matthew Cross’ off stump cartwheeling in the opening over of the match. Christopher McBride and McMullen ensured Scotland didn’t lose another wicket in the first ten overs. While McBride struggled with timing, McMullen looked at ease. He used his feet well, often coming down the track to try to disrupt the Netherlands seamers’ lengths.McBride chipped in with two successive fours off left-arm spinner Clayton Floyd in the tenth over but fell to de Leede in the next when he pulled straight to short midwicket. De Leede picked up his second wicket when George Munsey gloved a pull that was caught down the leg side.That left Scotland 64 for 3 in the 15th over, but McMullen was looking more and more comfortable by now.Through a perfect alchemy of timing and power, he put up an exhibition of eye-catching strokes. In the 11th over, he timed offspinner Aryan Dutt over long-off for his first six. A few overs later, he went down the pitch to a short ball from de Leede and smashed it over mid-on. To bring up his fifty – off 63 balls – he lofted Ryan Klein over wide long-off for another six, and then chipped Floyd over extra cover for back-to-back fours.Brandon McMullen scored his second ODI century•ICC/Getty Images
McMullen reached his hundred off 106 balls, with a punched four through extra-cover off van Beek. He and Richie Berrington added 137 off 135 balls for the fourth wicket, and took the side past 200 in the 38th over. Scotland were eyeing a total in excess of 300, but the late strikes from Klein and de Leede reined them in. Klein first had McMullen caught behind and then left Michael Leask’s stumps in disarray to make it 207 for 5.Berrington held one end up and brought up his half-century but couldn’t provide the impetus. He was on 64 when de Leede uprooted his middle stump. Shortly afterwards, de Leede sent back Chris Greaves and Mark Watt off consecutive deliveries to complete his five-for. All that meant Scotland could score only 74 in the last 12 overs.Max O’Dowd and Vikramjit Singh gave Netherlands a steady start of 65 in 12.4 overs before Michael Leask trapped both lbw in successive overs. The loss of Wesley Barresi and Teja Nidamanuru in a short interval further dented Netherlands’ chances, leaving them needing 170 in 20 overs to qualify.De Leede was on 19 off 30 at that stage. He and Edwards revived the chase by hitting four fours in four balls, across the 25th and 26th overs. The pair added 55 in 44 balls before Edwards failed to connect with a sweep against Watt and was lbw.Even at this point, Scotland were the favourites; Netherlands needed 115 in 13.1 overs with half their side back in the pavilion. And when the next three overs produced just 12 runs, it became 102 required from ten overs.With Netherlands’ backs against the wall, de Leede went on an all-out attack. He started by hitting Watt for a six before picking up two fours off Safyaan Sharif a couple of overs later. Saqib Zulfiqar too found the occasional boundary to keep Netherlands abreast with the required rate.With 45 needed in four overs, it was even-stevens. That’s when de Leede went into overdrive, hitting four sixes in a space of ten balls that also included a maximum from Zulfiqar. One of those hits took de Leede to his hundred, off just 85 balls. By the team he was run out, Netherlands needed just two from 11 balls. They got them in singles.
The former NFL defensive superstar and Burnley FC minority owner expressed unbridled enthusiasm following the Clarets' promotion
Watt posted celebratory message across social media
NFL Defensive Player of the Year became Burnley co-owner in 2023
Promotion secured after Burnley's 2-1 win over Sheffield United
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WHAT HAPPENED
Following Burnley’s 2-1 win over Sheffield United, NFL legend JJ Watt took to social media to celebrate return to the Premier League. The win ensured that the Turf Moor side would finish either first or second with two games left in the regular Championship season.
The three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year shared a photo of himself screaming into the camera, which was posted on his official X account with the caption: "WE ARE PREMIER LEAGUE!!!!! Come On Burnley!!!!!"
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WHAT JJ WATT POSTED
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The 36-year-old became a minority owner in May 2023 and has fully immersed himself in all aspects of the club as showcased by his latest social media post. So much so, that Watt even had a bet going on with Burnley goalkeeper James Trafford that he would come out of retirement if Trafford kept clean sheets for the rest of the season. The bet began just after Christmas but ended in early March after Cardiff and Yousef Salech scored past Trafford, ending a run of 12 straight clean sheets.
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WHAT’S NEXT?
While their promotion back to the English top flight has been sealed, Burnley are still in the race for the Championship title as they sit in second place, level on points with Leeds United (94). Only goal-difference separates the two sides with two games left in the season. The Clarets face Queens Park Rangers away from home on April 25 and then return to Turf Moor to host Millwall in the final game of their season on May 2.
da realbet： Uma das primeiras indefinições que o técnico Rogério Ceni terá que resolver, na reapresentação do São Paulo , que acontece nesta quarta-feira (14), no CT da Barra Funda, será definir quem ocupará o posto de goleiro titular para 2023, lugar cativo dele por 18 anos (entre 1997 e 2015), recordista absoluto na história tricolor.
Tudo isso porque um dos dois reforços anunciados oficialmente pelo Tricolor para o próximo ano é Rafael, goleiro de 33 anos que veio do Atlético-MG, a pedido do treinador – que trabalhou com ele no Cruzeiro – por cerca de R$ 4 milhões.
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da betano casino： Momentos da nossa primeira conquista! 🏆🌏⭐
Os #HeróisDe92: Zetti; Vítor, Adílson, Ronaldão e Ronaldo Luís; Pintado, Toninho Cerezo (Dinho, 38'/2), Raí (capitão) e Cafu; Palhinha e Müller. T: Telê Santana.
+Dupla do Galo encaminhada para o Fluminense, Pato oferecido ao Santos… O Dia do Mercado!
Foi a terceira contratação do clube neste ano para a posição. Jandrei, que era reserva no Santos, foi contratado pelo clube do Morumbi no início do ano para ser o reserva de Thiago Volpi. Mas o então dono da posição, contestado pela torcida, foi negociado com o futebol mexicano. E a titularidade caiu no colo do camisa 93.
E foi quando Jandrei se contundiu, em julho, e o então reserva Thiago Couto, revelação das categorias de base, não convenceu, que o clube teve de ir atrás de uma peça para o setor. Encontrou Felipe Alves, emprestado pelo Fortaleza ao Juventude, onde era reserva, mas que trabalhara com Ceni no clube nordestino.
Sem nenhuma expectativa das arquibancadas do Morumbi, Alves acabou ratificando sua titularidade após Jandrei apresentar seguidas falhas quando recuperado. Pênaltis defendidos e partidas seguras fizeram o grau de admiração por seu futebol aumentar entre os são-paulinos.
Mas, o ex-comandado do maior nome da posição na história tricolor não parece ter convencido o chefe, referência no assunto. E agora Felipe Alves ganha mais um concorrente. Outro pupilo de Ceni.
Apesar dos sinais claros de que a concorrência será grande, Alves minimizou a disputa e vê fatores positivos na chegada de Rafael.
– (É uma contratação que) Agrega valores para todos nós, para mim, para o Jandrei, para o Couto. Conhecimento. Um time do porte do São Paulo tem que ter os melhores brigando pela posição para dar o melhor pelo clube – destacou o, por hora, titular são-paulino, em entrevista ao ‘Real Podcast’.
– Tanto eu quanto o Rafael, Jandrei, Couto, procuramos fazer o melhor para o clube, entregar o melhor para o São Paulo. O São Paulo está muito bem servido de goleiro. Independentemente de quem venha jogar poderá dar um ótimo respaldo. A gente está ali para se ajudar, evoluir. Esse é o pensamento, fazer com que o São Paulo chegue e brigue pelo melhor em todas as competições – completou Alves.
Conforme o LANCE! revelou em outubro, o São Paulo não pretende manter tantas opções para o gol.Rokenedy, vindo das categorias de base e que passou todo o último ano treinando com os profissionais na Barra Funda, tinha contrato até janeiro, mas o clube o liberou para assinar com o Maguary, que vai estrear na primeira divisão pernambucana no ano que vem. Além disso, empresários buscavam negociar Jandrei com o futebol italiano.
A grande rotatividade na meta tricolor fez o clube quebrar um recorde neste ano. Desde 1985 o São Paulo não contratava três goleiros e escalava quatro goleiros em uma mesma temporada. Na ocasião, Abelha, Barbirotto, Tonho e Gilmar Rinaldi se revezaram na posição.
> Confira tabela e resultados da Copa do Mundo-22 no Qatar > Confira tabela, classificação e simule resultados do Paulistão-23
Sunderland will be playing in the Premier League next season and they know that their recruitment work this summer will need to be spot on to give them a chance of avoiding an instant relegation.
The Black Cats recently confirmed the signing of Enzo Le Fee on a permanent basis from Roma for a club-record fee of £20m as their first addition ahead of their return to the top-flight, after he spent the second half of the 2024/25 campaign on loan with Regis Le Bris’ team.
Le Fee showed quality on the ball, with 1.3 dribbles completed per game, but combined that with 2.5 tackles and interceptions per game in his 11 league starts, which suggests that he could thrive in a relegation battle where plenty of defending will be needed.
The French maestro also heads into the Premier League with plenty of experience in Europe’s major leagues, with 132 games in Ligue 1 and six matches in the Serie A, which means that he is used to playing at the top level and that is why he could be an excellent signing for the Black Cats.
Sunderland eyeing deal for Premier League defender
Sunderland could repeat the blinder that they have seemingly played with Le Fee, who is an experienced top-flight performer who is already settled in and used to playing for the club, by signing another one of their loan stars.
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 the Northern Echo, the Premier League newcomers are considering a deal to bring Chris Mepham back to the Stadium of Light in the summer transfer window.
The report claims that the Wales international is one of a number of defensive options being weighed up by the board at Sunderland, as they eye up a possible reunion with the Bournemouth centre-back.
It states that there was no obligation for the loan move to be turned into a permanent one this summer, which means that they would have to negotiate a fee with the Cherries.
Why Sunderland should sign Chris Mepham
The Black Cats should swoop to sign Mepham on a permanent basis in the coming weeks because it could be a repeat of their Le Fee blinder.
Like the French star, the 27-year-old colossus would not need any time to settle in because he just played 40 matches on loan at the club in the 2024/25 season.
The Welsh titan also has top-flight experience, like Le Fee, having played 61 times in the Premier League for Bournemouth, which means that he knows the division and could provide vital experience to a young team lacking games at that level.
Mepham, who was hailed as “outstanding” by pundit Carlton Palmer, also delivered solid performances for Sunderland when called upon in the Championship this season.
24/25 Championship
Chris Mepham
Appearances
38
Pass accuracy
87%
Tackles + interceptions per game
2.3
Clearances per game
6.1
Ground duel success rate
55%
Aerial duel success rate
63%
Clean sheets
11
Stats via Sofascore
As you can see in the table above, the Bournemouth loanee was dominant in his duels and helped the team to keep 11 clean sheets in 38 outings in the second tier.
He also averaged the most clearances per match in the entire squad, ahead of the likes of Luke O’Nien and Dan Ballard, which may be down to his experience and know-how, as he excels at being in the right place at the right time at the heart of the defence.
Mepham was, therefore, an important player for Sunderland in the Championship and that is why they should press ahead with a deal to sign him on a permanent basis, as a star who knows the club and has Premier League experience under his belt.
Like Le Fee, the 27-year-old brute would hit the ground running on Wearside in the top-flight because of his loan spell at the Stadium of Light and because of the top-flight games that he has played.
Worse than selling Jobe: "Outstanding" Sunderland star wanted by PL clubs
This Sunderland star is being eyed up by Premier League teams, and his exit would be a bigger blow than Jobe Bellingham’s.
By
Dan Emery
Jun 4, 2025
It is now down to the club to ensure that they can strike a deal with Bournemouth to bring him back to Sunderland, to join Le Fee as their second signing.
تلقى نادي الهلال السعودي دفعة معنوية كبيرة قبل المواجهة المنتظرة أمام الغرافة القطري في إطار الجولة الرابعة من دوري أبطال آسيا للنخبة، بعد تأكد جاهزية ثلاثة من أبرز نجومه العائدين من الإصابة.
وكشفت مصادر داخل الهلال لصحيفة “الميدان الرياضي” أن الثلاثي داروين نونيز، وسيرجي سافيتش، وجواو كانسيلو باتوا في كامل الجاهزية للمشاركة، عقب تعافيهم التام من الإصابات التي حرمتهم من الظهور في الأسابيع الماضية، بما في ذلك مباراة الفريق الأخيرة في الدوري السعودي أمام الشباب، والتي انتهت بفوز الزعيم بهدف دون رد.
طالع أيضًا | صراع بين الهلال والاتحاد لخطف صفقة مميزة في الميركاتو الشتوي
ويحل الهلال ضيفًا على الغرافة مساء الإثنين المقبل في مواجهة مرتقبة يسعى من خلالها الزعيم إلى مواصلة سلسلة الانتصارات والحفاظ على صدارة مجموعته الغربية، بعدما جمع 9 نقاط كاملة من 3 مباريات، متفوقًا على الأهلي صاحب المركز الثاني بفارق نقطتين.
وتُعد عودة الثلاثي الدولي إضافة فنية ضخمة للمدرب سيموني إنزاجي، الذي يطمح لاستثمار اكتمال صفوف الفريق من أجل تعزيز الهيمنة الزرقاء آسيويًا، ومواصلة مشوار الزعيم بثبات نحو لقب البطولة القارية الذي يضعه الهلال ضمن أهدافه الكبرى هذا الموسم.
da leao： O Palmeiras já está classificado para a fase mata-mata do Paulistão 2023, mas não medirá esforços para conquistar a liderança geral da competição. O técnico Abel Ferreira já afirmou que não irá poupar seus principais jogadores nas rodadas finais do estadual, visando garantir a melhor campanha geral e a liderança do grupo D. Assim, o LANCE! mostra o que é preciso para isso.
> Veja classificação e simulador do Paulistão-2023 clicando aqui AdChoicesPUBLICIDADE Com a vitória diante do Red Bull Bragantino por 2 a 0 na última quarta-feira (22), o Alviverde chegou a 24 pontos e reconquistou a primeira posição do grupo.O próximo desafio é no domingo (26) contra a Ferroviária, às 18h30, novamente no Allianz Parque.
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da stake casino： A equipe do São Bernardo está na segunda colocação com 23 pontos. Logo, para conquistar a liderança geral do Campeonato Paulista e do grupo D, dois cenários são possíveis para o Verdão. O primeiro é simples: vencer os dois últimos jogos da fase de grupos contra Ferroviária e Guarani, respectivamente, isto é, fazer a sua parte para não depender de outros resultados.
O segundo bastaria uma derrota do São Bernardo diante do São Paulo no Morumbi e vitória do Alviverde já neste final de semana. Neste caso, o Palestra chegaria a 27 pontos e não conseguiria ser alcançado pelo Tigre do ABC, que ficaria quatro pontos atrás.
>Palmeiras desiste da contratação de Andrey Santos, do Chelsea
Vale ressaltar que o Tricolor, vencendo no sábado, iria a 23 pontos, mas em caso de vitória do Palmeiras, a equipe comandada por Rogério Ceni também não conseguiria a melhor campanha do Paulistão. O São Paulo enfrenta o São Bernardo neste sábado, às 18h30.
Will Virat Kohli pick four bowlers or five in South Africa, and what about the Rahane, Vihari, Iyer conundrum?
Karthik Krishnaswamy23-Dec-20212:32
India’s opening roulette since their 2018 tour of South Africa
Unless injury or illness intervene, India will have five certain starters on Boxing Day at Centurion – KL Rahul, Mayank Agarwal, Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant and Jasprit Bumrah – and three near-certainties – Cheteshwar Pujara, R Ashwin and Mohammed Shami. Picking the rest of their XI, however, could be a difficult task. Here are three major questions that India will potentially ponder over in the lead-up to Boxing Day.Five bowlers or four? India have played 15 Tests since Boxing Day last year, and each of the XIs have included five bowlers, with either Ravindra Jadeja or Washington Sundar slotting in as a batting-weighted allrounder in 13 of them. Neither is part of the squad in South Africa, which could make a five-bowler combination tricky to balance.Related
KL Rahul hints India may stick to five-bowler strategy for Boxing Day Test
Meet the quicks: South Africa's fast bowlers for the India series
From chaos to calm: How India have evolved since their last SA tour
What will new-look South Africa's starting XI look like?
Olivier on SA comeback: 'My nerves will be shot through the roof'
R Ashwin, however, has been a rejuvenated lower-order force this year. Having gone through a prolonged dip – he averaged only 16.72 from the start of 2017 to the end of 2020, with one fifty in 39 innings – he has lifted his batting back to a level near its best. He averages 28.08 in 2021, and apart from his century against England in Chennai, he’s made a few other useful contributions too. There was the unbeaten, 190-minute match-saving effort with a bad back in Sydney, of course, but also a series of valuable knocks against New Zealand – a 27-ball 22 in the World Test Championship final when Kyle Jamieson was running riot, and a pair of thirties full of crisp off-side strokes in Kanpur.India, therefore, could pick five bowlers if they feel Ashwin and Shardul Thakur – who has three fifties in four Tests – can provide enough with the bat at Nos. 7 and 8 to make up for the lack of batting ability among their Nos. 9, 10 and 11.
Rahane, Vihari and Iyer The debate between Hanuma Vihari and Shreyas Iyer is covered in greater depth here, and both make strong cases for selection.Ajinkya Rahane, meanwhile, averages 19.57 in 12 Tests since scoring 112 and 27* in India’s victory at the MCG last year. He contributed a vital third-innings 61 to India’s win at Lord’s in August, but since then, six visits to the crease have brought him scores of 18, 10, 14, 0, 35 and 4.Rahane wasn’t going through anywhere near as lean a patch in the build-up to India’s tour of South Africa in 2017-18, but they still left him out in the first two Tests. If Kohli and the new coaching staff are inclined to make such a decision this time, India could play either Vihari or Iyer at No. 5, Rishabh Pant at No. 6, and five bowlers, or play both Vihari and Iyer at Nos. 5 and 6.
Ishant vs Siraj New Zealand’s greater depth of pace resources was a key factor in their victory over India in the World Test Championship in Southampton. Having picked three quicks and two spinners in that game, India switched to a 4-1 combination for the rest of their tour of England, leaving Ashwin out of four successive Tests.If the conditions demand it, India have two routes to playing a 4-1 combination – they could pick Thakur and three other quicks, or simply pick four outright fast bowlers who offer very little with the bat. One other option, if conditions are heavily loaded in favour of seam, would be to pick four fast bowlers and no spinner.A 3-1 attack could also be on the cards, if India feel the need for the security of an extra batter.In all these cases, the competition for the fast-bowling slots will be fierce. Bumrah is an automatic pick, and Shami probably is too, and both will be raring to go after being rested for the home Tests against New Zealand.
Ishant Sharma, however, is an interesting case: he has world-class numbers since the start of 2018 – with 85 wickets at 21.37 in 26 Tests – but his numbers this year haven’t been too strong – 14 wickets in eight Tests at 32.71. His five wickets were key to India’s victory at Lord’s, but he looked completely off the boil in the next Test at Headingley, and less than threatening during the Kanpur Test against New Zealand. Two wicketless Tests cannot undo the work of a 311-wicket career, but India will probably keep a close eye on his rhythm in the nets leading up to December 26.There is, of course, a bigger reason for Ishant’s place potentially being under threat than his own rhythm or lack thereof. In the space of just 10 Tests, Mohammed Siraj has made a strong case to be part of India’s first-choice pace attack, and his three-wicket new-ball burst against New Zealand in Mumbai showcased everything that makes him so dangerous: slippery pace, a line that denies batters easy leaves, movement off the deck, and a sharp, accurate bouncer.Do India go with Ishant’s experience and ability to bowl dry, or Siraj’s all-out aggression?
Aston Villa only have a limited time to raise funds in their battle to avoid PSR sanctions, with the footballing financial deadline for 2024/2025 looming on June 30.
£120k-a-week Aston Villa outfielder has now opened talks to join elite club
He could leave with Emiliano Martinez.
1 ByEmilio Galantini Jun 21, 2025
Unai Emery’s side can only register a loss of around £15 million for the year just gone, according to a recent report by The Athletic, with Premier League clubs only permitted losses of around £105m over a rolling three-year period.
Villa are forecast to be over this limit as things stand, prompting NSWE to explore the possibility of selling their women’s team in a bid to comply with PSR and swerve breaches.
Emery falling just short of qualifying for the Champions League at the end of 24/25 cost them dearly both on and off the field, and there is every possibility that Villa could look to secure a big-name exit in the next two days to raise funds.
Their marquee sales of Jhon Duran and Moussa Diaby to Saudi Arabia have really helped in this regard, but they could require at least one more as the PSR deadline looms.
Atletico Madrid held talks with Lucas Digne over a switch to La Liga recently, according to Football Insider, and the 52-cap Frenchman, with just one year remaining on his £120,000-per-week contract, could be a prime contender for the exit door.
Lucas Digne against Man City for Aston Villa.
Emiliano Martínez, Youri Tielemans and Amadou Onana are other players named as potential candidates to leave, while clubs are expressing a serious interest in Villa sensation Morgan Rogers as well.
The clock is ticking for Villa to agree a significant departure, and they could be handed a chance to make some money off Kosta Nedeljkovic’s talks to join RB Leipzig permanently (Sky Germany).
However, according to journalist Wayne Veysey, Villa have also alerted representatives to their stance over selling star striker Ollie Watkins.
Aston Villa tell agents they're ready to sell Ollie Watkins
Emery’s side rejected a low-ball £40 million bid from Arsenal for Watkins in January, but the Gunners haven’t followed that up with any formal approach so far this summer.
Aston Villa's Ollie Watkins in action with Club Brugge's JoelOrdonez
Writing for Football Insider, Veysey states Villa have told “senior agents” that they’re ready to sell Watkins by Monday, but they’re yet to find a buyer for the talismanic forward, who bagged 17 goals and 14 assists in all competitions last term.
The 29-year-old, who’ll turn 30 in December, also became the club’s all-time top Premier League goalscorer at the back end of 24/25, surpassing Gabriel Agbonlahor, but Villa have apparently made it clear they’re willing to do a deal.
Emery may not be a fan of this decision, or supporters for that matter, considering they already let Duran go earlier this year – and it would be an almighty task to replace Watkins’ influence up front.
“He deserves it completely because he is a hard worker,” said Emery about Watkins, after the ex-Brentford star broke Agbonlahor’s Premier League goalscoring record for Villa.
“He is committed with Aston Villa. His courage has been fantastic and to achieve it is very fantastic. I am so, so grateful to have a player like him.”
FSG’s transfer ethos – getting their work done nice and early – often leaves Liverpool somewhat in the corner of the room while rivals party late into the market, enjoying the thrill of Fabrizio Romano and the rest’s transfer updates.
There are worse problems to have, it must be said. And the real success is found on the field. Liverpool are on the verge of signing Florian Wirtz and Milos Kerkez, having already added Jeremie Frimpong.
Now, it’s time to sign a centre-forward, for Darwin Nunez and Diogo Jota left plenty to be desired as Arne Slot’s focal frontmen last season, actually paling in comparison to Liverpool’s wider forward.
Mohamed Salah
38 (38)
29
18
Luis Diaz
36 (28)
13
7
Cody Gakpo
35 (23)
10
5
Diogo Jota
26 (14)
6
4
Darwin Nunez
30 (8)
5
3
Federico Chiesa
6 (1)
0
0
Luis Diaz was even called into play as a makeshift number nine for much of the campaign, his false-nine-type qualities proving invaluable for the Reds as they marched toward the Premier League title.
Who, then, to sign? Targets like Hugo Ekitike, Viktor Gyokeres and Victor Osimhen would all do a job, but Alexander Isak is the cream of the crop, and sporting director Richard Hughes would rake in the plaudits if he got that one over the line.
The latest on Alexander Isak to Liverpool
It’s pretty clear Liverpool will sign a striker this summer. However, who that player might be is less certain. Liverpool can dream, though, and signing Isak would be an incredible way to cap off a wonderful summer.
As per transfer insider Ben Jacobs for GIVEMESPORT, Liverpool are prepared to break the British transfer record to sign Isak this summer, with Newcastle United valuing their striker at over £150m.
The “unstoppable” Isak, hailed by pundit Ally McCoist as “the best out-and-out forward in the league”, was outscored only by Mohamed Salah in the Premier League last season, his 23-goal return illustrating his elite ability.
However, Newcastle’s position on their talisman’s unavailability has been absolute (insofar as any stance can be absolute in the transfer market). Liverpool can dream, and it appears they will try, but don’t hold your breath.
Newcastle United's AlexanderIsakcelebrates scoring their first goal
Luckily, Liverpool are one of the most astute transfer operators, and they’ve already lined up the perfect alternative.
Liverpool line up Isak alternative
As per TEAMtalk, Liverpool have sounded out a potential move for Atletico Madrid striker Julian Alvarez this summer, and while the La Liga side would be looking for an unrealistic £160m figure, Anfield hold a trump card.
Atletico Madrid striker Julian Alvarez
Indeed, Diego Simeone is interested in bringing Nunez to the Wanda Metropolitano this summer, and previous reports even suggest personal terms have been agreed for around a month. As a result, TEAMtalk suggest that a swap deal is an avenue they are exploring this summer.
This would no doubt be a difficult one to get over the line, but Liverpool’s interest is long-standing and the Argentina forward would be perfect for Slot’s system.
Why Julian Alvarez would be perfect
Alvarez had been tracked by Liverpool during his time at Manchester City, where he scored 36 goals and laid on 19 assists across two trophy-laden campaigns, earning an £81.5m transfer to Atletico Madrid last summer.
His first term in Spain was his finest yet, posting 29 goals and seven assists across 55 matches, blending newfound potency with his robust and dynamic attacking style. Making a direct comment on his exploits in Spain, journalist Roy Nemer even described the player as “the best forward in the world.”
As per FBref, he ranked among the top 6% of strikers across Europe last year for passes attempted, shot-creating actions and progressive carries, the top 8% for progressive passes and the top 12% for successful take-ons per 90.
Already something of a nomad, the 25-year-old has demonstrated continual development and would now prove the perfect alternative to Isak, who is actually considered by the data-driven site as being one of Alvarez’s most comparable players.
River Plate
122
54
31
Manchester City
103
36
19
Atletico Madrid
53
29
6
Argentina
44
12
33
Liverpool need a new goalscorer to perch at the front of their ship, but they also need a centre-forward who will play with flair and bring the attacking players together.
One of the Merseysiders’ attacking staples is that when the frontline clicks, they perform in concert, effectively unplayable. Isak aligns perfectly in this regard, but Alvarez too could dovetail into Slot’s set-up and provide a higher level of goalscoring threat while using his technical skills and off-the-ball intelligence to open up a new dimension.
Isak’s completeness is echoed by Alvarez, but the roots of the South American’s style are shaped by a natural quality in front of goal. As per Sofascore, he only missed seven big chances in La Liga last season, scoring 17 goals and creating nine big chances too.
And this isn’t a simple anomaly. Across his two campaigns in the Premier League, the 2022 World Cup winner scored 20 goals from 44 starts, only missing 14 big chances.
It’s pretty clear he’d prove an upgrade on Nunez, and while Isak is FSG’s first-choice pick, Alvarez might just be the perfect fallback if ambitious efforts to bring Isak over from St. James’ Park don’t pull through.
The winds of change are blowing at Anfield, all right, but there’s more still to come for the Premier League champions, who are packaging a proven squad with exciting additions who might just solidify Slot’s early success, shaping it into a dynasty.
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