Kobbie Mainoo has been told to improve defensively as Graeme Souness names an England star with a "better understanding" of that part of the game.

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• Amorim says Mainoo has struggled defensively
• Souness weighs in on Man Utd star
• Says another England man is better in that role

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• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Days after United boss Ruben Amorim revealed that Mainoo was "struggling a lot defending as a midfielder", Liverpool legend Souness has made a similar observation. He said the Red Devils man does not have "any sense of danger" in a defensive midfield role and Crystal Palace ace and England team-mate Adam Wharton is a better operator there.

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  WHAT GRAEME SOUNESS SAID

  He said in his column: "It didn’t surprise me to hear Ruben Amorim say that he felt Kobbie Mainoo was not ‘comfortable’ with the defensive side of his midfield game. I said on these pages last June that of the young crop of England midfield players, Crystal Palace’s Adam Wharton had a far better understanding of the defensive duties in that role than Mainoo. Mainoo catches the eye because he’s so good on the ball, drifts around, pops up on the left and the right, but he’s not got any sense of danger yet, and empties the midfield area too readily."

  He added: "Mainoo doesn’t yet understand all the disciplines of the position but he’s only 19. He can develop, with the proper guidance and instruction."

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Mainoo is one of the latest academy gems United have at their disposal but it is becoming increasingly clear that defending is not his strong suit. The 19-year-old could improve that part of his game but his other abilities should not be overlooked. Wharton, however, could be England's first-choice defensive midfielder for years to come.

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  WHAT NEXT?

  Mainoo will hope to impress for United when they host Leicester City in round four of the FA Cup on Friday night.

أثارت عودة حارس مرمى الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي ريال مدريد، تيبو كورتوا، إلى منتخب بلجيكا جدلًا واسعًا في الأسابيع الماضية بعد تغيير المدرب.

ورحل المدرب، دومينيكو توديسكو عن الشياطين الحمر وتم استبداله بالفرنسي رودي جارسيا، الذي أعلن فور قيادته لمنتخب بلجيكا عن عودة، تيبو كورتوا.

هذا ما جعل الحارس الأساسي في الفترة الماضية، كوين كاستيلس، يخرج في تصريحات نارية ضد هذا القرار وقال: “هذه ليست المعايير والمبادئ التي تعلمتها، من اليوم، لست متاحًا للمنتخب”.

اقرأ أيضًا | مبابي: لست مسؤولًا عن خلافة زيدان لـ ديشامب.. وقرار استبعادي كان الأفضل

وقال تيبو كورتوا إنه قام بتوضيح الأمور مع زملائه في منتخب بلجيكا بعد عودته من فترة غياب طويلة، وأضاف في تصريحات نقلتها صحيفة “ميرور” البريطانية: “كان هناك الكثير من سوء الفهم وأنصاف الحقائق، لذلك تمكنت من شرح ما حدث”.

وأكد أنه أتاح لزملائه فرصة لطرح أسئلتهم، مشيرًا إلى أنه سعيد بقدرتهم على الحديث بصراحة، وقال: “أنا مرتاح لأننا تمكنا من مناقشة كل شيء، الأمور أصبحت واضحة، ونحن الآن نركز على المستقبل”.

واعترف كورتوا بأنه ارتكب بعض الأخطاء، موضحًا: “في ذلك الوقت، لم أكن جاهزًا ذهنيًا بنسبة 100٪ للمشاركة في المباريات، بعد موسم طويل، تحدث أحيانًا ردود فعل اندفاعية، ولم يكن ذلك تصرفًا ذكيًا مني”.

وأضاف: “لم يكن قراري في مصلحة منتخب بلجيكا أو الجماهير، لا زلت أعتقد أن الاتحاد البلجيكي كان يمكنه التعامل مع الأمر بطريقة أفضل، لكنني تعرضت أيضًا لإصابة خطيرة في الركبة”.

وأوضح حارس ريال مدريد أنه لم يكن مستعدًا للمشاركة في يورو 2024، مضيفًا: “عندما تنهار العلاقة مع المدرب، يصبح الوضع صعبًا أيضًا”.

ونفى تمامًا الشائعات التي زعمت أن سبب رحيله كان عدم منحه شارة القيادة، وقال: “هذا ليس صحيحًا، هذه أكبر معلومة خاطئة تم تداولها”.

وختم كورتوا حديثه برسالة للجماهير: “أتفهم أن الأمر كان صعبًا عليهم حينها، وآمل أن يتقبلوني مجددًا، أعلم أنه ليس سهلًا، لكنني أرجو منهم دعم المنتخب”.

Crystal Palace have been handed a raft of injury blows ahead of their clash with Wolves as they look for just their second win of the Premier League season, it has emerged.

Crystal Palace win in midweek but at huge cost

Oliver Glasner’s side claimed a surprise 2-1 win over Aston Villa in the Carabao Cup, setting up a quarter-final tie with Arsenal in the process. Goals from Eberechi Eze and Daichi Kamada proved too much for Unai Emery’s side as the Eagles marched into the last eight of the competition on the hunt for the first mjor trophy in their history.

However, the win came at a cost. Eze was forced off with an injury just minutes after opening the scoring, before England teammate Adam Wharton was also forced out of action before the half hour mark, handing Glasner further injury woes.

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Their exits added to a casualty list that already sees Jefferson Lerma, Chris Richards, Chadi Riad and Matheus Franca sidelined, but after the game Glasner tried to be positive.

“Adam is a more positive one because it is nothing new. We spoke about it many times; he has had groin problems for many months. We thought he needed a break today, but he gave the thumbs up and said he was fine. But the pain got worse during the game, so we had to make a second sub. Especially with the circumstances, I am very proud of the performance.”

However, the latest update is less than ideal for the Eagles.

Palace midfielder set for surgery

That comes as Glasner faced the media ahead of his side’s trip to Molineux to face winless Wolves, and had some bad news on the injury front. Firstly, he ruled Eze, Lerma, Riad, Richards and Franca all out of games until after the upcoming international break, but the worst news came regarding Wharton.

The midfielder, who has been managing an injury all season, is now set for surgery and at least a month on the sidelines, Glasner confirmed, meaning that he will miss at least five games of Premier League action.

‘We took the final decision: he will have surgery, so he won’t be available for Wolves. He tried [to train] today, but there’s too much pain, and it makes no sense. He’s really struggled the last weeks and months, and so now we took the decision he will have surgery, and we hope to have him back after, let’s say, four weeks.’

Games Adam Wharton could miss for Crystal Palace

Wolves (Away)

Fulham (Home)

Aston Villa (Away)

Newcastle (Home)

Ipswich Town (Away)

The news will come as a blow to Palace, who had just begun to show shoots of improvement following a tragic start to the campaign as new signings tried to acclimatise to life at Selhurst Park, but with the 20-year-old and Glasner having both known about and managing the injury since the summer, they will be hoping that the surgery will mark the end of his issues.

Meanwhile, the damage of Wharton’s absence will be mitigated by the return of Cheick Doucoure, who will be part of a matchday squad for the first time this season when Palace take on Wolves this weekend, the Palace boss confirmed.

Lance Klusener and the Afghanistan Cricket Board have mutually agreed to part ways, and not extend the former South Africa allrounder’s contract as head coach of the national men’s team. Klusener, who was appointed in the role in September 2019, has a contract that runs till December 31 this year, and will step away from his position after that.”Having spent two years with the team, I will take away some memorable moments with me,” Klusener said in a press statement on Monday. “As I walk away from Afghanistan cricket team and its cricketing structure, I look forward to the next stage in my coaching career and opportunities it brings.”Thanking Klusener for his contributions to Afghanistan cricket, the ACB confirmed in a statement that the hunt for the next head coach had started: “The ACB has launched the recruitment process for hiring a new head coach and is looking forward to have the services of another reasonable option to replace Lance Klusener as the head coach of Afghanistan for the upcoming events.”While they hardly played any cricket in 2020 due to Covid-19, Afghanistan performed fairly well under Klusener, winning one out of the three Tests, three out of the six ODIs and nine out of 14 T20Is. During his first series as the coach, Afghanistan beat West Indies 2-1 in the T20I series in India. They also beat Ireland 3-0 in the ODIs and 2-1 in the T20I series earlier this year. In the recently-concluded T20 World Cup, they crashed out of the group stage after winning just two out of the five matches. He had resorted to online coaching when Covid-19 had struck last year.Klusener had taken over from Andy Moles, who was serving as the team’s interim head coach after the exit of Phil Simmons following the 2019 World Cup. Klusener’s contract was then extended at the end of 2020.Klusener played 49 Tests and 171 ODIs for South Africa from 1996 to 2004. Considered one of the best ODI allrounders of his time, he scored 1906 runs and took 80 wickets in Tests, as well as 3576 runs and 192 wickets in ODIs. He has served in various coaching roles following his retirement, working with international and domestic teams as well as IPL franchises.

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O torcedor do Palmeiras pode nem precisar dessa lembrança, mas ele faz questão de que esta data seja repercutida para toda a eternidade. Neste domingo, dia 30 de janeiro de 2022, faz exatamente um ano que o Verdão levou o bi da Libertadores ao derrotar o Santos, por 1 a 0, no Maracanã. Algo que nem mesmo o tri do torneio, conquistado há apenas dois meses, ofuscou.

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Aquele duelo pode nem estar na história como uma das mais belas decisões da competição, mas é inegável que acabou ficando registrada na memória de muita gente, vencedores, perdedores ou secadores. Aquela tarde de sábado, em que poucos torcedores puderam estar no estádio, mas milhões sofreram, choraram e sorriram pela TV, levou um clube à tão sonha glória eterna.

Imagine só, uma final de Libertadores, com dois rivais centenários, frente a frente, no maior palco do futebol mundial… Como relegar isso a apenas uma partida que não apresentou beleza técnica? Seria pobreza de espírito, até mesmo um desconhecimento do que é o futebol, ou má-fé, pura e simples?

Para o palmeirense, o gol de Breno Lopes, aos 53 minutos e29 segundos do segundo tempo, vale mais do que qualquer outra coisa. Ele sabe de cór cada passo da jogada. O lançamento perfeito de Danilo, depois o cruzamento preciso de Rony para o cabeceio providencial de Breno, o eterno.

Isso tudo pouco depois de Cuca se enrolar com Marcos Rocha na lateral do campo e ser expulso pela arbitragem. Como é possível notar, os contornos épicos podem, de fato, não terem ficado “na bola”, mas com certeza ficou em cada um desses detalhes. Seja na narração dos detentores dos direitos, seja na comemoração dos Crias da Academia depois da partida, seja na reação de cada jogador campeão logo após o apito final… Não parece, mas isso já tem um ano.

É tão inusitado esse contexto, levando em conta a rapidez com que o tempo parece estar passado e as mudanças peculiares que a pandemia causou, que nesse período de um ano o Palmeiras já conquistou outra Libertadores: a edição 2021, ao derrotar o Flamengo, em Montevidéu, há pouco mais de dois meses. Mesmo com o histórico gol de Deyverson, aquele 30 de janeiro do ano passado não foi ofuscado, e está cada vez mais eternizado para o palmeirense.

FICHA TÉCNICA
PALMEIRAS 1 X 0 SANTOS
Data/Hora: 30/1/2021, às 17h
Local: Maracanã, no Rio de Janeiro (RJ)
Árbitro: Patricio Hernan Lostau (ARG)
Assistentes: Ezequiel Dario Brailovsky (ARG) e Diego Yamil Bonfa (ARG)
VAR: Mauro Vigliano (ARG)
Cartões amarelos: Marcos Rocha, Gómez e Viña (PAL); Lucas Veríssimo, Diego Pituca, Alison e Soteldo (SAN)
Cartão vermelho: Cuca (SAN)
Gols: Breno Lopes (53’/2ºT) (1-0)

PALMEIRAS: Weverton; Marcos Rocha, Luan, Gustavo Gómez e Viña; Danilo e Zé Rafael (Patrick de Paula, aos 32’/2ºT); Gabriel Menino (Breno Lopes, aos 39’/2ºT), Raphael Veiga (Alan Empereur, aos 56’/2ºT) e Rony (Felipe Melo, aos 56’/2ºT); Luiz Adriano. Técnico: Abel Ferreira.

SANTOS: John; Pará (Bruno Marques, aos 55’/2ºT), Lucas Veríssimo, Luan Peres e Felipe Jonatan (Wellington, aos 47’/2ºT); Alison, Diego Pituca e Sandry (Lucas Braga, aos 27’/2ºT); Marinho, Kaio Jorge (Madson, aos 47’/2ºT) e Soteldo. Técnico: Cuca.

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Gayle and Paul Stirling smash 97 in five overs together as Team Abu Dhabi get off to a flyer

Aadam Patel19-Nov-2021Less than a fortnight ago, Chris Gayle walked off at this ground to a guard of honour from the eventual world champions, Australia, after what many believed was his last international appearance.Then on Thursday, he tweeted a simple – if slightly cryptic – message stating “I Ain’t Leaving…”Judging by the way Gayle helped to get Team Abu Dhabi’s campaign off to a flyer on Friday evening at the Zayed Cricket Ground, he seems a man who, even at the age of 42, still has more than enough in his armoury to destroy bowling attacks around the world, regardless of the format of the game or the colour that he wears.Alongside Paul Stirling, in the bright yellow of Team Abu Dhabi, the pair of them shone and added a remarkable 97 runs in just five overs, taking much of the Bangla Tigers attack to the cleaners and in doing so, taking the game away from Faf du Plessis’ side in quite brutal fashion.Stirling ended with 59 off 23, including six fours and five sixes, whilst Gayle finished unbeaten on 49 off 23, with five sixes of his own. Their combined tally was more than Bangla Tigers could manage in their entire innings. It was an exhibition of explosive and ferocious six-hitting for the Abu Dhabi crowd that earlier got to witness Delhi Bulls defeat the defending champions, Northern Warriors.”It’s a great way to start from a team point of view,” Gayle said. “All of the guys played their part, Stirling batted well, [Marchant] de Lange with the ball, the captain with the ball as well – everyone played their part.”Stirlo was fantastic and we were just having fun out there. He executed well today and I think he’ll love this wicket and score a lot of runs on this wicket.”On his own performance, Gayle added: “It’s good to be in the runs and hopefully it can continue tomorrow.”The numbers alone spoke of carnage. Sixty runs came in the space of the fifth and sixth overs. Spare a thought for Sabir Rao who was smashed for 29 in an over and Qais Ahmed, dispatched for 31 in the next. Neither of them returned to the attack. Such is the brutality of this format, no bowler is permitted more than two overs and the last thing that du Plessis would have thought about doing would be to give Gayle and Stirling another sniff.Related

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At the end of the sixth over, the Abu Dhabi score was a ludicrous 112 for 2 and a third of the deliveries had gone the distance: 12 sixes in 36 deliveries.For all the talk about the importance of a toss (both sides that won the toss chose to field on opening night), given the numbers in the T20 World Cup which highlighted the value of chasing, this Team Abu Dhabi batting order will strike fear into opposition, regardless of whether they bat first or second.Captain Liam Livingstone said in the build-up that it was about “trying to hit as many sixes as we can” and that is exactly what they did. Each of the first four batters hit at least one six and finished with a strike rate of 200-plus.Phil Salt pulled his second delivery over the midwicket fence, before getting run out off the next. And Livingstone himself thumped James Faulkner for two consecutive maximums before getting bowled by the Australian. The skipper’s dismissal simply welcomed the “Universe Boss” to the crease, who alongside Stirling wreaked havoc.Rao was clobbered around the ground, as Gayle hammered, pulled and smeared him for three sixes in his first four legitimate deliveries. He returned with a brilliant yorker that went for a bye, only for Stirling to add to the pain by dispatching a slower delivery next ball for six more. For Rao, his first ever T10 appearance was one he’ll want to forget.As if that wasn’t enough. Stirling added three more sixes in the next over, hammering a length delivery, flicking away a full toss, before gracefully getting down on one knee and sending one sailing over long-on. It was raining sixes in Abu Dhabi.By the time Stirling was dismissed, the damage was already done. Despite managing to restrict Team Abu Dhabi to 145 for 4, given the start they had, the task was always going to be an uphill one for Tigers.Livingstone also emphasised the need to “take as many wickets as possible” to try and stem the flow of runs in this format and in Marchant de Lange, he had just the man. When Sheldon Cottrell’s opening over was blasted for 18 by Andre Fletcher, Tigers had got off to a belter – only for de Lange to bowl both du Plessis and Fletcher in the next. The South African finished off the job with only the second five-for in Abu Dhabi T10 history as he ripped through the Tigers middle order.”It was phenomenal to watch. We back ourselves to hit sixes and thanks to Chris and Paul, we probably got 20 or 30 more than par,” Livingstone said.For Fletcher, it was an all too familiar story seeing his fellow West Indian take the game to to the Tigers. “As we’ve got to know with Gayle, it’s do or die.” Friday night in the desert belonged to Team Abu Dhabi.

Liverpool have been offered the chance to seal a “sensational” swap deal involving a current Reds player and a “complete” midfielder, according to a new transfer claim.

Latest Liverpool news

On Monday, finally some positive contract news emerged, with Fabizio Romano reporting that it is a “matter of time” until Ibrahima Konate signs a new deal at Anfield. While the futures of Trent Alexander-Arnold, Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah are even more important to tie down, the Frenchman is an influential performer in his own right.

In terms of transfer rumours doing the rounds, Brentford attacker Bryan Mbeumo continues to be linked with a move to Anfield, with a new report claiming that scouts have been sent to watch him in action, viewing him as a long-term replacement for Salah out on the right wing.

The Cameroonian is far from the only option being considered as a possible successor to the legendary Reds forward, with Bournemouth wide man Antoine Semenyo believed to have caught the eye of the Premier League leaders.

One Liverpool player who has been short of form and arguably looked past his best this season is Andy Robertson, and at 30, a long-term replacement will need to be found in the near future. Wolves left-back Rayan Ait-Nouri has emerged as a standout target, with Merseysiders even potentially able to sign him on the cheap.

Liverpool offered "sensational" swap deal opportunity

According to MilanLive [via Sport Witness], Liverpool have been handed the chance to sign AC Milan midfielder Tijjani Reijnders in a swap deal involving Federico Chiesa, likely with some cash going Milan’s way.

Described as a “sensational” opportunity, the Dutchman could join the Reds in the January transfer window, with Arne Slot potentially wanting to add depth in the middle of the park as this report claims those at Anfield are now considering whether to go through with such a “crazy” deal.

In some ways, it would be a huge surprise if Chiesa was sold midway through his first season at Liverpool, but the injury concerns that surrounded him when he arrived from Juventus have come to fruition, with the Italian sidelined currently and yet to start in the league in 2024/25.

The 27-year-old does still feel more likely to stay until at least the summer, but in Reijnders, the Reds would be signing an excellent midfielder who could add technical quality and defensive nous to Slot’s squad. The Milan man started all six matches for the Netherlands at Euro 2024, enjoying a 93.5% pass completion rate and helping his country reach the semi-finals, while Ronald Koeman has called him a “super complete midfielder with acceleration”.

At 26, Reijnders is both very experienced and still young enough to be a force in Liverpool’s midfield for plenty of years, and he could be viewed as a great alternative to Real Sociedad ace Martin Zubimendi.

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That being said, Chiesa needs to be trusted for now, and selling him would weaken the Reds’ attacking options, so the swap deal would come as a shock if it happened.

Liverpool’s academy is undoubtedly one of the best production lines for top talent across the country. In the Premier League era alone, they have produced some superb players, including the likes of Steven Gerrard, who played 710 times in that famous Red shirt, and Michael Owen, a Ballon d’Or winner in 2001.

Nowadays, the likes of Trent Alexander-Arnold are flying the academy flag in the first team. A youthful Reds side lifted the Carabao Cup last season, beating Chelsea in the final as Jurgen Klopp won his final trophy at the club.

Sadly, not all players who come through the famous Liverpool academy live up to the hype, and that is certainly the case for one striker once compared to academy graduates Robbie Fowler and Ian Rush.

Liverpool's next Rush & Fowler

The player in question here is academy graduate Rhian Brewster. Once a Champions League winner with the Reds in 2018/19, he never really managed to find his best form at Anfield and moved on from the club in 2020.

However, he was a player for whom fans and pundits alike had so much hope. Former Liverpool midfielder Jason McAteer once compared him to two all-time great strikers, Fowler and Rush, explaining they have “got a real player on our hands” back in 2019:

“You can see bits of Rushy [Ian Rush] in him, the way he runs, the way he closes people down. Also, bits of Robbie Fowler in his finishing.”

There is no doubt that the former strikers are two of the best in Liverpool’s history. Wales international Rush scored 346 goals in all competitions across his two spells at the club, with Fowler finding the back of the net 183 times and registering 50 assists in 369 appearances.

Sadly for Brewster, he could not live up to such comparisons. Incredibly, he played just four times for the Reds’ first team, despite winning a Champions League medal. He never played in the Premier League, nor did he get himself on the scoresheet for the club.

The London-born attacker had a superb record in the Premier League 2, although it was not something he could transfer to first-team level for the Reds. He scored 13 goals and grabbed ten assists in 28 games for Liverpool’s academy.

Brewster record in PL2
Season	Games	Goals	Assists	Minutes
2016/17	8	3	1	705
2017/18	11	5	7	830
2018/19	2	1	1	147
2019/20	7	4	1	747
Stats from Transfermarkt

Despite his lack of first-team chances, he did show flashes of brilliance out on loan for Swansea City in the second half of the 2019/20 campaign. The striker scored 11 goals in 22 games for the South Welsh outfit, which earned him a move to Sheffield United in the summer of 2020.

First Impressions

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Brewster’s record for Sheffield United

The Blades broke their club record transfer to sign Brewster from the Anfield outfit. He cost £23.5m and joined the club on a five-year deal. At the time, manager Chris Wilder called him “one of the country’s hottest properties”.

However, he has not really lived up to expectations in the red and white striped shirt of the Sheffield side. The 24-year-old has played 87 times, but has scored just five goals and registered two assists.

To break that down further, the striker has scored four times in the Championship, although is yet to find the back of the net this season. He has also got himself on the scorehseet once in the Carabao Cup. He hasn’t scored in 40 Premier League games for the Blades so far, and they now find themselves in the second tier once again.

Frustratingly, it has now been just over two years since the former Liverpool man has scored in any competition. His last goal came 740 days ago, on the 8th of October 2022, in a 3-1 loss away to Stoke City.

It will certainly be disappointing for Liverpool fans and Blades fans alike that Brewster has struggled to live up to the hype. Early injuries and a lack of first-team football at Anfield no doubt affected him.

Brewster will be hoping he can rediscover his best form this season.

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Oct 14, 2024

Speculation is building that Wrexham co-owner Ryan Reynolds could keep adding to his football portfolio by buying into the Vancouver Whitecaps.

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Reynolds tipped to pursue MLS dealVancouver Whitecaps his home-town teamWould cost vastly more than WrexhamFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

A new report from the links Reynolds with a £300 million ($372m) purchase of the Vancouver Whitecaps, his hometown soccer club. The current owners are open to offers and fans, having seen the impact the actor has had at Wrexham alongside Rob McElhenney, are keen for him to lead a consortium to take over the team.

AdvertisementGetty/Vancouver WhitecapsTHE BIGGER PICTURE

There is no suggestion of a concrete approach at this stage, playing only to Reynolds being bitten by the football bug since McElhenney first propositioned him over a deal to buy Wrexham in 2020. The pair have since also joined a celebrity group that owns a minority stake in Mexican club Necaxa, while Reynold has explored, but since shelved, getting into the NHL with the Ottawa Senators. But links with Vancouver are already kind of established, given that Wrexham faced them in pre-season last summer.

DID YOU KNOW?

Through his Hollywood acting career, but also significantly inflated through numerous successful business ventures – including Wrexham sponsor Aviation American Gin – Reynolds has an estimated net worth of €350m. But he still wouldn't be buying the Whitecaps outright with cash, with a deal valued at 150 times what was paid for Wrexham, and would have to appeal to investors.

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Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT?

A takeover woudn't be a quick thing, especially with considerably more money now involved, but the football on the pitch continues apace. Wrexham look good for at least a League One play-off place but are still just about nipping at the heels of division heavyweights Birmingham City and Wycombe Wanderers in the hunt for automatic promotion. The long-term goal for Reynolds and McElhenney is ultimately still to reach the Premier League. Meanwhile, Vancouver are preparing to imminently start the 2025 MLS season.

Potentially completing their midfield once and for all, Liverpool have reportedly joined the race to sign a Barcelona gem who they believe has the ability to compete and reinforce rotation against Dominik Szoboszlai.

Liverpool transfer news

With just one defeat in 12 games, Arne Slot couldn’t have asked for a much better start to life at Anfield, which continued in Sussex as his Liverpool side battled past a resilient Brighton & Hove Albion to advance into the last 16 of the Carabao Cup. As Cody Gakpo starred once again in cup action, the Reds flexed the strength of their squad depth to secure yet another victory.

Whilst Liverpool once again impressed, however, it was another subdued performance from Szoboszlai who has found himself in a constant battle against Curtis Jones for a place in Slot’s side as of late – a battle that he’s in danger of losing.

Against Brighton, the Hungarian played a more advanced role and managed to win just one of three duels and missed two big chances in a frustrating display which once again leaves the door open to rotation or a potential replacement to arrive.

Liverpool and Slot eyeing new move for 26 y/o Serie A star who Klopp wanted

The Reds could finally get their man…

ByTom Cunningham Oct 31, 2024

According to reports in Spain, Liverpool are now racing to sign Fermin Lopez from Barcelona, who value their midfielder at a hefty €80m (£67m) amid interest from Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain alongside the Reds. Just 21 years old, Liverpool reportedly believe that Lopez can complement Szoboszlai and reinforce rotation in their midfield, perhaps costing the Hungarian his place at Anfield.

A graduate from the famous La Masia academy, Lopez won’t come cheap but may well prove to be the missing piece at the heart of Slot’s side should Liverpool decide to splash the cash next year.

"Intelligent" Lopez would hand Slot a Szoboszlai headache

If Jones is currently pushing Szoboszlai all the way at Anfield then Lopez may just take his place entirely if he arrives. The Barcelona gem was brought up through the La Masia academy and, therefore, moulded into a controller at the heart of their midfield in classic fashion.

A style of player that, of course, should ease straight in at the Nou Camp, Lopez would also suit the calmer, more efficient approach that Slot takes at Liverpool, especially on the defensive front next to Ryan Gravenberch.

Minutes

129

655

Tackles Won per 90

2.86

0.97

Progressive Passes per 90

3.57

3.84

Ball Recoveries per 90

5.71

4.93

Given how Slot plays a 4-2-3-1 system too, Lopez’s arrival to sit alongside Gravenberch in the pivot at the base of Liverpool’s midfield would also allow Alexis Mac Allister to advance into his best role in the number 10. On paper, one arrival could take the Reds’ midfield to another level entirely.

Described as “intelligent” by Football Talent Scout’s Jacek Kulig, Lopez is undoubtedly one to watch whether he stays at Barcelona or opts to join Liverpool, Arsenal or PSG in 2025.