Liverpool are continuing to build a squad capable of fighting on all fronts this season and have now turned their attention to a defender who models himself on Virgil van Dijk, according to reports.

Liverpool set for return to action in FA Community Shield clash

After a summer that has yielded several statement signings at Anfield, Liverpool return to competitive action this weekend against Crystal Palace as they aim to win the FA Community Shield.

Speaking ahead of the tie, Arne Slot has confirmed the Reds won’t underestimate Crystal Palace as both sides take part in the curtain-raiser ahead of this season’s Premier League.

He stated: “It’s nice if you can start the season by winning something. We have a chance at the beginning of the season. We face a difficult Crystal Palace side. They have shown how hard it is to win a one-off game with them.

“Counter-attacks, set-pieces, long-balls to Mateta and individual quality of their forwards. Bilbao, AC Milan and Yokohama already gave us good competition (in pre-season). Palace hit the ground running again, it is still the same team. A good challenge for us to start the season.”

With Darwin Nunez heading for Al-Hilal, Liverpool are also expected to submit another bid for Newcastle United striker Alexander Isak, potentially lifting their attacking output into a different paradigm if they can force Eddie Howe into a sale.

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Real Madrid winger Rodrygo is also on the Reds’ radar, offering scope for a landmark end to a window that has already seen Slot raise the floor of his squad with additions such as Florian Wirtz, Jeremie Frimpong and Milos Kerkez.

Now, they could add to their defensive ranks with a signing that has previously expressed his admiration for their club captain.

Liverpool continue to push for Giovanni Leoni

According to Florian Plettenberg on X, Liverpool are courting Parma defender Giovanni Leoni and he is said to be “one to watch” on the market, though their focus still remains firmly on Crystal Palace star Marc Guehi.

Other Italian clubs could come to the table for the 18-year-old and he may indeed remain at his current employers, but the Reds indeed have him on their list and they are believed to be “closely monitoring” his situation.

Citing his biggest influences, Leoni has admitted he models his game on Virgil van Dijk, which would be something that could endear himself to supporters.

Last term, the Rome-born man registered a solitary effort in 17 Serie A appearances, though his arrival at Anfield would very much be deemed as a long-term project.

Sunderland fans will be very excited for the upcoming Premier League season now as the Black Cats attempt to cause an instant storm on their arrival, rather than just being content with making up the numbers.

Regis Le Bris and Co. have been extremely busy this summer fine-tuning their options to give themselves the best possible chance at sealing survival and achieving even more, with the standout purchase of Granit Xhaka finally happening, sending shockwaves through the top-flight.

For £17m, the Black Cats have won themselves a potential steal, as the Swiss international prepares to return to the division where he made a name for himself as a tough battler from the middle of the park for Arsenal.

Why Xhaka is a standout deal

The 32-year-old also boasts vast experience in top divisions beyond just the Premier League, having been a staple at Bayer Leverkusen over the last two seasons, before returning to English shores.

Indeed, across the last two campaigns, Xhaka was an ever-present force centrally, with six goals and nine assists coming his way at the BayArena from 99 appearances.

But it’s his no-nonsense, battling attitude that will have caught Sunderland’s eye even more as they attempt to stave off the drop zone in the Premier League, as seen in Xhaka averaging 5.4 ball recoveries per Bundesliga clash last season when tirelessly fighting for his side’s cause.

For the Gunners, the 32-year-old battled with even more intensity, with Xhaka throwing himself into a high 1001 duels in total across his 225 league appearances in North London.

17 goals and 24 assists were also tallied up in the brutal division, with the brand new Sunderland number 34’s ideal blend of skill and grit making him a top asset for Le Bris’ men as they venture up a level.

He could soon be joined by another talent that is also both sleek and combative, if necessary, as Le Bris’ midfield options become more and more stacked by the day.

Xhaka's "incredible" potential midfield partner

It will all be about reining in Xhaka’s aggressiveness, however, as the two-time FA Cup winner did end up with four red cards during his Emirates career.

However, they won’t want to eradicate this side of his game completely, with fellow new recruits that are set to join the building also potentially possessing this bite in their varied game.

New Sunderland target Gabriel Sara – who has been tipped to make a £26m move back to England – certainly showed a spiky side when donning Norwich City yellow and green, as seen in him averaging 4.8 duels won on average across his swansong Championship campaign with the Canaries.

This attritional side to his character means he could well happily line up as a defensive midfield option alongside Xhaka, but in Le Bris’ trusty 4-2-3-1 set-up, the well-rounded Brazilian might be better suited to a number ten role, as the Swiss international prepares to set the 26-year-old up for plenty of chances on Wearside from deep.

Games played

40

46

Goals scored

7

13

Assists

4

12

Touches*

53.4

76.6

Accurate passes*

29.8 (80%)

47.9 (86%)

Key passes*

1.7

2.6

Big chances created

6

16

Total duels won*

3.3

4.8

From this role at Carrow Road, Sara would turn into an “incredible” star for his second-tier outfit – as he was dubbed by U23 football scout Antonio Mango – with his final offering during the 2023/24 season seeing him pick up a staggering 25 goal contributions from 46 league clashes.

He has since refined his game even more in Turkey with Galatasaray, with two goals and ten assists coming his way from 45 games, further allowing him to live up to his “exceptional” billing by Canaries-based journalist Conor Southwell.

Both Xhaka and Sara together have the shared class to enhance Sunderland centrally, as the pair prepare to potentially link up with each other to help their new side succeed in the Premier League.

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India will be without head coach Gautam Gambhir when they take on the Prime Minister’s XI in Canberra in a two-day tour game starting on November 30. Gambhir has left the team to be in India for personal reasons. A BCCI source confirmed to ESPNcricinfo that Gambhir will be back with the team before the next Test, which will be a day-night match in Adelaide starting on December 6. The tour game in Canberra will be a day-night match played with the pink Kookaburra ball.India lead the series 1-0 after they made a stunning comeback from being whitewashed 3-0 at home by New Zealand. Assistant coaches Abhishek Nayar, Ryan ten Doeschate and Morne Morkel will collectively be in charge in Gambhir’s absence.Related

• India lay down the gauntlet to Australia with 295-run thrashing

Just as Gambhir left, India were bolstered by the return of the full-time captain, Rohit Sharma, who had been on paternity leave during the first Test. Rohit’s return into the XI could lead to a tricky question around the combination as in his absence, KL Rahul made a successful return to the top of the order in difficult conditions.If Shubman Gill, who missed the Perth Test with a fractured thumb, also makes it back to full fitness, India will have to free up two places in the batting line-up. There is no update yet on Gill’s recovery as there is time to go to the next match. He will likely miss the tour game with assessments becoming more regular as the training days and the Adelaide Test approach.

MatériaMais Notícias

A vitória do Botafogo em cima do Corinthians por 3 a 0 na noite da última quinta-feira, no Nilton Santos, será difícil de esquecer. O Glorioso não deu espaços ao Timão, tomou conta das ações do meio-campo e mostrou que não está na liderança do Brasileirão por acaso.

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O coletivo funcionou mais uma vez. Adryelson e Víctor Cuesta não deixaram que Roger Guedes e Yuri Alberto causassem qualquer ameaça para Lucas Perri. Depois de iniciar como titular no jogo do último domingo, Gabriel Pires novamente foi utilizado nesta quinta-feira e deu conta do recado. O meia deu qualidade ao setor de criação alvinegro e enfiou um belo passe para Júnior Santos no pênalti cometido por Cássio no segundo tempo.

+ ATUAÇÕES: Tiquinho Soares dá show e recebe a maior nota na quinta vitória consecutiva do Botafogo

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Eduardo também foi muito participativo em campo e teve categoria para marcar um belo gol no fim da partida. Júnior Santos, mais uma vez, venceu praticamente todos os duelos pelo lado direito e mostrou que vive uma fase iluminada. As entradas de Tchê Tchê, Luis Henrique e Matias Segovia também deram mais dinâmica ofensiva para equipe alvinegra.

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Ao analisar este Botafogo, não tem como não falar de Tiquinho Soares. O atacante balançou as redes duas vezes e está com uma média de um gol por jogo neste Brasileirão. O camisa 9 tem se destacado nas últimas partidas e deve ser um dos fortes nomes para brigar pela artilharia da competição.

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O Glorioso está com 15 jogos de invencibilidade nesta temporada e tem 100% de aproveitamento no Brasileirão. As recentes atuações e vitórias contra São Paulo, Atlético-MG e Corinthians comprovam que os comandados de Luís Castro são merecedores da posição que estão na tabela.

كشف نادي ليفربول، مساء يوم الجمعة، عن هوية الفائز بجائزة أفضل لاعب في صفوف الفريق عن شهر أغسطس المنصرم، بناءً على تصويت الجماهير.

ويتصدر ليفربول حاليًا جدول الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز برصيد 15 نقطة، ويستعد لخوض مباراة صعبة غدًا ضد تشيلسي، على ملعب “ستامفورد بريدج”.

وحسبما أُعلن، فاز دومينيك سوبوسلاي بجائزة لاعب شهر أغسطس في صفوف ليفربول، بعد مساهماته المميزة رفقة كتيبة آرني سلوت.

اقرأ أيضًا.. سكاي: لاعب ليفربول السابق السبب الرئيسي في تراجع مستوى محمد صلاح

بدأ اللاعب المجري كافة مباريات ليفربول الأربعة في شهر أغسطس، بدءًا من لقاء بورنموث في الجولة الأولى من الدوري الإنجليزي، ثم لعب في مركز الظهير الأيمن في مباراتي نيوكاسل يونايتد وآرسنال، وكان له دور محوري في تحقيق الفوز في كليهما.

وصنع سوبوسلاي هدف فوز ليفربول القاتل على نيوكاسل يونايتد الذي سجله ريو نجوموها، بينما أحرز بنفسه هدف الانتصار من ركلة حرة رائعة ضد آرسنال.

وحصد سوبوسلاي أغلب أصوات جماهير ليفربول، بواقع الثلثين، ليتفوق في ذلك على زميله هوجو إيكتيكي الذي احتل المركز الثاني، حسبما أعلن النادي نفسه.

Chetry is yet to make her ODI debut but has played four T20Is

ESPNcricinfo staff27-Nov-2024

Wicketkeeper-batter Yastika Bhatia has been ruled out of India’s upcoming ODI series in Australia due to a wrist injury she picked up during the ongoing WBBL. In her place, India have called up Uma Chetry, who is uncapped in the format.Chetry has played four T20Is, all this year. Her debut was against South Africa in July. Earlier this month, she was the second-highest run-getter in the domestic T20 Challenger Trophy with 231 runs at a strike rate of 154.00. She also scored the only hundred in the competition, a 122 off 71 balls.Chetry also has the experience of touring Australia, with India A side in August, even though her returns were underwhelming. In four matches across formats, she scored 7 and 11 in T20s, 16 in the one-dayer, and 2 and 47 in the four-day game.Related

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Bhatia was the second-highest run-getter for Melbourne Stars – despite missing the last three games – scoring 154 runs in six outings at a strike rate of 104.76. Stars, however, finished at the bottom of the points table with two wins from ten matches.Before her WBBL stint, Bhatia played the three-match ODI series against New Zealand at home and scored 84 runs in three innings. She was part of the T20 World Cup squad but didn’t get a game.The first two ODIs against Australia will be played at the Allan Border Field in Brisbane, on December 5 and 8. The third and final match will be played at the WACA ground in Perth on December 11.India Women squad for Australia ODIsHarmanpreet Kaur (capt), Smriti Mandhana (vice-capt), Priya Punia, Jemimah Rodrigues, Harleen Deol, Richa Ghosh (wk), Tejal Hasabnis, Deepti Sharma, Minnu Mani, Priya Mishra, Radha Yadav, Titas Sadhu, Arundhati Reddy, Renuka Singh, Saima Thakor, Uma Chetry (wk)

Everton manager David Moyes has been able to count on several excellent midfielders throughout his spells managing the Toffees, Manchester United and West Ham United.

During his first spell on Merseyside, the Scot had players such as Tim Cahill, Marouane Fellaini, Steven Pienaar, and, of course, Mikel Arteta, to call upon as the club regularly finished in the top eight of the Premier League table and qualified for Europe.

While he wasn’t at Old Trafford for long, Moyes could count on Michael Carrick, Tom Cleverley and Shinji Kagawa.

It was at West Ham, however, that the 62-year-old would work with arguably one of the finest midfielders of his managerial career.

Declan Rice may have made his debut for West Ham under the leadership of Slaven Bilic, but it was Moyes who nurtured the Englishman and turned him from someone with bags of potential into a world-class superstar.

Why Declan Rice was so good under David Moyes

Rice really came of age during the 2017/18 season, making a total of 23 appearances in all competitions for the Irons.

He made his FA Cup debut under Moyes in January 2018 and was a regular under him until the Scot departed at the end of that season.

The former Man United boss returned to the London Stadium in December 2019, and by that time, Rice was firmly established as one of the finest players in the squad.

Indeed, the midfielder even made his England debut in March 2019 under Gareth Southgate.

Rice led West Ham to an impressive sixth-place finish in the 2020/21 Premier League season, which saw the club secure qualification for the Europa League.

The Englishman starlet made ten appearances in Europe as the Irons reached the semi-finals before being knocked out by Eintracht Frankfurt. The following campaign, however, saw Rice become the first West Ham captain since Bobby Moore in 1965 to lift European silverware.

He missed all but two games of that season as they won the Conference League against Fiorentina, scoring once and providing an assist along the way.

Throughout that Euro campaign, Rice succeeded with 91% of his passes, won over 70% of his ground duels per game, lost possession just 5.5 times per match and averaged 1.7 tackles each game, proving that he was the cornerstone for Moyes’ side in Europe.

It was a fitting way for the player to end his time at West Ham, as in the summer of 2023, he made the move to Arsenal for a fee in the region of £100m.

His development under Moyes was incredible, and he surely has a lot to thank his old boss for. That’s for sure.

The Scot would love to have another midfielder who exudes all of Rice’s qualities ahead of the coming season, especially as he targets a top-half Premier League finish for the club.

Could Everton be targeting a former Premier League star in the transfer market? One who seemingly wants to make the move to Merseyside this summer?

Everton could sign Moyes' new Rice

Thierno Barry has made the move to the northwest, while Moyes is keen on securing a stunning deal to sign Malick Fofana from Lyon.

Elsewhere, Adam Aznou is closing in on a move to Everton from Bayern Munich, and this will give Moyes options on the left side of the defence.

Now, it looks as though he is ready to make moves in order to bolster his midfield. Former Aston Villa star Douglas Luiz is one name who has been linked of late, but a recent update suggests the Toffees might just be frontrunners for his signature.

According to Italian publication Gazzetta dello Sport (via Sport Witness), Luiz is now pushing for a move to Everton, despite Nottingham Forest and West Ham still in the running for the player.

This is one transfer that Moyes should be looking to wrap up as soon as possible. Not only does Luiz have the perfect attributes to succeed under his system, but his vast Premier League experience means he won’t need time to settle.

Furthermore, and perhaps more importantly, Luiz could turn out to be Moyes’ next Rice…

Why Everton must sign Douglas Luiz

During Luiz’s final season with Aston Villa in 2023/24, Rice was the seventh-most comparable player to the Brazilian in the Premier League, via FBref.

Indeed, the pair even registered similar statistics when it came to a range of metrics, including goals and assists (14 vs 15), shots per 90 (1.32 vs 1.62), pass success rate (85.7% vs 89.7%), shot-creating actions per 90 (3.52 vs 2.79) and tackles won (38 vs 51) in the top flight that campaign.

According to WhoScored, both Luiz and Rice count key passing and taking set pieces as main strengths, while the duo are also able to provide a major goal threat in the final third, as well as offer excellent defensive support.

Luiz went from raw talent to a genuine “world-class” player – according to John McGinn – and this secured him his big move to Juventus last summer.

Unfortunately, it didn’t quite work out for the former Manchester City midfielder in Turin, where he made just 27 appearances in all competitions after signing for £42m, with only ten of those coming in the starting XI.

Despite this, he still managed to create three big chances in Serie A, while also averaging 0.8 key passes per game, all while averaging 27 minutes per game for the Old Lady.

It is evident that he needs a fresh start to kickstart his career, and Moyes could certainly provide him with the ideal platform to shine.

Given the comparisons between him and Rice, the Scot would definitely bring out the best in the former Villa star, that’s for sure.

With less than three weeks to their first league fixture of the season, the manager will be keen on wrapping up this deal sooner rather than later. If so, Luiz can become Moyes’ new Rice.

Better than Ndiaye: Everton in talks to sign "magnificent" £43m star

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Chelsea are now expected to make an official offer for an “elite” player imminently, and they believe a €50m (£43m) bid will be enough to get a deal over the line, according to a report.

Blues set sights on new defender after Colwill blow

After winning the Club World Cup, things were looking up for the Blues heading into the new Premier League campaign, but they have now been dealt a major blow just one week before their opening match against Crystal Palace.

Indeed, it has been revealed that Levi Colwill is set to spend the vast majority of the 2025-25 campaign on the sidelines as a result of an ACL injury.

The news will be particularly tough to take for Colwill, considering he has now established himself as a first-team regular for Enzo Maresca’s side, starting five games en-route to Club World Cup glory.

However, it is clear the Blues are now eager to bring in a replacement for the 22-year-old, and they are looking to move swiftly, with a report from Spain revealing they are expected to make an offer for Barcelona’s Ronald Araujo imminently.

Chelsea believe that a €50m (£43m) bid would be enough to tempt the La Liga champions into a sale, and an official proposal is now in the works, but there could be competition from some rival Premier League clubs.

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Tottenham Hotspur, Liverpool and Manchester United are also named as potential suitors, with Spurs viewing Araujo as a key target, given that they value his leadership qualities and versatility.

"Elite" Araujo could be ideal Colwill replacement

Losing Colwill one week before the Premier League season is set to begin is far from ideal, but it is a good sign that Chelsea are being proactive in the transfer market to find a replacement, and the Barcelona defender could be ideal.

Lauded as “elite” by journalist Raj Chohan, the Uruguayan has proven himself at the top level over a sustained period, making 175 appearances for Barcelona, and the centre-back has continued to impress over the past year.

The Uruguay international ranks in the top 2% for aerials won per 90 over the past year, when compared to other centre-backs, and his passing ability could make him the perfect fit in a Maresca system.

Statistic

Average per 90

Passes attempted

77.74% (93rd percentile)

Pass completion %

91.8% (88th percentile)

The only concern over the signing of the 26-year-old will be the fact he has struggled injury-wise over the past few campaigns, missing large parts of the 2024-25 campaign.

Season

Games missed due to injury

2022-23

23

2023-24

8

2024-25

31

That said, Araujo is a proven centre-back at the top level, so it could be a risk worth taking for Chelsea, who urgently need to sign a centre-back.

Arsenal sporting director Andrea Berta has made a serious statement during his debut summer window at the club, having already spent well north of £200 million on a host of key additions.

Kepa Arrizabalaga, Martin Zubimendi, Christian Norgaard, Noni Madueke, Cristhian Mosquera and star new number nine, Viktor Gyokeres, have arrived to rejuvenate Mikel Arteta’s squad ahead of another Premier League title challenge.

19/20 – winter

£0

20/21 – summer

£81.5m

20/21 – winter

£900k

21/22 – summer

£156.8m

21/22 – winter

£1.8m

22/23 – summer

£121.5m

22/23 – winter

£59m

23/24 – summer

£208m

23/24 – winter

£0

24/25 – summer

£101.5m

24/25 – winter

£0

25/26 – summer

£208m

According to reports, Arsenal have maintained their long-standing interest in Eberechi Eze too, which has been ongoing for well over a month now.

The Gunners are prioritising the creative midfielder as they seek to bolster their attacking options – but Berta wants to balance the books first (Fabrizio Romano), with the likes of Reiss Nelson, Oleksandr Zinchenko, Fabio Vieira, Jakub Kiwior, Albert Sambi Lokonga and Leandro Trossard all tipped for potential exits recently.

Major discrepancies revolve around Eze’s £68 million release clause, with some credible reports claiming that this buy-out expired over a week ago on Friday at 11:59pm, whilst others believe that the clause doesn’t run out until August 15. However, there was never a plan from Arsenal to trigger it anyway.

talkSPORT reported last week that Arsenal wish to strike a deal for the England international at around £55 million after Eze’s direct talks with both Arteta and Berta.

This situation is definitely one to keep an eye on from now until the transfer deadline on September 1, but Palace chairman Steve Parish has displayed in past windows that he’s not afraid to dig his heels in when it comes to selling key assets.

In January, the Eagles snubbed an ambitious £70 million bid from Tottenham for star defender Marc Guehi, despite the centre-back’s contract expiring in 2026, so Palace are unlikely to be bullied around in negotiations over Eze either.

A deal may end up not being feasible for Arsenal after a summer of lavish spending, but Berta is known for working on many different transfer targets at once, so it’s not surprising to see them linked with a move for wantaway Atalanta star Ademola Lookman.

Arsenal plot £44m bid for Atalanta forward Ademola Lookman

The Nigerian wants out of Atalanta, and has admitted to handing in a formal transfer request in his bid to wave goodbye to the Gewiss Stadium.

Lookman was occasionally deployed in the number 10 role last season, making the rest of his appearances as a left-winger, centre-forward and striker, so he could tick many boxes for Arteta, who demands versatility from his players.

Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera (page 6) report that Arsenal could make a £44 million bid for Lookman and hijack Inter Milan’s long-winded talks for the 27-year-old, coming after the Nerazzurri’s most recent £39m offer was turned down.

The former Everton, Fulham and Leicester star is perhaps best known for one of the most scintillating performances ever witnessed in a cup final.

Lookman’s 2024 Europa League hat-trick both won the trophy for Atalanta and ended Bayer Leverkusen’s unprecedented, season-long unbeaten run – with the African standing out as a star player in Bergamo ever since then.

His 20 goals and seven assists last term, with five of those strikes coming in the Champions League, are testament to his obvious quality and Arsenal would have a serious player on their hands.

Tottenham's Europa League-winning manager Ange Postecoglou has admitted he already knew his fate before lifting silverware in May. Despite guiding Spurs to their first major trophy in 17 years, the Australian revealed he was aware of his sacking long before the celebrations and chose to stay silent so as not to overshadow the club's parade.

WHAT HAPPENED?

Three months after being dismissed by Tottenham, Postecoglou has returned to top-flight management with Nottingham Forest, replacing Nuno Espirito Santo. His Spurs exit came despite beating Manchester United to win the Europa League, as the club slumped to 17th in the Premier League. The 60-year-old admitted the decision was not a surprise to him, saying he had anticipated it even before the final.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportWHAT POSTECOGLOU SAID

Speaking to the media, Postecoglou said: "It wasn’t great. I knew it was coming, so it wasn’t a surprise. I knew it was coming a fair way before the final. We won it and had the parade and had a great three days, and I didn’t want to tarnish that, but I knew it was done. From my perspective, I had the chance to process it. Whether I feel it was unjust, other people make those decisions; they make those determinations."

THE BIGGER PICTURE

While Spurs celebrated continental glory, their domestic collapse ultimately forced the board’s hand. For the Australian, though, his two years in north London boosted his reputation, and he has revealed that he does not feel ill towards the Lilywhites.

The former Celtic boss added: "What I do know is I had two years where it was very, very challenging but I worked with some fantastic people in the football department… the supporters we put them through some tough times but there isn’t a Spurs supporter that I don’t come across now that doesn’t want to hug me and take me home for dinner, so I must have done something right."

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AFPWHAT NEXT FOR POSTECOGLOU?

Postecoglou now begins his Nottingham Forest tenure with a tough test against Tottenham's north London rivals, Arsenal, as he inherits a squad in transition. He will have to face off against his former side in December but he will only have the chance to return to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium when Forest face off with Spurs in March in the return fixture.