Malik Tillman has been billed as a £120 million ($151m) star in the making, with the USMNT ace completing a permanent transfer to PSV
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Austria coach Ralf Rangnick has refused to rule out leaving his position amid links to replacing Thomas Tuchel as manager of Bayern Munich.
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He included his own dismissal among the avoidable ones that he felt had cost Pakistan the chance of getting close to South Africa’s first-innings total
Danyal Rasool at the Wanderers12-Jan-2019
Sarfraz Ahmed punches the ball•Associated Press
Pakistan captain Sarfraz Ahmed cut a strikingly upbeat figure at his post-match press conference despite acknowledging the challenge his team faced to avoid their second successive whitewash in South Africa. It was a day of relative personal success for a man who has been under severe pressure for much of the tour, with Sarfraz stroking a classy half-century and breaking the record for most dismissals by a Pakistan wicketkeeper against South Africa in a Test match. However, Sarfraz also pointed towards several missed opportunities for Pakistan to come away from day two in a better position.”I think if you talk about our day, we had a chance to get to 262 runs but we didn’t get it,” Sarfraz said. “When me and Babar were batting, we were thinking we should play positive cricket. Unfortunately, I couldn’t score more than 50. If I’d scored 50-70 more runs, the position we’d be in would be much better.”He bemoaned a few “bad shots” towards the end of the Pakistan innings, paving the way for the collapse that allowed South Africa to move into a commanding position. Sarfraz and Babar Azam had launched a brilliant counterattack after Pakistan were in dire straits at 91 for 5. The pair added 78 runs in only 10.1 overs, and suddenly Pakistan looked like they had South Africa’s first-innings score in their sights.But from the moment Sarfraz poked at one slightly wide of off stump to the slips, Pakistan slumped once more. Babar Azam lofted one straight into fine leg’s lap four balls later, and before you knew it, the visitors had been bowled out for 185, allowing South Africa a hefty 77-run lead. Sarfraz acknowledged his own responsibility in the collapse, admitting he had played a poor stroke.”I think we played a couple of bad shots. I think my shot was also a bad shot, and Babar’s too. If you see the last five wickets, there were three bad shots. Mine, Babar’s and Faheem [Ashraf’s]. If we hadn’t played those shots, maybe we’d be in a much better position.”The problem of losing too many wickets quickly is one we’ve been facing for the past 10-12 innings. We had the same problem in the first Test match, where Shan [Masood] and Imam [ul-Haq] batted well, and once they got out we lost too many wickets. It was the same in Cape Town, and now the same here. It’s a problem we’re facing and we have to work on this.”Faheem Ashraf celebrates a wicket•AFP
Even so, Pakistan’s bowlers helped them storm back into the game in a disciplined hour of bowling with the new ball. Dean Elgar was undone by a beauty from Mohammad Amir that cut him in half and took the edge, before Mohammad Abbas’s discipline and subtle movement saw him draw Aiden Markram’s edge. In the 15th over, Faheem removed Theunis de Bruyn and Zubayr Hamza within three balls to leave South Africa tottering at 45 for 4. That they ended the day having added 90 more runs for the loss of just one more wicket disappointed Sarfraz, who believed the bowlers had taken their foot off the pedal towards the close.”I think our bowling, especially the last 45 minutes, we weren’t up to the mark,” he said. “We bowled really well overall but the last one hour we didn’t bowl well. At the moment, if you talk about our bowling attack, we are only bowling well in patches. If we bowl well consistently throughout an innings, I don’t think South Africa will score as many runs against us.”For a man carrying the weight of a nation’s expectations, there wasn’t much time to enjoy any personal triumphs, but he did say he had made a slight technical adjustment since the Centurion Test match, where he scored a pair.”If you see my first two innings, my feet weren’t moving very much at all. My batting style hasn’t changed. So I worked on my feet movement, so thankfully I’m playing well at the moment. If you want to score here you have to play positive cricket. Because the good ball is never far away. If you see Markram or Hashim [Amla], whenever they see the bad ball they put it away. If you don’t play positive cricket, you will get out at any time.”With South Africa 212 runs ahead with five wickets still in hand, Sarfraz will be hoping for one final burst of positivity from both bowlers and batsmen. While the series may be lost, if Pakistan can pull off the unlikeliest of results here, it would go a massive way to assuaging the negativity pervading the Pakistan camp throughout this tour.
Moeen Ali has intensified the focus on Australian player behaviour after claiming that he was subjected to a racial taunt
ESPNcricinfo staff14-Sep-2018Moeen Ali has intensified the focus on Australian player behaviour after claiming that an unnamed member of their 2015 Ashes team subjected him to a racial taunt during his first appearance against them.Writing in his autobiography, which is being serialised in The Times ahead of the book’s publication later this month, Moeen claims he was abused during the first Ashes Test at Cardiff in 2015, a performance in which he made 77 in the first innings before taking five wickets in a 169-run England victory.”It was a great first Ashes Test in terms of my personal performance,” Moeen writes in the book. “However there was one incident which had distracted me. An Australian player had turned to me on the field and said, ‘Take that, Osama.’ I could not believe what I had heard. I remember going really red. I have never been so angry on a cricket field.”I told a couple of the guys what the player had said to me and I think Trevor Bayliss [the England coach] must have raised it with Darren Lehmann, the Australians’ coach.”Lehmann asked the player, ‘Did you call Moeen Osama?’ He denied it, saying, ‘No, I said, ‘Take that, you part-timer.” I must say I was amused when I heard that, obviously I had to take the player’s word for it, though for the rest of the match I was angry.”Moeen added that he had brought the incident up at the end of England’s 3-2 series win, but once again, the “Osama” slur was denied by the player in question, who then added that some of his best friends were Muslim.Cricket Australia has responded to Moeen’s claim, saying it will meet with the ECB to probe the alleged incident.”Remarks of this nature are unacceptable and have no place in our sport, or in society,” a CA spokesperson said. “We have a clear set of values and behaviours that comes with representing our country.”We take this matter very seriously, and are following up with the ECB (England and Wales Cricket Board) as a matter of urgency to seek further clarification around the alleged incident.”Moeen, who was born in Birmingham to a Pakistani father and an English mother, spoke earlier this year about the racial abuse he had suffered at the hands of Australia’s spectators during the last Ashes series Down Under, with one person asking him when his kebab shop was opening.At the time he played down the incidents, but the anger is apparent in his book. “Guys were sticking their fingers up at me,” he writes. “I expected Australia to be quite rough, but not as bad as this. I hadn’t heard such comments for a long time. I got some of this abuse even in the practice games.”In an interview in The Times on Friday, Moeen had gone into greater detail about his treatment on the Ashes tour, from the players in the middle as well as those watching from the stands”Everyone you speak to . . . they are the only team I’ve played against my whole life that I’ve actually disliked,” Moeen told Mike Atherton. “Not because it’s Australia and they are the old enemy but because of the way they carry on and [their] disrespect of people and players.””The first game I played against them, in Sydney just before the 2015 World Cup, they were not just going hard at you, they were almost abusing you. That was the first time it hit me. I gave them the benefit of the doubt but the more I played against them they were just as bad, the Ashes here [in 2015] they were worse actually. Not intimidating, just rude. Individually they are fine and the Aussies we’ve had at Worcester have been fantastic, lovely guys.”Australian cricket has since been left stunned by the tall-tampering scandal in Cape Town in March, which led to bans for three of their players, including the captain and vice-captain, Steve Smith and David Warner. A culture review has been commissioned by Cricket Australia to look into their player behaviour, but Moeen feels that the team got what was coming to it.”I’m someone who generally feels sorry for people when things go wrong but it’s difficult to feel sorry for them. This ODI series they were very good actually; they’d been…humbled.”September 15, GMT 0710 The story was updated to include Cricket Australia’s response
But for Virat Kohli’s relentless run accumulation, Rohit’s numbers would be unmatched. Even so, he has managed some staggering feats over the years
Gaurav Sundararaman30-Oct-2018If it was Rahul Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar in Tests, it is Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli in ODIs. The common strand is that the former was overshadowed by the latter. Since the time Rohit was pushed up to open the batting in ODIs in 2013, he has been a different player. If not for Kohli, Rohit could have staked his claim to being the best batsman in the ODI format. His consistency and ability to rack up the big scores put him well ahead of other openers. Over the years, his Test performances haven’t mirrored his ODI exploits, but his recent form in the 50-over format has been so impressive that it has won him yet another opportunity to prove his credentials in Test cricket. A more detailed look at his ODI numbers show just how extraordinary Rohit has been over the last five years.Ishita Mazumder/ESPNcricinfo Ltd Inflection PointAt the end of his 100th ODI, Rohit had scored 2480 runs, averaging 31.79, and had scored two centuries. In comparison, Tendulkar had 3146 runs at an average of 36.58, with four centuries.
Since then, Rohit’s average has increased rapidly, and is currently 47.37 with 21 centuries in 192 matches. At the same juncture, Tendulkar had 6872 runs at an average of 40.66 with 16 centuries. Since his 100th ODI, he has scored 4911 runs at an average of 62.96 and a strike rate of 96.71, with 19 centuries and as many fifties. Only Kohli has been more prolific, scoring 5692 runs at an average of 72.05 at a strike rate of 98.22, with 23 centuries and 25 fifties.Currently, Rohit has 21 hundreds in 186 innings; only three batsmen have scored more centuries in 186 or fewer ODI innings.
Player Innings 100sHashim Amla 154 26Virat Kohli 186 30AB De Villiers 186 22Rohit Sharma 186 21In this period, Rohit has also ticked all the boxes by proving himself all around the world, and in pressure situations while chasing high scores. Fifteen of his 19 centuries have resulted in wins.Ishita Mazumder/ESPNcricinfo LtdToo good to be second The turning point in Rohit’s ODI career came when he was sent to open the batting, just before the 2013 Champions Trophy. His success as an opener is evident from his average of 59.64 – the highest for any opener in this period. The 19 centuries he has scored are four more than those of his opening partner Shikhar Dhawan, and Hashim Amla. Rohit has averaged in excess of 60 in the last three consecutive years, and has maintained a strike-rate of just under a run a ball in the last two years. Since 2017, Rohit has scored 11 centuries and averages a staggering 70.62.
In any other era, these numbers would have been way ahead of the rest. However, his captain is going through such a dominant run that Rohit has to be satisfied with second position. Interestingly, though, there is one area in which Rohit is twice as good as Kohli, and that’s the sixes category. Rohit is now only behind MS Dhoni in the list of all time six-hitters for India.Ishita Mazumder/ESPNcricinfo Ltd Building an innings One of the big reasons for Rohit’s success has been his ability to read the situation and boss the ODI format. His role at the top of the order is well defined: play out the new ball and not lose his wicket in the first 10 to 15 overs. He then slowly builds on his start, and his wonderful ball-striking ability means he usually makes up for his relatively slow starts. Rohit’s strike-rate across phases of the innings increases steadily, and, if he bats deep into an innings, he usually finishes at well over a run a ball. In conversations about death-overs batting in limited overs, the names that usually come up are those of MS Dhoni, AB De Villiers and Andre Russell, but Rohit’s strike rate of 209.3 is the highest for any player in ODIs (minimum 30 balls faced) in the last five years.
In this period, Rohit has made seven 150-plus scores, which is two more than any other batsman. Tendulkar and David Warner have five each. All of Rohit’s 150-plus scores have come in this period, and he has been India’s top-scorer in an innings in each calendar year since 2013.With India now having a top-five averaging around 50 or more, and two modern ODI greats in the top three, Rohit will hope to extend his form till the World Cup next year, and beyond. Along the way, he will also hope that some of the ODI form rubs off in Test cricket as well.
Liverpool are “clearly ahead” of rivals Chelsea in the race to sign a “magnificent” player in the summer transfer window.
Kerkez to join Liverpool this week
The Reds have now officially signed Florian Wirtz from Bayer Leverkusen in a British-record £116m move, in a piece of business that has made the rest of Europe sit up and take notice.
There is unlikely to be a bigger signing made this summer, with Wirtz considered one of the world’s top attacking players, but Liverpool are not expected to be done there, still planning on adding fresh faces to the squad.
It looks as though Milos Kerkez will be the next name through the door at Anfield in the coming days, with journalist Fabrizio Romano claiming over the weekend that a minor issue has been ironed out and that he could be unveiled as soon as Tuesday.
David Ornstein of The Athletic has gone one better, however, saying that a medical is now expected to be done on Monday after flying into the UK, with the deal set to be worth £40m for the Bournemouth left-back.
Liverpool leading race to sign "magnificent" ace
Now, reliable Sky Sports journalist Sacha Tavolieri [via Sport Witness] has said that Liverpool are “clearly ahead” of Chelsea and others in the battle to sign Lyon winger Malick Fofana this summer.
He states that the Reds’ head of recruitment, Barry Hunter, admires the 20-year-old and has him at the top of his list of summer targets. The Premier League champions will need to sell Federico Chiesa first, though, and Fofana could possibly cost as much as £60m.
Fofana could be a brilliant long-term signing for Liverpool, with scout Jacek Kulig describing him as a “magnificent” prospect last year.
At just 20 years of age, the young Belgian has already bagged 22 goal contributions (15 goals and seven assists) in 62 appearances for Lyon, also winning one cap for Belgium at senior level, and those numbers should only improve as he matures as a player.
Predominantly a left-sided attacking player, it seems slightly strange that Liverpool would push so hard for Fofana, though, especially as Chiesa is right-sided in general.
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Luis Diaz and Cody Gakpo appear to be staying put, so it would arguably only make sense for the Reds to sign the Lyon ace if one of them moves on, or if Arne Slot sees him as a backup option to Mohamed Salah on the right. But his talent is undeniable, so the idea of him in a Liverpool shirt is exciting.
يستعد نجم نادي ليفربول، محمد صلاح، لكتابة تاريخ شخصي جديد له مع الريدز، وذلك قبل مواجهة النادي الإنجليزي يوم غدًا الثلاثاء أمام ريال مدريد في بطولة دوري أبطال أوروبا.
ليفربول سوف يواجه نظيره ريال مدريد مساء يوم غدًا الثلاثاء على ملعب أنفيلد، وذلك لحساب الجولة الرابعة من مرحلة المجموعات في بطولة دوري أبطال أوروبا.
ويسعى ليفربول إلى تحقيق الانتصار على ريال مدريد من أجل استعادة الثقة، عقب الفترة الصعبة التي عاشها الريدز خلال هذا الموسم والخسارة بشكل متتالي بالفعل.
اقرأ أيضًا .. روني يرد مجددًا على فان دايك: عليه القيام بدوره كقائد لليفربول
وعلى الجانب الآخر يعيش ريال مدريد أفضل فتراته تحت قيادة المدير الفني تشابي ألونسو، وحقق الميرنجي انتصارات عديدة مع مدربه الإسباني ويتصدر ترتيب الدوري الإسباني.
وأشار موقع ليفربول الرسمي، إلى أن محمد صلاح سوف يخوض مباراته الـ200 مع النادي الإنجليزي على ملعب أنفيلد في إنجاز غير مسبوق للدولي المصري، بينما سجل ابن الـ33 عامًا 137 هدفًا مع ليفربول في هذا الملعب.
وأضاف الموقع، أن محمد صلاح يمتلك 48 هدفًا في دوري أبطال أوروبا ويحتاح إلى هدفين فقط، من أجل أن يصبح أول لاعب أفريقي في التاريخ يصل إلى 50 هدفًا في المسابقة الأوروبية.
محمد صلاح تعرض إلى الكثير من الانتقادات خلال هذا الموسم، بعدما انخفض مستواه مع الريدز قبل أن يستعيد عافيته بعض الشئ ويسجل أمام برينتفورد وأستون فيلا خلال الأسبوع الحالي والماضي في الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز.
India 16 for 1 (Southee 1-4) trail New Zealand 259 (Conway 76, Ravindra 65, Washington 7-59, Ashwin 3-64) by 243 runsThree days ago, Washington Sundar was not even part of this Test squad, instead scoring a hundred and taking a couple of three-fors against Delhi in the Ranji Trophy. Brought in the XI ahead of the incumbent spinner (Kuldeep Yadav) and the back-up (Axar Patel) in the squad, he took seven wickets on the first day of a Test to bowl New Zealand out for 259. Five of his victims were bowled, one lbw and one caught as he took out the last seven wickets following three taken by Tamil Nadu team-mate R Ashwin.While this was Washington’s maiden Test five-for and his best figures in first-class cricket, the three wickets took Ashwin past Nathan Lyon’s 530 in 25 fewer Tests. The two could be involved in a showdown later in the year in Australia, but right now India were in a fight to defend their 18-series winning streak at home. Washington proved to be just the ally he needed.R Ashwin didn’t take much time to get among the wickets•BCCI
India called up a second offspinner from outside the squad ostensibly to lengthen their batting without compromising on taking the ball away from left-hand batters, but two left-hand batters in the top order – Devon Conway and Rachin Ravindra – still scored fifties and threatened to take New Zealand to a big total after winning the toss on a track on which batting last won’t be fun. New Zealand were 138 for 2 when Ashwin got Conway, and 197 for 3 when Washington accounted for Ravindra.As the series moved from Bengaluru to Pune, the clouds, seam and extra bounce all disappeared. There was no concept of good-toss-to-lose here. Nothing is ever easy in Test cricket, but this was one of the easier starts to an innings with the openers racing to 30 in seven overs without any trouble. But Ashwin was introduced early, and it took him just five balls to drift one in and then turn it past the outside edge to trap Tom Latham lbw.There was turn from the good part of the pitch, but not consistent. The partnership between Conway and Will Young looked threatening, but a sharp review demanded by short leg Sarfaraz Khan returned a faint touch of the glove to send Young back. Now Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja kept troubling the batters: in the 11 overs they bowled in tandem, they drew 24 false shots and conceded just 30 runs.Rachin Ravindra got to yet another milestone in his fledgling Test career•BCCI
Post-lunch, when India started with Jasprit Bumrah and Washington, runs came freely: 35 off the eight overs. Ashwin brought control first and then the wicket of Conway. Again the ball turned, but this time it was the drift and dip that put Conway out of position, and the turn made him look like pushing at a ball he didn’t need to play.Ravindra, Player of the Match in Bengaluru, brought New Zealand much-needed solidity because Daryl Mitchell was extremely uncertain at the start of his innings. He survived an lbw on umpire’s call, played risky sweeps of both kinds, and only looked comfortable after 20 balls or so. Ravindra, though, gave the bowlers nothing. Akash Deep got close to getting him with at short midwicket but the hit was too ferocious to catch for a fielder so close. An outside edge after two bouncers managed to beat slip and brought up his fifty.Ten minutes before tea, now in his third spell, Washington began to get it right. The first ball of this spell turned from middle and off to go past Ravindra’s bat and hit the top of off. Things began to happen now as balls went straight on or turned from the same spot. The penultimate ball before tea beat Tom Blundell’s outside edge, and the last one, slower and wider, turned back in through the gate to take top of middle.Tom Blundell was bowled by Washington Sundar on the stroke of tea•BCCI
Post-tea, Washington bowled in all his glory: at the stumps, but getting variable turn from the pitch. An inspired review accounted for Mitchell in a rare dismissal: offspinner getting an lbw from over the wicket when the batter is forward. As it turned out, this had turned just the right amount to both be hitting him in line and taking the leg stump.Tied down, frequently going back to full balls, Glenn Phillips ended his struggle of 9 off 31 with a chip straight to deep mid-off. Had you seen just the shot and not the field, you wouldn’t have been wrong to assume the mid-off was up tight and he was just looking to clear him.Mitchell Santner hit two sixes in his fighting 33, but Washington kept hitting the stumps at the other end. To Tim Southee he went wide on the crease from around the wicket. The angle beat the outside edge and hit top of off. Ajaz Patel was caught back to a full ball, and played on. To bookend his work, Washington produced another beauty to account for the set batter, Santner: one that pitched on middle and off and took the top of off.The accuracy and variations of pace and seam position, with a little help from the pitch, proved to be too good for New Zealand.With just 10-odd overs to bat to stumps, India shelved some of their ultra-aggressive approach from their last two Tests. Still, Southee swung and seamed one past Rohit Sharma’s watchful bat to take top of off. A small bit of joy for New Zealand at the end of a tough session.
Glasgow Rangers appear to be closing in on their next head coach as Russell Martin is being heavily touted with a move to Ibrox ahead of next season.
Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano claims that the Scottish manager has accepted the project in Glasgow and is ready to join the Light Blues this summer.
Martin, who had a loan spell at Ibrox in the second half of the 2017/18 campaign, has been out of work since he was relieved of his duties by Premier League side Southampton at the end of 2024.
Whilst supporters may be concerned by his sacking in the top-flight in England, the ex-Norwich City centre-back also did a lot of good work in the Championship with the Saints, and has been backed to be a success by a former teammate.
As you can see in the clip above, Steven Naismith believes that Martin would bring a clear style of play to Ibrox that has been lacking with recent managerial appointments.
The style of play Russell Martin could bring to Rangers
If you look at the way his Southampton team played in the Championship, as a team expected to challenge at the top of the table, you can get an idea of how his Rangers team could look in the Scottish Premiership.
He coached a ball-dominant team that constantly wanted to control the game whilst also being progressive and creative in possession, rather than just having possession for the sake of having possession.
Martin wants his side to play with a purpose – to create chances and score goals – and his Southampton team did that effectively in the Championship in the 2023/24 campaign.
Pass accuracy
87.7%
1st
Passes into the penalty area
594
1st
Progressive passes
2556
1st
Shot-creating actions
1255
1st
xG
79.8
2nd
Points per game
1.89
4th
As you can see in the table above, the Saints ranked first in the league for progressive passes and passes into the penalty area, which shows how forward-thinking and incisive they were with the ball.
Southampton typically started matches in a 4-3-3 formation in that campaign, often with one winger who can drift infield to form a front two with the striker and one more traditional wide man on the other side.
This means that Rangers, should they go through with appointing Martin, should look to recruit players who would suit his ball-dominant and positionally flexible system in the summer transfer window.
With this in mind, the 49ers could land the Scottish head coach a dream first signing at Ibrox by swooping for a Leeds United star who has been linked with a move to Glasgow.
The Leeds star Rangers have been linked with
Earlier this month, TEAMtalk reported that Rangers have emerged as a potential suitor for Leeds forward Largie Ramazani ahead of the 2025/26 campaign.
The outlet claimed that the Premiership giants are ‘monitoring’ his situation at Elland Road, a year on from his £10m move from Almeria to England.
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It stated that Ramazani aligns with how the club want to recruit talent in the transfer market, as they are looking for young and dynamic players who can thrive in the Premiership and European competitions.
However, it remains to be seen whether or not the £10m-rated forward will be available for a move this summer because Daniel Farke is yet to make a final decision on his future in West Yorkshire.
The 49ers and sporting director Kevin Thelwell should, though, push hard to agree a deal for the Belgian forward because he would be a dream first signing for Martin at Ibrox, should he be appointed in the coming days or weeks.
Why Largie Ramazani would be a dream signing for Russell Martin
As aforementioned, the Scottish coach’s Southampton team typically had a traditional, direct, winger on the left and more of a central player on the right in the Championship.
Ramazani would be a perfect fit for Rangers on the left in Martin’s system as a natural wide player who likes to take players on and make things happen in the final third, using his dribbling and pace to cause opposition teams problems.
In fact, talent scout Jacek Kulig once described him as a “mini Vinicius”, referring to Real Madrid’s Vinicius Jr, because of his “electric” and “explosive” play style, and the fact that they are both nimble and dynamic right-footed left wingers.
Whilst he may not have racked up 21 goals and 15 assists like Vinicius Jr did for Real in the 2024/25 campaign, Ramazani’s form in limited minutes for Leeds suggests that the potential is there for him to be an exciting addition for the Gers.
Non-penalty xG
0.53
Top 1%
Non-penalty goals
0.68
Top 1%
Assists
0.23
Top 18%
Non-penalty xG + Expected Assisted Goals
0.69
Top 1%
Progressive passes
4.29
Top 18%
Progressive carries
4.63
Top 8%
As you can see in the table above, the 24-year-old attacker ranked highly among his positional peers in the league for scoring and creating goals, whilst also progressing the ball consistently through carries and passes.
This suggests that he would be an ideal fit for Martin’s system, which requires players to constantly progress the play, whilst also having the quality in the final third to be a difference-maker in matches.
Ramazani ended the season with six goals and two assists in the division, despite starting just seven of his 29 appearances, which shows that he can be productive in front of goal.
Now, imagine the Belgian winger in a Rangers team managed by Martin that could consistently create chances for him to score, whilst starting week-in-week-out.
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Ramazani would be a dream first signing for both Martin and the 49ers because of the potential he has to be a game-changing addition on the wing, whilst also suiting the potential new manager’s style of play perfectly.
Liverpool are looking to close their negotiations with Bayer Leverkusen for the transfer of Florian Wirtz, but sporting director Richard Hughes still needs to dot the i’s and cross the t’s.
Still, this is a bank-breaking transfer we’re talking about, one which could seal Liverpool’s place among Europe’s elite for many years to come. After all, former Werkself striker Patrick Helmes has claimed Wirtz is “probably the best midfielder in the world” after his exploits in his homeland over the past few years.
Is £113m (or maybe even a bit more), perhaps a little steep? Maybe it is, but that shouldn’t detract from Liverpool hitting the jackpot with such an influential signing, especially since the wide defensive flanks have already been addressed.
Liverpool haven’t yet completed a deal for Milos Kerkez, but the Bournemouth left-back is expected to leave the Vitality Stadium and move to Merseyside in the coming weeks, more i’s and t’s with that one.
Kerkez will prove an upgrade on Andy Robertson, 31, but he won’t reunite with Dean Huijsen, who was pursued by Liverpool but ultimately signed for Real Madrid after they activated his £50m release clause.
Still, Liverpool need a centre-back.
Why Liverpool need a centre-back
In May 2021, Liverpool signed Ibrahima Konate from RB Leipzig for £36m, sealing a much-needed central defensive recruit. Liverpool have not signed another centre-half since.
This is, in large part, because skipper Virgil van Dijk has been such an indomitable force over the years, one of the chief architects behind Jurgen Klopp’s ascent to greatness in the Anfield hot seat.
Van Dijk and Konate should make the chief partnership once again next season, but a player such as Huijsen could have been the perfect understudy to develop his craft over the coming years and become a superstar under Arne Slot’s wing.
Given that Van Dijk turns 34 next month and has just two more seasons at the club, it would be prudent to find and foster a new rising talent now, especially since the £50m-rated Jarell Quansah has been mooted for a summer sale.
And though Huijsen’s out of reach, Liverpool have entered a race for a young defender who might be even better than the Spain international.
Liverpool enter race for new CB
As per Portuguese outlet A Bola – as translated by Sport Witness – Liverpool have joined the race for Ousmane Diomande, with Sporting Lisbon warming to the idea of cashing in on the defender.
Portuguese sources believe an official approach could come from one of the 21-year-old’s suitors in the coming days, with Liverpool joined by Crystal Palace and Manchester United in having the most concrete interest, ahead of Arsenal and Bayern Munich.
Sporting would let their young star leave if their €60m (£50m) price tag is met, meaning Liverpool may have the financial advantage over the Eagles, especially since they were already willing to fork out such a sum for Huijsen.
Why Liverpool want Ousmane Diomande
Diomande is still young, but he’s already built up a wealth of experience in Portugal, featuring 101 times for the Portuguese club after leaving Danish side Midtjylland in January 2023.
Having been singled out for his “incredibly complete” skill set by talent scout Jacek Kulig, Diomande is the real deal, all right, and might actually prove an even better signing for Liverpool than Huijsen would have been.
So slick and stylish on the ball, he’s the archetypal defender, to be sure, but also a powerful and steely defensive force.
Matches (starts)
32 (26)
31 (29)
Goals
3
1
Assists
2
0
Touches*
63.9
77.1
Pass completion
84%
94%
Key passes*
0.5
0.3
Ball recoveries*
3.3
4.5
Tackles + interceptions*
2.7
2.2
Clearances*
6.1
2.6
Ground duels (won)*
3.6 (56%)
4.3 (60%)
Though advocates of Huijsen’s journey would point toward Diomande playing in a division of lower overall quality, it’s clear he’s a naturally crisper central defender, still retaining a degree of creativity and proving more accurate in his combative ventures, especially in the duel.
He demonstrated he can throw down with the best of them on the biggest stage too. As per FBref, Diomande ranked among the top 15% of centre-backs in the Champions League last season for pass completion and for successful take-ons per 90.
Such performances actually led the data-driven site to draw Arsenal’s William Saliba as his most comparable player, and given analyst Ben Mattinson has cottoned on to the likeness, hailing the Ivorian as “a hybrid between Gabriel [Magalhaes] and Saliba”, the importance of Liverpool putting together an official offer is only underscored.
He’s been performing at a high level for several years now, and consistently at that. With distinguishable physicality, speed and technical skill, the 6 foot 3 star has what it takes to become a superstar in the coming years, having been a regular feature in Sporting’s senior squad as they’ve clinched back-to-back Liga Portugal titles and indeed caught the eye while doing it.
With Arsenal’s central defensive pairing one of the finest on the continent, instrumental in conceding the fewest goals across the past two Premier League campaigns, Liverpool could strike gold in bagging themselves a player carrying similar properties.
Diomande could perhaps offer more from an attacking standpoint, but when you’re picking at offensive flaws when trying to identify the chinks in a young centre-backs game, it’s clear that he’s doing something right.
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