How the game played out
Featuring in their first playoff game, the Lahore Qalandars hunted down 171 and knocked out former champions Peshawar Zalmi in Karachi. The Pakistan Super League (PSL) resumed on Saturday after a pandemic-induced break of eight months, but it was business as usual for the Qalandars as they notched up their sixth victory in their last eight matches. Ben Dunk, who had led the batting earlier this year, holed out for 20 off 19 balls, but Mohammad Hafeez stepped up, his 34-ball half-century putting Qalandars in the second Eliminator.The Qalandars were also helped in their quest by Zalmi’s attack that didn’t have a specialist spinner. The Zalmi seamers tried to hit the pitch, and while it worked for the them in the powerplay, the ball skidded onto the bat later in dewy conditions.When Samit Patel holed out for 20, the game was evenly poised, with the Qalandars needing 41 off four overs. But Hafeez, who turned 40 last month, reminded the world of his power and calmness, finishing it off with an unbeaten 74 off 46 balls.After being inserted, the Zalmi rode on thirties from their new recruit Faf du Plessis (31), his brother-in-law Hardus Viljoen (37), and Shoaib Malik (39), but it wasn’t enough in the end. Shaheen Afridi swung the ball, Haris Rauf and Dilbar Hussain provided extra pace, while David Wiese smartly bowled cutters into the pitch for the Qalandars.Star(s) of the day
Who else? The Qalandars didn’t need Hafeez with the ball, but they desperately needed him to take charge of the middle order after Lancashire quick Saqib Mahmood blasted out the top three within five overs. Hafeez used the pace of the Zalmi’s bowlers to his advantage, regularly tapping them behind the wicket. 22 of his 74 runs came in the third-man region. Then, even after Dunk and Patel were dismissed, Hafeez didn’t panic and saw off his former side.Afridi also did his bit, first yorking Haider Ali for a duck and then returning at the death to fool Carlos Brathwaite with a slower cutter.Turning point
The 18th over of the chase, bowled by Mahmood. Hafeez sized up the first ball, which was in his slot, and crunched it over extra-cover. Three balls later, he backed away and mowed a short delivery over wide long-on for six. When Mahmood went full again, Hafeez carved him over point for another four to cap a 16-run over. Those blows narrowed the equation to 20 off 12 balls. Hafeez and Wiese needed only six balls to secure victory.The big miss
Hafeez was on 12 when he threw his bat at a wide delivery from left-arm seamer Rahat Ali in the eighth over. Seemingly there was a noise as the ball passed the bat, but none of the Zalmi players appealed, with UltraEdge later detecting a spike. Hafeez got another reprieve when he was 33 in the 13th over. After he top-edged a pull, Ali ran around, got into an awkward side-on position and dropped the catch.Where the teams stand
Zalmi will go home while Qalandars will face the Multan Sultans on Sunday for a crack at Karachi Kings in the final. With previous winners Zalmi, Islamabad United and Quetta Gladiators all eliminated, the PSL will have a new champion in 2020.

Celtic have a chance to book a place in the final of the SFA Cup on Saturday as they face Aberdeen at Hampden Park in the semi-finals of the competition.

The Hoops turn their attention away from the Scottish Premiership, in which they currently sit top of the tree, for this clash with the Dons in Glasgow this weekend.

They won 3-0 against St Mirren in their last game, which came in the league, thanks to goals from Reo Hatate, Kyogo Furuhashi, and Adam Idah.

However, Brendan Rodgers could rotate his team and offer opportunities to other players to ensure that he makes the most of his squad ahead of the run-in to the end of the season.

Therefore, the Northern Irish head coach could make some changes to the starting XI that was selected against St Mirren last time out, and here is FFC's predicted Celtic lineup to take to the field on Saturday.

1 Joe Hart

Starting off between the sticks, Joe Hart has been the manager's first-choice throughout the season and should start once again in goal as he looks to cap off his playing career with another cup trophy.

2 Alistair Johnston

At right-back, Alistair Johnston should start and look to provide an attacking threat down the flank, as he has done in recent weeks with his superb crossing ability.

He has provided four assists in his last seven league appearances for Celtic and will be looking to supply the forwards with quality service into the box.

3 Cameron Carter-Vickers

Celtic's man mountain at the back, Cameron Carter-Vickers, should start and command the backline with his towering presence to the left of Johnston.

The USA international has won 69% of his duels across 21 appearances in the Premiership this season, which speaks to how dominant he is against opposition players in physical battles.

4 Maik Nawrocki

Former Legia Warsaw star Maik Nawrocki could be handed another opportunity to impress at the heart of the defence next to Carter-Vickers, after his start against St Mirren.

The Polish defender, who started in place of the injured Liam Scales, won five of his seven duels and completed 93% of his attempted passes in 64 minutes last time out.

5 Greg Taylor

Alexandro Bernabei's departure in March has left Greg Taylor as the only natural, senior, left-back option for Rodgers, which is why he should start once again against Aberdeen.

6 Callum McGregor

The first change to the starting XI could come at the base of the midfield, with captain Callum McGregor returning to the lineup to replace Tomoki Iwata.

Recently returning from an Achilles injury, the Scotland international could be selected for his leadership in the middle of the park for this big semi-final clash at Hampden.

Iwata also did his chances of retaining his place in the XI few favours against St Mirren as he lost three of his five duels, failed to create any chances, and made just one tackle with zero interceptions.

7 Paulo Bernardo

Another alteration to the lineup could come in midfield next to McGregor. Hatate, who scored last time out with a sumptuous outside the foot finish, is recently back from injury and could be rotated out for Paulo Bernardo.

The Portuguese midfielder, who is on loan from Benfica, has two goals and one assist in his last four appearances for club and country in all competitions.

He could, therefore, provide an attacking spark from midfield, to replace the Japan international, and that would allow Rodgers to give Hatate a rest, rather than overworking him after his calf injuries.

8 Matt O'Riley

Matt O'Riley should keep his place in the middle of the park as he has been a terrific performer for Celtic throughout the campaign and could be the match-winner.

The Denmark international has produced a stunning 13 goals and 11 assists in 32 Premiership appearances this season, which shows that the left-footed magician has the quality to cause huge problems for opposition defences with his quality as both a scorer and a creator of goals.

9 Nicolas Kuhn

On the right side of the attack, Nicolas Kuhn should keep his place in the starting XI as the January signing from Austrian side Rapid Wien has been in superb form of late.

The German winger has scored one goal, provided two assists, made 11 key passes, and created four 'big chances' in his last five appearances for the club in all competitions, and could look to be a creator for his team on Saturday.

10 Adam Idah

The third alteration to the lineup could come in the number nine position as Norwich City loanee Adam Idah could be selected ahead of Kyogo Furuhashi.

Idah, whose ability has been described as "incredible" by Rodgers, has produced two goals and one assist in his last three appearances off the bench for the Hoops, with goals against Rangers and St Mirren in the last two outings.

Whereas, Kyogo had one goal, zero assists, and three 'big chances' missed as a starter in those three matches, which suggests that the Bhoys could improve their team by dropping the Japanese forward to unleash the Ireland international in his place.

The 6 foot 3 centre-forward has scored seven goals and provided two assists in ten league outings for the Scottish giants so far, and could be handed the chance to fire Celtic to a cup final as a starter against Aberdeen on Saturday.

The hugely talented allrounder batted throughout the third day’s play against New South Wales

Andrew McGlashan21-Oct-2020There is a sense of uncertainty in Australian cricket about how soon 21-year-old Cameron Green should be promoted to the national set up – it’s a question of when, not if – but a career-best 185, as he batted throughout the third day against New South Wales, suggested as a batsman he is not far away.Green’s impressive stay, which followed a century from Sam Whiteman, led a strong Western Australia response as they closed within touching distance of the New South Wales total. Unless there is an agreement between the captains on the final day – or the defending champions stumble in a nothing-to-gain third innings – it is difficult to see how there will be a positive result on a docile surface.Green’s technique and composure stood out as he did not lose his patience when kept quiet in the 80s and bombarded by a sustained short-ball attack which occasionally had him in some awkward positions, although the gentle nature of the pitch made it a back-breaking tactic for the quicks.He brought up his fourth first-class hundred from 250 balls when he drove Nathan Lyon through the covers and he was still there at stumps having faced 378 deliveries. He is being held back from bowling in the early stages of the season after a series back problems but even without that part of his game he could be in the selection frame.Whiteman had resumed on 81 and brought up his fifth first-class hundred from 193 balls before the third-wicket stand of 173 was ended when he top edged a pull into the leg side to give Sean Abbott his third scalp early in the afternoon session. Whiteman’s run of Shield scores since the second part of last season reads 53, 4, 51, 110, 65, 18 and 114.It was a day of toil for the New South Wales attack, but Harry Conway was rewarded for a hard-working spell when Ashton Turner edged to gully although there was never a suggestion of a clatter of wickets that would have opened up the game.Ashton Agar settled in alongside Green to further chip away at New South Wales’ advantage until he was trapped lbw by his opposite number Lyon. There had been some concern earlier in the day when Lyon appeared to be feeling some discomfort in his right shoulder after attempting a run out attempt during the first session, but he was able to send down 40 overs and added Aaron Hardie leg before with one that gripped nicely.

تحدث المحلل الفني هيثم فاروق عن أداء منتخب مصر الأول خلال مواجهة موريتاينا في رابع جولات تصفيات كأس أمم إفريقيا 2025.

وكان منتخب مصر قد نجح في تحقيق الفوز على نظيره الموريتاني في عقر داره بهدف دون رد، ليرفع رصيده إلى 12 نقطة متربعًا على عرش صدارة المجموعة وحاسمًا تأهله لنهائيات كأس أمم إفريقيا.

فيديو | منتخب مصر يفوز على موريتانيا في الوقت القاتل ويحسم تأهله إلى كأس أمم إفريقيا

وقال هيثم فاروق في تصريحات تلفزيونية بفضائية “بي إن سبورتس”: “واضح أن حسام حسن والجهاز الفني قام بتقسيم المباراة، بدأ بمجموعة لاعبين شباب يمتلكون عنصر اللياقة البدنية، واحتفظ بعناصر الخبرة ليدفع بها في وقت معين من اللقاء”.

وأضاف: “واختار حسام حسن هذا التوقيت بعد أن هدأ حماس لاعبي موريتانيا، وتراجع درجات الحرارة ورطوبة الجو نوعًا ما، وبالفعل سجل المنتخب هدفًا رائعًا في الشوط الثاني من خطأ لحارس المرمى”.

وتابع: “لكن يُحسب لذكاء إبراهيم عادل أنه اتخذ القرار من هذه المسافة، انتصار مقنع ورائع يثبت أقدام هؤلاء اللاعبين والجهاز الفني بالعلامة الكاملة”.

وواصل: “مباراة لمنتخب مصر بأقل معدل أعمار في التصفيات، اليوم لعب بـ 6 أو 7 لاعبين من منتخب مصر الأولمبي الذي مثل مصر في أولمبياد باريس، عناصر كثيرة شاركت بمعدل أعمار منخفض، بالإضافة إلى أنك فرضت أسلوب لعبك على المنتخب الموريتاني”.

وأكد: “عندما يُحب حسام حسن أن يُهاجم يفعل ذلك ويُسجل، وهذا تحقق في هدف تريزيجبه الأول في مباراة القاهرة وسط 10 لاعبين من موريتانيا في منطقة الجزاء، وأيضًا عندما يُحب أن يُدافع يفعل ذلك”.

واستكمل: “4 مباريات بـ 12 نقطة ولم تهتز شباكه، أرقام صعب أن يتم تحقيقها، وأرى أن حسام حسن يسير بشكل رائع وقرأ المنتخب الموريتاني بشكل جيد، وكانت فرصة موريتانيا أن يُسجل في القاهرة، لكن اليوم مع التركيز والتكتل الدفاعي استطاع أن يلعب المنتخب المباراة التي يريدها، وتفوق حسام على أمير عبده ولم يسمح له بأي فرص سوى فرصة واحدة في الشوط الأول”.

واستأنف: “أفضل شيء أن يكون المدير الفني يركز ويدرس ويضع أكثر من سيناريو للمباراة، حال دخول مرماه هدفًا أو حال التقدم في النتيجة، وأيضًا يحسب حساب التغييرات، وقلت بين الشوطين إنه سيطمع في اللقاء، وهذا ما ظهر من خلال التغييرات، إبراهيم عادل بعد نزوله بـ 70 ثانية تمكن من تسجيل هدف”.

فيديو | إبراهيم عادل يعلق على هدفه العالمي أمام موريتانيا.. ويؤكد: لم نفعل شيئًا بعد

واستطرد: “لا أصدق أن إبراهيم عادل رأى حارس المرمى متقدمًا والكرة تصل بهذا الشكل من هذا البعد، لأني أعتقد في الشوط الثاني كان الهواء مع الجانب الموريتاني، ولكن وفق فيها اللاعب بشكل كبير”.

وأتم: “حسام حسن نجح اليوم بإمتياز في العودة بـ 3 نقاط، وآن الآوان أن نعطيه حقه، نترك المشاكل الشخصية والخلافات جانبًا، إذا كان من يتحدث لم يمارس كرة القدم أقول حقه لكني أرى لاعبين خاضوا نفس التجارب الصعبة ينتقدون، أعتقد أن حسام يسير بشكل جيد مع الفريق وأتمنى له التوفيق”.

MatériaMais Notícias

da bet nacional： Nas oitavas de final da Copa do Brasil, o Vitória não consegue embalar na Série B. Na última quarta-feira, o time de Ramon Menezes colecionou mais um empate, desta vez contra o Remo.

O placar, que apesar de não ser tão negativo, mantém a equipe sem vencer na competição e perto da zona de rebaixamento.

Com três pontos, o Leão é o 16º colocado e, para evitar uma nova temporada com flerte na zona de rebaixamento, precisa somar triunfos.

A próxima oportunidade de ganhar a primeira na competição será no sábado, quando o Leão mede forças contra o Brusque, no Barradão.

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasFlamengoVÍDEO: veja os gols da vitória do Flamengo sobre o Coritiba pela Copa do BrasilFlamengo17/06/2021São PauloSão Paulo viaja ao Paraguai para tomar primeira dose da vacina contra a Covid-19São Paulo17/06/2021Palmeiras‘Iluminado’, Deyverson exalta primeiro gol após retorno na vitória do Palmeiras e diz: ‘Muito feliz’Palmeiras17/06/2021

Arne Slot has explained why he substituted Trent Alexander-Arnold, much to the Liverpool star's disappointment, during the win against Brentford.

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Alexander-Arnold looked unhappy after substitutionLiverpool boss appeared to explain decision on benchSays he was trying to protect the right-backWHAT HAPPENED?

Alexander-Arnold was replaced by Conor Bradley with under 20 minutes left to play after the Reds had taken a 2-0 lead in Slot's first competitive home game since replacing Jurgen Klopp as coach. The Dutchman was then seen sitting beside the England international in the dugout, seemingly explaining why he took him off, though Alexander-Arnold did not look happy.

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The 25-year-old has recently been linked with a move away from Anfield, with Real Madrid said to be interested in signing him on a free transfer when his contract expires at the end of the season. Slot, though, insists that the right-back is a key figure as he explained he took him off to protect the academy graduate.

WHAT SLOT SAID

"I understand. Every player wants to play 90 minutes but I don’t think the players that were on the bench from the start were really happy with the choice I made," Slot said at a press conference. "Trent came back from the national team, where in the beginning of the tournament he played quite a lot and then he didn’t. He had a few weeks off, came back and it is only his third game and we have to take care of him. We need him for the whole season and not only for the first two games. The good thing for me is that I have a very good backup as well with Conor, that means we are taking care of Trent, but he played a good game."

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DID YOU KNOW?

Slot opted to play Alexander-Arnold at right-back, instead of using him in midfield where he has played on occasion for club and county. The ex-Feyenoord boss feels that he is more dangerous at full-back, explaining on : "I think Trent has many qualities, and one of them is the crosses from the side. If we only play him in the midfield he can only pass the ball, which he can of course do quite well. But I also want him in dangerous crossing positions.

"We try to influence players as much as we can before the game to say where could open gaps for you to come in. Nine times out of 10 the teams do something different than against other teams. He has the freedom to go anywhere. Trent is a difficult one to play against."

West Ham United's chances of securing a fourth successive season in European competition are slender, with Saturday's spirited and impressive draw against Liverpool in the Premier League widening the gap on seventh-placed Newcastle United.

Newcastle, whose season has been categorised by inconsistency and injuries, are four points clear in the final European football-qualifying position, holding a game in hand on the Hammers.

With trips to Chelsea and Manchester City still forthcoming for David Moyes, it would seem that a wonderful slice of history will draw to a close, though Saturday's result highlighted the immense quality that West Ham – and whoever will lead the club from the dugout next season – boast.

At the forefront: Jarrod Bowen. The England international, quite simply, is a brilliant and irreplaceable player.

Jarrod Bowen's stats vs Liverpool

Bowen has been in fine fettle this season. In fact, that's quite the understatement, with the dynamic forward scoring 20 goals and supplying ten assists, the latest of which came one apiece against Liverpool.

Minutes played

90'

Goals

1

Assists

1

Touches

32

Accurate passes

5/9 (52%)

Shots on target

3

Key passes

1

Dribble attempts

2/5

Tackles

1

Interceptions

1

Duels won

7/14

The 27-year-old only managed to complete five passes against Jurgen Klopp's deteriorating side but this hardly matters given his clinical attacking moments and persistent defensive commitment.

Within a system like Moyes', with West Ham ranking 15th in possession in the Premier League this season, such prolific authority has paid dividends – just imagine how Bowen might perform at the heart of a more expansive and progressive brand of football.

He must remain at the very kernel of the United project, though the same cannot be said for Angelo Ogbonna, who struggled against the Reds and must follow Moyes, should the Scotsman indeed leave when his contract expires this summer, out the door at the London Stadium.

Why Angelo Ogbonna must now be ditched

Ogbonna has entered the twilight phase of his career, nearly 36 years old, and while he has been something of a stalwart for West Ham after signing from Juventus in a £10m transfer in 2015, the Italian is out of contract this summer and to renew his terms would be a fatal error.

Having completed 247 matches for his east London club, the centre-back has been restricted to a bit-part role over the past several years, starting just five Premier League fixtures this term.

And it's deservedly so. His mobility has been eradicated by the passage of time, while his once-robust skill set has left him averaging only 0.9 tackles and 1.8 duels per match this season.

Against high-level opposition in Liverpool, Ogbonna's understandable fragilities were exposed, with The Evening Standard's Dom Smith giving the veteran a 5/10 match score and writing: 'Beaten in the air on a number of occasions and caught too high up as Liverpool easily bypassed him in the first half. Improved after the interval and was unlucky to be involved in the own-goal.'

As per Sofascore, the 6 foot 3 defender made five clearances and four tackles against Liverpool but he completed just 64% of his passes and was dribbled past. Were Liverpool not so profligate, his issues would likely have been compounded.

With Konstantinos Mavropanos and Nayef Aguerd both expected to return from injury imminently, Ogbonna may well have played his last match for the club, which will fare better with their younger and most durable titans in the starting mix.

Ogbonna has been a brilliant servant for West Ham and he got to kiss silverware before his departure, but that exit must materialise this summer as the club prepares for a new era. Make it happen, Tim Steidten.

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Winless Derbyshire fall short in chase despite Wayne Madsen’s half-century

ECB Reporters Network13-Sep-2020

Joe Clarke lofts one over the infield•Getty Images

Nottinghamshire moved four points clear at the top of the North Group when they beat Derbyshire by 13 runs in the T20 Blast at Trent Bridge.Joe Clarke scored 57 off 35 balls, his third fifty-plus score in the competition, and Alex Hales hit 49 from 32 as the Outlaws powered to 198 for 6 from 20 overs.Wayne Madsen led a spirited chase with 68 from 46 balls while Matt Critchley hit 44 from 28 but Jake Ball bowled well under pressure to take 2 for 36 as the Falcons closed on 185 for 6 and are still without a win.It was no surprise when the Outlaws elected to bat first and although they lost Chris Nash in the second over when he chipped to deep midwicket to give Dustin Melton his first T20 wicket, Hales and Clarke laid the platform for another imposing total.Hales hit four consecutive fours off Michael Cohen as the Outlaws took 65 from the Powerplay before Clarke pulled and drove Alex Hughes for the first sixes of the innings.The pair added 93 in 8 overs before Hales skied Hughes to long on and although Clarke was dropped on 50 by Critchley running in from long-off, he pulled Hughes to long-on in the next over.Despite that lapse, the Falcons had managed to keep their discipline in the field but the Outlaws moved into overdrive as 45 came from the last four overs. Dan Christian smashed Madsen for successive sixes before he failed to clear long off but Tom Moores pulled the fifth ball of the over for another maximum. Moores was bowled aiming a big pull at Melton who conceded only three from the 18th over but Ben Duckett took consecutive boundaries off Cohen before Steven Mullaney dispatched the penultimate ball of the innings for six.The Falcons lost Luis Reece first ball, bowled by Imad Wasim, and Billy Godleman was lbw sweeping Matthew Carter but Madsen and Leus du Plooy lifted them to 56 for 2 at the end of the Powerplay.Mullaney had du Plooy caught at mid-off but with Madsen astutely finding the gaps, the Falcons were still in the chase on 92 for 3 at the halfway point. Critchley swung Imad for six over midwicket and cut Ball for two fours but the seamer responded by yorking Madsen with the last ball of the 14th over.The Falcons needed a big over and Hughes delivered in the 16th, pulling Samit Patel for six and sweeping him for two fours. Ball returned to have Critchley lbw and bowled a superb penultimate over which cost only five leaving the Falcons needing 23 off the last over which proved beyond them.

The final days of Jurgen Klopp’s tenure as Liverpool manager are now imperilled: following Thursday’s surprise Europa League exit against Atalanta, hopes of a successful conclusion hinge on leapfrogging Manchester City in the Premier League title race.

While Pep Guardiola’s defending champions only boast a two-point advantage in the top-flight with six games to go, Liverpool and fellow contenders Arsenal have lost their way,

The Merseysiders, in particular, have seen their aura, their spark and their style, stripped away, complacency, wastefulness and sapped legs all meshing together to present Klopp with quite the quandary at the eleventh hour of his reign.

He has the tools to steady the ship, but FSG’s new CEO of Football, Michael Edwards, will be desperate to ensure the Reds make the right moves on the transfer front going forward, to propel the side forward, and he might have lined up the perfect new addition.

Liverpool eyeing huge new transfer

According to Fabrizio Romano, Liverpool are hot on the trail of Bayern Munich star Jamal Musiala, monitoring his situation with the recently-dethroned Bundesliga champions.

Bayern are desperate to keep hold of the 21-year-old and have slapped a £100m asking price on his signature to dissuade suitors.

It’s important to bear in mind that Musiala is one of the most exciting and high-value young players in the game, and, as such, Manchester City and Chelsea are lurking, with the Etihad side viewed as the frontrunners by The Guardian.

How Jamal Musiala would fit in at Liverpool

Musiala signed for Bayern Munich as a 16-year-old back in 2019, leaving Chelsea’s Cobham academy to follow the likes of Jadon Sancho and Reiss Nelson in finding their feet over in the German Bundesliga.

It’s proved to be a successful move, to say the least, with the Germany international posting 43 goals and 30 assists from just 161 senior appearances, winning four Bundesliga titles and one Champions League so far.

This season, he has scored 12 goals and added seven assists across 36 matches in all competitions, producing some excellent dynamic displays in the German top flight.

Matches played

24

Matches started

20

Goals

10

Assists

6

Pass completion

82%

Big chances created

12

Shots per game

2.4

Key passes per game

1.8

Dribbles per game

3.6

Ball recoveries per game

3.8

Tackles per game

1.7

Duels won per game

7.2

As per FBref, the 6 foot 1 ace ranks among the top 9% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for goals, the top 18% for shot-creating actions, the top 6% for pass completion, the top 14% for progressive carries, the top 1% for successful take-ons and the top 6% for interceptions per 90.

A wonderful dribbler, fleet of feet, intelligent in his forward motions and possessing impressive spatial awareness, Musiala has been hailed for being “decisive in games time and time again” by his manager Thomas Tuchel.

Bayern, by their lofty standards, have been pretty poor this season, and while they might have prevailed against Arsenal in the Champions League to set up a captivating semi-final tie against Real Madrid, there is much work to do ahead of the new season, with Xabi Alonso’s Bayer Leverkusen blitzing to the league title and into the final of the DFB Pokal, undefeated all year.

The versatile attacking midfielder has even been proclaimed to be a “future Ballon d’Or winner” by his Bavarian teammate Alphonso Davies, with such claims corroborated by Musiala’s former youth coach Andre Martin, who has clearly detailed his skill set.

He said: “Technically outstanding, very skillful, and a player who can score all types of goals, inside and outside the box. And he’s a great dribbler and likes to take players on, as he did against Schalke. He later became a No.10 and has become as much of a creator as a goalscorer.”

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Such a player would be a worthy addition at Anfield, though it might be bad news for someone like Dominik Szoboszlai, who has not been at the races for Klopp’s side recently.

Why Musiala could oust Dominik Szoboszlai

Szoboszlai only joined Liverpool last summer, completing a £60m move from RB Leipzig, and while he is a technically excellent midfielder, his displays over the past several months have failed to produce the calibre of performance that marked his early-season success.

Still, across 27 outings in the Premier League, Szoboszlai has scored three goals, supplied two assists, completed 87% of his passes, averaged 1.9 key passes, 1.1 tackles, 3.5 successful duels and 6.0 ball recoveries per game.

However, he’s been particularly poor in recent weeks and was one of the primary strugglers as Liverpool crashed out of the Europa League against Atalanta, who are sixth in Serie A.

The 23-year-old possesses many similar attributes to Musiala despite being fashioned into a deeper-lying midfielder than he was accustomed to being in Leipzig, ranking among the top 9% of positional peers across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for goals, the top 4% for shot-creating actions, the top 18% for progressive passes and the top 5% for progressive carries per 90.

But with Klopp leaving this summer, it’s likely that Szoboszlai might find himself playing in a more advanced role once again, especially if Ruben Amorim is appointed, the Portuguese manager implementing an expansive, possession-heavy brand of football that could see the Hungarian shifted into an overlapping right-sided role.

Given that Musiala has already been regarded as a “world-class” player by former Bayern boss Julian Nagelsmann and boasts defensive statistics that actually surpass that of the energetic Szoboszlai, he could be the more robust, more prolific, more potent player to ensure that Liverpool enter a new era with sights firmly fixed on a continuation of the illustrious heights of the past decade.

Chelsea chairman Todd Boehly seems to have entered pole position for a £56 million forward signing, and a bid has already gone in pre-summer.

Chelsea making transfer plans amid PSR worries

Much has been made of Chelsea's waning ability to comply with Profit and Sustainability regulations, so much so that there have been suggestions that Mauricio Pochettino's side could have to raise £100 million through player sales by June 30.

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However, despite their financial worries and doubts surrounding Pochettino's future at Chelsea after an inconsistent season, Boehly and Chelsea transfer chiefs remain in planning for the 2024/2025 season.

The west Londoners, it is believed, are keen to bring in a world-class striker to add that extra bit of goal threat in the forward areas. Chelsea are targeting Napoli star Victor Osimhen as one option this summer, but Fabrizio Romano has backed that PSR will have a major say on whether they move for the Nigerian.

“I think Chelsea will be there,” the transfer expert said in March (via CaughtOffside).

Cole Palmer

21

Nicolas Jackson

13

Raheem Sterling

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Conor Gallagher

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Noni Madueke

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“The interest is still there. It is really important to understand what is happening; first of all with the FFP situation because Chelsea do not want to overpay, so it is important to know how much the package is going to be for Victor Osimhen.

"We already know about the release clause between €120m-€130m with Napoli so Chelsea and other clubs are waiting to see if Napoli can be flexible but usually with their president, De Laurentiis, it is usually very tough to go there and negotiate, especially for a fantastic player like Victor Osimhen.

“It will then be important to see how much Osimhen wants in terms of salary and his contract. So there are some crucial financial points to sort out before Chelsea can say ‘ok’ and go for Osimhen.”

Chelsea are also eager to bring in more top young talent from across the globe, adding to their large crop of young, exciting signings which have already been made during the Boehly era.

Indeed, another bright starlet attracting their attention is Palmeiras forward Estevao Willian, with reports suggesting recently that Chelsea have been preparing a bid for Estevao.

Chelsea table offer for Estevao as they enter pole position

Now, according to journalist Jorge Nicola on YouTube, relayed by The Chelsea Chronicle, Chelsea's bid worth a total of €65m (£56m) has already gone in for Estevao as they become a "favourite" to sign him.

“I told you a few days ago that there was a big dispute between three English clubs. There is already a favourite. This team is Chelsea, the one that is willing to pay above the 60 million euros release clause," said Nicola.

“Neither Chelsea nor their two English rivals want to pay that fixed €60m for the deal to go through. The idea is to pay a lump sum and the rest in bonuses. And to try and convince Palmeiras to do the deal, Chelsea have already offered €40m in a lump sum and €25m in bonuses.”

Called a "real phenomenon", tipped for the Balon d'Or and likened to Lionel Messi by his agent Andre Crury, this transfer could be an exciting one to watch at Stamford Bridge.