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Barcelona are reluctant to match Manchester United's asking price for Marcus Rashford but are eager to sign the attacker this summer.

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• Barcelona want to avoid €40m Rashford fee
• United keen to sell England international
• Joined Villa on loan

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Rashford's hopes of securing a move to Barcelona this summer have taken a hit as the La Liga champions are not willing to meet United's €40 million (£34m/$44m) asking price, according to . Their report claims the Catalan giants could offer between €5m to €10m for a one-year loan, but they do not want to part with a significant amount of cash for Rashford as they would rather invest in a player like Liverpool's Luis Diaz. Arsenal's Gabriel Martinelli is another option.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Rashford effectively has no future at United under Ruben Amorim, having left the club to join Aston Villa on loan in January. However, his contract at Old Trafford still has another three years to run and the Red Devils want to extract a transfer fee that befits a player who has scored 17 goals in 62 appearances for England.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  If Rashford were to join Barcelona, he would find himself competing with Raphinha for a spot in Hansi Flick's team. The Brazilian is one of the main candidates for the 2025 Ballon d'Or after leading the Blaugrana to a domestic treble.

• Getty Images Sport
  

  WHAT NEXT FOR RASHFORD AND BARCELONA?

  Rashford will hope his future is resolved quickly, but Barcelona's financial state may rule them out of the running, especially if they decide to prioritise a permanent arrival like Diaz.

Crystal Palace are now closely following a young forward who has been compared to Atletico Madrid’s Antoine Griezmann, according to a report.

Palace making summer transfer plans

With 10 games left to play, Palace look set for a mid-table finish in the Premier League, but it could still be an exciting end to the campaign, with Oliver Glasner’s side just one game away from a trip to Wembley in the FA Cup semi-final.

While it would be a monumental achievement to potentially go on and win the FA Cup, Glasner will also be keen for his side to kick on and push for the European places next season, which means some additions could be required in the summer window.

With Will Hughes yet to sign a new contract, signing a midfielder may be necessary, and the Eagles are now eyeing a move to sign 20-year-old Royal Antwerp maestro Mahamadou Doumbia.

Crystal Palace offer £72,500-p/w contract to "outstanding" free signing

Palace are looking to get ahead in the race as they have submitted an offer to sign a player on a free transfer.

By
Brett Worthington

Mar 6, 2025

It appears as though there could be a focus on bringing in talented youngsters this summer, as Glasner’s side have also emerged as shock contenders to sign Wolfsburg defender Konstantinos Koulierakis, who could cost around £42m.

Not only are Palace eyeing young defenders and midfielders, but they have also been closely following 18-year-old FC Nordsjaelland forward Sindre Walle Egeli, according to a report from The Boot Room.

The teenager is attracting a lot of attention from across Europe, having put in some impressive performances in Denmark, with the likes of Newcastle United, Atalanta, Liverpool and Everton also expressing an interest.

The Eagles are one of a number of Premier League clubs to have watched the youngster in action this season, and reports elsewhere have revealed Nordsjaelland could be looking for a fee of at least £21m to sanction his departure.

"Absolute star" Egeli likened to Griezmann

Football talent scout Jacek Kulig has bestowed very high praise upon the young Norwegian, describing him as an “absolute star of each age category since the U-15 level”, while also likening him to Atletico Madrid forward Griezmann.

Although the right-winger is still only 18-years-old, he has emerged as a key player for Nordsjaelland, picking up six goals and four assists in the Superliga this season, recently adding to his tally with a well-taken header against Vejle BK.

Palace have done a fantastic job recruiting talented youngsters in recent times, with Adam Wharton establishing himself as a key player for Glasner, and there are plenty of indications the Nordsjaelland star could be in the same category.

Mumbai Indians were never in the hunt of the 193 chase after they lost four wickets inside the powerplay

Shashank Kishore05-Mar-2024Delhi Capitals couldn’t have asked for a better start in their home stretch. They saw off the Mumbai Indians quite comfortably courtesy half-centuries from Meg Lanning and Jemimah Rodrigues, before all their bowlers enjoyed a wonderful evening out. They’re now perched at the top of the standings with eight points and a healthy net run rate that increasingly looks difficult to catch.The match had plenty of moments: dropped catches, stunning wrist work, cuts with precision, a world record broken and prodigious swing from a veteran. The result, though, was mostly one-way traffic, with Mumbai left to regroup quickly after a demoralizing defeat.Related

• Innovative Jemimah Rodrigues makes it count with boundary-laden half-century

• Shabnim Ismail bowls fastest recorded ball in women's cricket

Ismail shatters record on return

It was a loud thud into Lanning’s pad in the third over. The umpire was unmoved and Ismail had hands on her head. Unknowingly, though, Shabnim Ismail had shattered the record for the fastest recorded delivery in women’s cricket. It was clocked at 132.1kph. The same Ismail, who was walking with a slight limp four days ago in Bengaluru, was firing away.

The drop, shovel and send-off

Ismail should’ve had Shafali Verma in the same over, when she miscued an attempted cross-batted swat to mid-on, but Saika Ishaque grassed the opportunity. Ismail was seething. But there was more agony in store, when Shafali hit her for back-to-back sixes in the next over; the bottom-handed shovel down the ground like a body blow. But Ismail had the last laugh when she had Shafali nicking off next ball. Ismail roared, gave Shafali a mouthful along with a send-off. It broke a dangerous opening stand as the Capitals ended the powerplay at 56 for 1.Meg Lanning hit two sixes in her 53•BCCI

Lanning comes into her own

Early in her innings, Lanning connected a full-length ball Nat Sciver-Brunt served up. It went soaring over the long-on boundary and Lanning held her shape until the ball bounced onto the seats. It told you how much she enjoyed it. It told you Lanning was in the mood, an avatar of hers we hadn’t seen yet in WPL 2024.After the first six, her range of shots got better. The trademark cuts were there, she pulled well, even to deliveries that hardly bounced, showing how much control she had and how well she was maneuvering the low bounce, and in general, seemed to enjoy taking the spinners on.She was particularly severe on legspinner Amelia Kerr, taking her for a sequence of 4, 6, and 4 in the 12th over. Soon enough, she raised her third half-century of the season off 36 balls with her patented cut. She fell playing a pull, brilliantly caught at deep midwicket by Kerr.

The Jemimah Rodriguesshow

When Lanning was dismissed, Rodrigues was on 8 off 8. And going into the last five overs, she was on 13 off 14. Then she flicked a switch. She decided it was time to go, and she took down the bowlers by following a simple mantra. She set her base by shuffling outside off, crouching low and then allowing herself to react.When Ismail went slow and full outside off, Rodrigues swung her cleanly into the midwicket fence. When she went wide yorker, Rodrigues scythed her over point. And when Pooja Vastrakar bowled short, Rodrigues helped her along to the fine leg boundary.There was more in store, as she sliced and lofted Sciver-Brunt for 17 off the penultimate over, accessing all corners of the field. The last five overs produced 69, and Rodrigues finished 69 not out off 33 balls; quite an astonishing acceleration after failing to connect early on in her innings.

Mumbai flattened early

Yastika Bhatia was out in the first over, defeated by Marizanne Kapp’s skid to be bowled. Sciver-Brunt was castled in the second, playing all around a Shikha Pandey inswinger. When Harmanpreet Kaur fell in the fourth, getting a leading edge to point off Kapp, it was nearly curtains for Mumbai.They kept hurtling from one wicket to another from there on, with only Amanjot Kaur and S Sajana offering some kind of fight to make 42 and 24 not out respectively to reduce the margin of defeat that puts Mumbai in a slightly precarious position with three league games remaining.Jess Jonassen, who forced her way into the XI three games ago, seems to have now made the allrounders’ spot her own, having now picked up eight wickets on top of the leaderboard.

Her two centuries against NZ saw her jump up six places to displace Mooney as the top-ranked batter

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Jul-2023Sri Lanka captain Chamari Athapaththu shot up to the top of the women’s ODI rankings for batters after her two unbeaten centuries in the series against New Zealand. She has thus become the first woman from Sri Lanka to top the ODI rankings.Athapaththu climbed six places to displace Australia’s Beth Mooney as the top-ranked batter in the format. She scored 108 not out in the first ODI against New Zealand to help Sri Lanka chase down 172 in a rain-affected game. After being out for a duck in the second match, which New Zealand went on to win, she blasted a stunning 140 off just 80 deliveries to help her team seal another rain-hit fixture and the series.The left-hand batter now has eight centuries to go with her 15 half-centuries in ODIs.Mooney, Laura Wolvaardt, Nat Sciver-Brunt, Meg Lanning, Harmanpreet Kaur and Smriti Mandhana all dropped one spot each as Athapaththu moved up from seventh place in the rankings.Athapaththu has now emulated another left-handed opener, Sanath Jayasuriya, who is the only Sri Lankan man to top the ODI batting charts.During her whirlwind knock in the third ODI, Athapaththu put on 190 runs for the third wicket with Nilakshi de Silva, which is the highest partnership for Sri Lanka in women’s ODIs. Her heroics helped Sri Lanka win their first bilateral series against New Zealand.

Chelsea have identified Everton defender Jarrad Branthwaite as a top centre-back target for the summer transfer window, following yet another impressive campaign for the commanding centre-half.

£47m star has already agreed to join Chelsea with club talks "to follow"

Enzo Maresca’s side are busy behind-the-scenes amid their Club World Cup campaign.

By
Emilio Galantini

Jun 17, 2025

This time last summer, much to the bemusement of fans and critics alike, Branthwaite was a surprise omission from Gareth Southgate’s England squad for Euro 2024 – but he’s since taken that rejection in his stride.

The 22-year-old starred for Everton again last term, playing a key role as David Moyes’ side comfortably avoided the drop, and supporters will be hoping that Branthwaite will repeat those same feats at their new home on Bramley-Moore Dock next season.

Five years after Carlo Ancelotti handed Branthwaite his senior top flight debut against Wolves, followed by a succession of productive loan spells at the likes of Blackburn Rovers and PSV Eindhoven, the towering 6 foot 5 starlet is now a wanted man across the Premier League.

His growing list of admirers includes Chelsea, with the addition of a centre-back still on Enzo Maresca’s to-do list after the west Londoners missed out on a deal for Dean Huijsen, who eventually chose to join Real Madrid instead.

Chelsea made contract offers to Huijsen, but it wasn’t enough to convince the Spaniard to U-turn on his dream move to the Bernabeu, with Maresca’s side back on the hunt for exciting defensive options.

Jarrad Branthwaite's fresh stance on joining Chelsea

According to reliable journalist Simon Phillips, writing via his Substack, Chelsea have been handed a boost in pursuit of Branthwaite as an alternative to Huijsen, as BlueCo set their sights on the Englishman despite rumours he’s set to command a seismic £80 million price tag.

It is believed that Branthwaite could now ask to join Chelsea, amid “frustration” that Everton have placed such a large asking price on his head.

“Chelsea intend to push for him [Branthwaite] again and there is a possibility that they offer players to Everton in an attempt to get the fee down and make the deal more appealing on both sides,” said Phillips.

“The other further info we have received from SPTC sources is that there’s a feeling now that Branthwaite could actually leave Everton this window for a Champions League club – which puts Chelsea in a strong position.

“We’ve also heard that he is a little frustrated, on Everton putting such a big valuation on his head. We had initially heard that Branthwaite would not actively push for a move. But it has now transpired that he is keen on Chelsea and could end up asking for the move. He loves Everton and wants to respect them, but he is keen to advance now to the next stage of his career and play UCL football. I don’t foresee him kicking up a fuss as such, but he may privately ask for the move.”

His ball-playing ability and defensive intelligence would complement Chelsea’s possession-based system under Maresca, offering both quality for now and excellent long-term potential.

However, there is little denying that Chelsea will definitely want to re-negotiate the mooted fee Everton are demanding, and Branthwaite’s desire to join them could play a pivotal role in this.

English cricket is looking under the right rocks, Australia still speaks to a culture of superficiality

Andrew Miller20-Nov-2021Forgive my lack of empathy on this one, but in the grand scheme of cricket’s current miasma, Friday’s revelation from Down Under – that an ordinary cricketer has turned out, to use the Australian vernacular, to be an ordinary bloke – doesn’t exactly move the needle.It has, however, moved the sporting narrative.Tim Paine’s tearful exit as Australia’s Test captain – 1393 days after his predecessor Steven Smith was ejected for conduct similarly unbecoming of his revered office, and 18 days before the next Ashes instalment – has provided a far more complete narrative arc than the not-quite Ashes glory of 2019 that rounded off Cricket Australia’s recent home-vid documentary, .And so, with apologies to Paine’s apologies, and to his anguished lament for a lost innocence that , even while pressing on with his repackaging as the squeaky-clean boy next door who was going to rescue Australia’s morals from the gutter, let it be put on record that this is the first thing in weeks that has put a smile back on the face of English cricket.

Now, however, the clock is ticking and the world is watching, and the government’s stated “nuclear option” of appointing an independent regulator is one of many reasons why Tom Harrison and his ilk will have to progress from soundbites to actions in double-quick time

Schadenfreude? You betcha! But it is also a warning, amid English cricket’s own and ever-evolving reckoning, that some issues simply cannot be wished away – “kicked into the long grass”, as Nigel Huddlestone, the UK sports minister, said of the racism scandal – or made better overnight with a bit of elite sloganeering and a few well-timed crocodile tears.For here we have, on opposite sides of the globe but essentially hand-in-hand (given that the Ashes is basically a sibling squabble that could be played out just as effectively over a lifetime of Christmas dinners), two faces of the exact same coin. Two deep-rooted sporting cultures that, for very different but equally seismic reasons, have had cause in their recent histories for deep and urgent introspection.Related

• CA has reputational and cricketing questions to answer

• Not removing Paine in 2018 'clearly sent the wrong message', says CA board chairman

And yet… is it weird to point out that there’s a gravitas to England’s ongoing scandal that makes Australia – once again in strictures because of an addiction to moral trivia – look decidedly shallow?First ball-tampering, now a grotty text exchange. If these are the issues for which the nation’s prudish guardians screech to DEFCON 1, lobbing off weeping sportsmen like shrimps onto a moral barbie, then good luck to anyone who dares to penetrate this human shield, and undertake the sort of systemic autopsy that the ECB seems now to be bracing itself for.You’re right. It’s nothing to crow about whatsoever. It’s not as if England’s unfolding crisis has been undertaken willingly, or with any thanks due to the administrative heel-draggers whose lack of proactivity have allowed even Boris Johnson’s corruption-mired government to take the moral high ground.But it does feel, at the very least, that the racism scandal has moved England’s discourse into a “post-bad apples” phase, for want of a better description. Going into last week’s DCMS hearings, the sport had been braced for a bonfire of individual reputations, given both the names that had already leaked into the public domain, and the sense that Azeem Rafiq – euphemistically painted as “hot-headed” in the various attempts to discredit him in the course of the investigation – was set to spray his parliamentary privilege like napalm across the game that had rejected him.But it didn’t quite pan out like that. Of course, there was some more collateral damage along the way, with the likes of Matthew Hoggard, David Lloyd and Tim Bresnan joining those names already in the public domain – not to mention the feckless Alex Hales, who now seems destined to spend the rest of his career apologising for a lifetime of poor judgment.However, the common theme throughout Rafiq’s DCMS testimony, aside from his innate dignity, was that this issue was not about individuals. “It’s important we don’t make it about Michael,” he said at one point, when asked to expand on Michael Vaughan’s alleged “too many of you lot” comments. And if that now sounds like a convenient caveat, following the disclosure of Rafiq’s own anti-Semitic sentiments back in 2011, then in fact that revelation merely underscores the validity of his point.

Paine’s humiliation speaks to a culture of superficiality, one that still seeks to protect at all costs the sacred notion of “Australian-ism”, for fear of one day exposing the same rotten core that the ECB is now having to publicly contend with

This scandal is about a system that has made discrimination of all types endemic, and then tried everything it could to cover it up. To claim, as carpetbaggers such as Nigel Farage have tried, that Rafiq’s own failings invalidate his now widely acknowledged grievances, is a gross distortion of the facts.The question that arises, therefore, is whether the ECB is remotely capable of “putting its house in order”, as Huddlestone rather pompously put it at the DCMS hearing on Thursday?The early signs, it has to be said, have not been entirely convincing. On Friday, all 41 members of the ECB board met at the Kia Oval to consider English cricket’s unified response to the crisis. After much grunting and groaning, out popped a deeply vapid statement, shortly before 4pm, outlining explicitly non-specific “areas of focus” aiming at “winning back your trust”.Further details have since emerged, including a 12-point action plan with EDI initiatives at its core, but this was precisely the sort of gesture-political hogwash that Rafiq had warned the board not to latch on to during his DCMS appearance. “We need organic change,” Rafiq had told the committee. “If tokenism is the angle the ECB go down, I will call it out.”The ECB’s response to the Robinson saga, aside from Robinson’s suspension, was to plough on with their “moments of unity” prior to England internationals•PA Photos/Getty ImagesAt this point, let’s cut to Tom Harrison, English cricket’s rolled-up-sleeved, rakishly plausible frontman, whose innate shininess evokes David Cameron in his pre-Brexit heyday, but whose flustered, haunted responses in parliament had rather more in common with Cameron after the fall. Harrison emerged from that Oval meeting claiming that he had “the backing of the game” to drive the necessary changes, and at the very least, he has demonstrated in the past 18 months that he does care; his personal response to Rafiq’s interview with ESPNcricinfo last summer was a major factor in the escalation of Yorkshire’s response.And yet, barely five months have passed since the entire focus of English cricket was on one man, Ollie Robinson, and that cache of derogatory texts that he had sent (as an immature and soon-to-be-sacked Yorkshire rookie) a decade earlier. The ECB’s response to that saga, aside from Robinson’s suspension, was to plough on with their decidedly wishy-washy “moments of unity” prior to England internationals, a stance that Rafiq dismissively referred to as “T-shirts” during the hearing. England were also, Rafiq noted, “one of the first teams to stop” taking the knee in support of Black Lives Matter, as if content to have ticked the box and moved on to sunnier uplands.Now, however, the clock is ticking and the world is watching, and the government’s stated “nuclear option” of appointing an independent regulator is one of many reasons why Harrison and his ilk will have to progress from soundbites to actions in double-quick time.But I’d still wager that, when it comes to tokenism, the ECB has learnt more in the past fortnight than Cricket Australia in three years. Paine’s humiliation – like Smith’s, like David Warner’s, like Cameron Bancroft’s – speaks to a culture of superficiality, one that still seeks to protect at all costs the sacred notion of “Australian-ism”, for fear of one day exposing the same rotten core that the ECB is now having to publicly contend with.Nothing in this sorry saga offers an easy route to a better future. But the least that can now be said is that English cricket knows which rocks to look under, as opposed to which empty shells to build on.

Max Dowman's devastating cameo in Arsenal's 3-2 pre-season win over Newcastle has captured the imagination of Gunners fans on social media.

• Excited Gunners compare 15-year-old to all-time greats
• Dowman won the deciding penalty
• Arteta called youngster's performance 'special'

• Getty Images Sport
  

  WHAT HAPPENED?

  Dowman entered the game with the scores level on the hour mark. The 15-year-old showed remarkable confidence, routinely picking up the ball and driving at the heart of the Newcastle defence. He drew two smart saves out of Nick Pope, and John Ruddy, before cannily drawing a foul from Joelinton inside his own penalty area. Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard dispatched the ensuing spot kick, earning Arsenal the victory in an exciting game in Singapore.

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• WHAT THE FANS ARE SAYING

  Supporters PatrickTimmons1, perhaps somewhat sarcastically, compared the 15-year-old to the GOAT. Posting on X: "Lionel Messi, I hope you enjoyed your time as the greatest football of all time because Max Dowman is here now.

  Another fan, 2SAFC invoked Messi's name as well as comparing Dowman to Lamine Yamal, writing: "Another win for #Arsenal. 🔴⚪️ Two games, Two wins. ✨Max Dowman, Ill let him do the talking, in my opinion… The next Lionel Messi, all for Lamine Yamal succeeding but this guy is 15, and arguably his level. ⚡️"

  FTProgression added: "Max Dowman…. I am speechless. This is a Messi, Neymar, Yamal level talent."

  And EduardoHagn also joined in with a similar post: "MAX DOWMAN WTF. He’s like Yamal. He’s like Messi. He wins a penalty for Arsenal."

• WHAT ARTETA IS SAYING

  Mikel Arteta was effusive in his praise of the youngster after the final whistle. He called the 15-year-old "special", and heralded the work of Dowman's "family, the people at the club, and around the academy" in getting the player ready for his chance in the first team.

• Getty Images Sport
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  It is telling that Arteta called on Dowman to replace Bukayo Saka, as the Arsenal manager tended towards his more senior players in this fixture. There were starting spots for fellow teenagers Myles Lewis-Skelly and Ethan Nwaneri, but given their heavy involvement in the 2024/25 campaign, their inclusion was a given. Andre Harriman-Annous and Marli Ellis Salmon eventually made their way on to the pitch, but Dowman's 30-minute cameo could be a sign that Arteta intends to include the winger in his first-team plans going forward.

Liverpool won the 2024/25 Premier League and are now moving to secure their place among Europe’s elite for the coming years, making sweeping changes in the transfer market.

A momentous effort to sign Bayer Leverkusen’s Florian Wirtz looks to be coming to a pleasing head, but the negotiations are still ongoing. Liverpool’s latest offer totals £113m, but the Bundesliga side are holding out for what would be a British-record £126m fee.

With moves for full-back pairing Jeremie Frimpong and Milos Kerkez already wrapped up, the Reds are surely set to continue competing for the biggest prizes in Arne Slot’s system.

However, there’s still something missing and no mistake. Well, while Liverpool have options at centre-forward in Darwin Nunez and Diogo Jota, neither really cut the mustard last term, and both could be sold.

Liverpool aren’t prioritising the frontman position at the moment, but they are surveying the market and have been linked with a move for Sporting Lisbon’s Viktor Gyokeres.

Liverpool's interest in Viktor Gyokeres

With Arsenal “advancing in negotiations” for RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko, says Fabrizio Romano, Liverpool could have a free shot at Gyokeres this summer, having opened talks for the forward last month.

The Sweden striker has been breathtaking over his two campaigns in Portugal, scoring 97 goals and providing 28 assists across just 102 matches, winning back-to-back Liga Portugal titles.

Regarded as “the best finisher in the world” by data analyst Spencer Hossman, you can see why Liverpool are keen, for the 27-year-old is levels above Nunez and Jota.

However, recent reports suggest Manchester United may be set to win the race, ready to pay a £60m fee for the goalscorer.

Every case is different, but some fans might reserve judgment on this one, for Nunez posted 34 goals from 41 matches in 2021/22, playing for Benfica in Portugal.

The Iberian country is not on the same level as the Premier League, and that’s a fact. If Liverpool were to sign a striker from their own division, one already proven as a world-class option on English shores

Liverpool still in for PL striker

As per transfer insider Graeme Bailey, Liverpool are still dreaming of signing Newcastle United striker Alexander Isak this summer, despite The Athletic’s David Ornstein previously declaring there would be “no chance” that the Sweden international leaves after United qualified for the Champions League.

It’s understood that upcoming contract talks will have a significant bearing on Isak’s stance, but if he were to leave this summer, Newcastle would be looking to bank a figure reaching as high as £150m.

Sky Sports’ Keith McDownie has claimed that while Newcastle are hopeful they can retain their talisman this summer, Isak is ambitious and does appear to view a transfer away at some stage.

What Alexander Isak would bring to Liverpool

What would Isak bring to Liverpool? In short, goals, and lots of them.

The 25-year-old has been a revelation at St. James’ Park since signing for a club-record £63m fee in 2022, departing Real Sociedad.

Across his three campaigns on Tyneside, Isak has scored 62 goals and laid on 11 assists across 109 matches, hitting his most confident stride over the past year, scoring 27 times as the Magpies flew back onto Europe’s elite stage, and indeed bagging against Liverpool in the Carabao Cup final.

But it’s not just the numbers, instead the remarkable range of skills that Isak brings to the table. Slot has showed through his maiden year at Anfield that he likes offensive players who operate dynamically, not just firing at goal but creating and linking up with teammates.

He’s a deadly marksman, hailed as a “world-class assassin” by pundit Alan Shearer, but Isak is indeed far more than a simple goalscorer, finishing the chances created by his peers.

Indeed, he’s one of the most complete out there. As per FBref, Isak ranked among the top 16% of strikers across Europe’s top five leagues last season for shot-creating actions, the top 13% for progressive passes, the top 7% for progressive carries and the top 8% for successful take-ons per 90.

You can see why he’s so coveted across the continent. Isak is the very definition of world-class, bringing so many dynamic attacking qualities to the table.

His tried-and-tested consistency in the Premier League bespeaks his suitability for Liverpool, and he’s two years younger than Gyokeres besides.

Sweden boss Jon Dahl Tomasson even went as far as to coin Isak “the best striker in the world.” The one-time Newcastle man acknowledged his bias, but in fairness, Isak has showcased his skills to such a level that that claim isn’t without substance.

Ultimately, both Isak and Gyokeres would improve Slot’s Liverpool system if they were added into the ranks, but if fans were quizzed on their ideal option to don the striker’s shirt, Isak would win overwhelmingly.

After such a prolific and robust campaign for Eddie Howe’s side, Isak has proven himself one of the best of his generation, especially since his athleticism appears to have taken a leap forward, avoiding any impactful injury that plagued him through previous seasons at Newcastle and in Spain.

Liverpool are dreaming of completing this staggering signing, and if they play their cards right, the pieces might just fall into place.

He's like Gordon: Liverpool lead race for "explosive" £40m Diaz replacement

Liverpool boss Arne Slot will need to welcome a new winger into the fold if Luis Diaz is sold.

1

By
Angus Sinclair

Jun 7, 2025

Manchester United have now opened talks to sign an “incredible” star, who’s scored a whopping 147 career goals, and they are looking to get a deal done at the start of next year.

Man Utd looking to bring in another leader

In the wake of the 4-1 victory against Wolverhampton Wanderers on Monday night, Ruben Amorim praised Lisandro Martinez for his leadership capabilities, while also adding: “Mason Mount is always the same thing, training, talking, dealing with people around Carrington. That is not easy. So he is a very, very good player.”

However, the perceived lack of leaders in the squad has been criticised for quite some time, with Roy Keane calling into question whether Bruno Fernandes is a suitable captain after the 1-1 draw against Chelsea last season.

Following the emphatic win at Molineux, the Red Devils are up to sixth in the Premier League table, but they clearly aren’t the finished article just yet, having lost at home to 10-man Everton and drawn with a struggling West Ham United side in recent weeks.

If Man United are to start competing for the top honours once again, they may need to bring in players who are experienced at the top level, and they have now opened talks over a deal for Sergio Ramos, who is a free agent, following his departure from Monterrey.

That is according to a report from Spain, which states negotiations are in the early stages, with United expressing the ‘strongest’ interest in securing the former Real Madrid man’s signature, and they are looking to bring him in at the start of next year.

Several other unnamed clubs are in the race for the Spaniard’s signature, with his future set to be resolved in the next few weeks.

Amorim's priority target: Man Utd step up interest in "special" Madrid star

Man United are now in the race for a “special” player

By
Dominic Lund

2 days ago

"Incredible" Ramos knows what it takes to win

With Keane previously making it clear he is not entirely convinced by Fernandes as a captain, Man United could perhaps do with bringing in an experienced leader, who knows what it takes to win.

The 39-year-old certainly fits the bill in that regard, having become the first player to captain a team to three straight Champions League triumphs during his time with Real Madrid.

Mesut Özil has also made it clear just how highly he rates his former teammate, saying: “Sergio Ramos is the best defender I’ve ever played with. And the one with the most character. At that time I was still very young, but I already had a very strong mentality. It was incredible. It was clear that sooner or later he would lead Real Madrid to UCL glory.”

Not only is the 180-time Spain international a top-quality defender, but he also poses a threat at the other end of the pitch, having amassed a whopping 147 career goals for club and country.

That said, Ramos is now 39-years-old, and hasn’t played in Europe since a spell with Sevilla in the 2023-24 campaign, so there may be some doubts over whether he is still capable of making an impact at a club like Man United.

Everton had emerged as a surprise contender in the race to secure Manchester City’s Jack Grealish on a loan deal alongside West Ham and Napoli. However, a report from BBC indicates that Everton have taken a step back from any potential pursuit of the 29-year-old midfielder.

• Grealish set for Man City exit
• Everton were keen to sign him
• West Ham & Napoli are also in the race

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Despite initial optimism about making a statement move, Everton now appear to be distancing itself from negotiations with Manchester City. This development marks another setback in what has become a frustrating transfer window for Everton, as several potential deals continue to stall.

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• GOAL
  

  WHAT MOYES SAID

  Everton manager David Moyes, speaking during the club’s pre-season preparations in the United States, has expressed concern over the lack of meaningful progress in the transfer market. Addressing reporters ahead of their Premier League Summer Series clash against his former side, West Ham, Moyes admitted that efforts to bolster the squad with experienced players have so far fallen short.

  "The truth is we're not getting a lot of the deals over the line at the moment, that's a fact," he said. "We're desperate to get things moving on because we know time's running out."

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  While Everton's interest in Grealish appears to be cooling, Napoli and West Ham remain very much in contention. Antonio Conte is understood to be an admirer of the England star and has already brought another former Manchester City player, Kevin De Bruyne, into his squad. The Italian giants, along with West Ham, are monitoring Grealish’s situation closely as City consider offloading the midfielder for a reported fee of around €45 million (£39m). Although City are open to a sale, a loan with a future purchase option remains a viable route for interested clubs.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Grealish, who currently earns approximately €10 million (£8.6m) annually, is reportedly willing to accept a reduced salary in order to secure regular football and a fresh start. This flexibility might still leave the door ajar for Everton should the club revisit the possibility later in the window.