Arsenal are considering an offer to sign another high-profile striker, which could happen within these next two days, as manager Mikel Arteta and interim sporting director Jason Ayto identify alternatives to Aston Villa star Ollie Watkins.
Arsenal target centre-forward in final days of January window
This year’s winter window closes on 3rd February, so the Gunners are running out of time to get a prolific new forward through the door after long-term injuries to Gabriel Jesus and Bukayo Saka.
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Arteta has admitted that Arsenal want a fresh attacking option, but it is highly likely they’ll miss out on top target Watkins. Villa rejected their opening £60m bid earlier this week, and now that Jhon Duran has sealed a mega-money move to Saudi Arabia with Al-Nassr, it is pretty obvious that Unai Emery will be unwilling to part company with two top strikers in such quick succession.
Man City (home)
February 2nd
Leicester City (away)
February 15th
West Ham (home)
February 22nd
Nottingham Forest (away)
February 26th
Man United (away)
March 9th
Emery’s side also may have been unhappy at the timing of Arsenal’s offer, which was right before Villa’s Champions League win over Celtic, so relations with their Premier League rivals certainly wouldn’t have been helped.
Now, attention turns to who they could realistically acquire instead of the England international, and Juventus striker Dušan Vlahović could be an option.
The Serb is out of contract in 2026, meaning Juve have a serious decision to make about his future if they cannot agree fresh terms. Vlahovic, on a surprisingly hefty reported £313,000-per-week wage in Turin, has scored 12 goals in all competitions so far this season.
Arsenal consider weekend bid for Juventus striker Dušan Vlahović
According to journalist Rudy Galetti, writing in a piece for TEAMtalk, Arsenal are considering an offer for Vlahovic this weekend.
The ex-Fiorentina star is open to making a move to England, handing Arteta a boost if Arsenal are to submit an imminent offer for Vlahovic, who is apparently one of their top targets.
However, a potential deal is deemed complicated, given Juve have next to no time to source a replacement. The Old Lady did seal a loan move for Randal Kolo Muani earlier this window, but manager Thiago Motta isn’t convinced that he can lead the line alone as they attempt to reignite their chase for Champions League football next season.
If Arsenal can somehow persuade them to part company, Vlahovic would certainly bolster Arteta’s attack.
“I’ve been saying it for a long time,” said former Juve striker Roberto Boninsegna about Vlahovic’s quality in an interview.
“He’s strong, massive, he fills up front, he’s a reference, he’s a ‘left-footer’ full of courage. A good centre-forward.”
West Bromwich Albion had to make do with a draw on the road last time out in Chris Brunt’s latest game as Baggies interim boss.
If it hadn’t been for Welsh veteran Joe Allen unexpectedly scoring at the death, it would have been a successive win for the Northern Irishman in the Championship, but the Swansea City midfielder had other ideas unfortunately.
Whilst Brunt has impressed in spells since taking on the reins unexpectedly from Carlos Corberan, it seems as if the second-tier promotion candidates are pressing on with replacing the Spaniard outright.
West Brom holding talks with bold Corberan replacement
As per recent reports from @talkwba on X (formerly Twitter) West Brom look set to hold talks with former Young Boys manager Raphael Wicky about taking over from Corberan, in what would be a left-field choice of replacement.
Described as being ‘well liked’ by the second-tier outfit, the Swiss manager would join the English game off the back of succeeding in his native Switzerland, alongside managing further afield in the United States with Chicago Fire.
Whilst he boasts no experience of the tough demands of EFL football yet, the Baggies will pray he acclimatises swiftly to his new surroundings if a deal is to be secured, having already made a name for himself on these shores when getting the better of Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City back in 2018 as Basel boss.
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What Wicky could offer West Brom
Wicky wasn’t facing off against the battered and bruised version of City now either, with his Basel side handing out a first home loss of the season to the super-confident hosts when picking up an almighty 2-1 scalp.
In that same run of fixtures in the Champions League, Basel also managed to get the better of Jose Mourinho’s Manchester United 1-0, with both titans of the English game remarkably humbled by the 47-year-old’s methods.
Domestically in Switzerland, Wicky would also prove to be a hit when he was Young Boys manager, leading the side to a Swiss League and Cup double as boss during a very successful 2022/23 season.
Therefore, everything points in the direction that he could go on to be a great successor to Corberan’s throne in managing to get more out of an underdog team like the now Valencia boss pulled off for the Baggies when he first arrived and they were near the foot of the Championship.
Games managed
321
244
Wins
168
96
Draws
62
64
Losses
91
83
Yet, despite Corberan turning West Brom into regular play-off challengers away from worrying about the drop under Steve Bruce, Wicky boasts more overall victories as a manager at 168 contrasted next to his counterpart’s 96, albeit from a significant boost of 77 more clashes.
Still, that win percentage – which comes in at 52% – cannot just be brushed aside after one look, with the 47-year-old wanting to pick up more and more victories as a boss if the Hawthorns do come calling soon.
Often utilising the 4-2-3-1 formation when in charge at Young Boys – alongside a more preferred 4-4-2 set-up – this will suit the current Baggies set-up perfectly well with Tom Fellows a constant menace down the wings alongside offering the team a strong defensive shape.
It was always going to be a tough ask for West Brom to immediately go out and find a dream successor, but in Wicky, the promotion hopefuls could strike gold on what is somewhat of an unknown entity.
West Brom struck gold on star who is now worth more than Mowatt & Johnston
West Bromwich Albion will pray this star isn’t tempted by a move away this January.
أعلن نادي برشلونة تشكيل الفريق لمباراة بلد الوليد، التي تقام مساء اليوم السبت، بمنافسات بطولة الدوري الإسباني.
ويحل برشلونة ضيفًا على بلد الوليد، ضمن مباريات الجولة الرابعة والثلاثين للدوري الإسباني “الليجا”.
ويتصدر برشلونة ترتيب الدوري الإسباني برصيد 76 نقطة، ويليه ريال مدريد في المركز الثاني برصيد 72 نقطة.
ويتواجد بلد الوليد في المركز الأخير بترتيب الدوري الإسباني، برصيد 16 نقطة.
اقرأ أيضًا | 6 لاعبين مهددين بالغياب عن كلاسيكو برشلونة وريال مدريد
وشهد تشكيل برشلونة تواجد مارك تير شتيجن للمرة الأولى بعد غياب للإصابة، منذ 22 سبتمبر الماضي، أي منذ 223 يومًا.
وأجرى فليك تغييرات متعددة في تشكيل برشلونة، حيث يتواجد أنسو فاتي أساسيًا في الهجوم إلى جانب باو فيكتور ورودريجز، مع الاعتماد على كريستنسن وأروخو كقلبي دفاع. تشكيل برشلونة اليوم أمام بلد الوليد
حراسة المرمى: مارك تير شتيجن.
خط الدفاع: هيكتور فورت، رونالد أروخو، كريستينسن، مارتن.
Ange Postecoglou was incensed after Tottenham Hotspur were defeated by Newcastle United down N17. It marks the fifth defeat from seven matches in the Premier League and condemns Spurs to a continued place at the bottom end of the table.
Context is key, for Tottenham are dealing with a shocking injury crisis that has effectively precluded any kind of consistency, but it’s still frustrating to watch capable players make blunders with deflating regularity.
While he’s been dealt a terrible hand, Postecoglou has been at fault for some of his tactical decisions, certainly not getting it right when opting to start Timo Werner on the left flank.
The German international was truly terrible. Again.
Timo Werner's performance vs Newcastle
Last summer, Werner was called back for a second loan spell in north London. Postecoglou wanted some added depth and enjoyed the 28-year-old’s pace last season, albeit not his finishing.
Heung-min Son was dropped against Newcastle after struggling against Wolves before the new year. He’s still a fantastic player but the South Korean skipper is 32 and lacks his one-time athleticism.
Timo Werner in action for Tottenham
Werner flattered to deceive in his stead, only lasting an hour before being dragged back into the sidelines in place of his captain, who at least added some impetus with a completed dribble, a key pass and a 75% success rate in the duel, as per Sofascore.
It’s proof that Werner isn’t good enough, especially if you were to look at his performance through the lens of comparison, with Newcastle’s left flanker Anthony Gordon putting in a vastly superior showing.
Tottenham 1-2 Newcastle – Timo Werner vs Anthony Gordon
Match Stats
Werner
Gordon
Minutes played
62′
78′
Goals
0
1
Assists
0
0
Touches
22
48
Shots (on target)
0 (0)
5 (2)
Pass accuracy
10/12 (83%)
20/24 (83%)
Key passes
0
2
Dribbles (completed)
1 (0)
2 (0)
Duels (won)
4 (2)
9 (2)
Stats via Sofascore
As you can see, Werner’s opposite number outstripped him, not only chalking his name onto the scoresheet but taking plenty of touches and threading a couple of passes through to surging teammates.
Most importantly, he peppered the Tottenham goal throughout, showing Spurs that they missed out when signing Richarlison ahead of the England international in 2022.
Newcastle forward Anthony Gordon
Werner will hang his head and expect a return to the bench after this howler. He wasn’t, however, the most culpable Spurs star on the afternoon – not with Radu Dragusin continuing to knock his chances of a long-term future at the club into oblivion.
Ange must brutally sell Radu Dragusin
We’re almost exactly one year on from Tottenham’s standout signing of the 2023/24 January transfer window. He joined from Genoa in a deal worth £27m but has failed to break away from a bit-part role.
Tottenham defender Radu Dragusin
As Sofascore records: Dragusin completed a rather woeful 53% of his passes, taking 17 touches (fewer than the anonymous Werner) and failing with one lonely contested duel.
It’s no surprise that London World branded the Romanian with a 3/10 match rating, lambasting him for being incapable of defending. That, to be sure, is a rather important part of being a centre-back.
It is worth noting that Dragusin and Gray were among the Tottenham players to have caught a sickness bug in the build-up to the fixture, as Ange confirmed post-match, but it was more of the same from the natural centre-half and he was still overshadowed by his younger partner.
It’s a fair point that questions must be asked of Tottenham’s tactical team, for Dragusin is not showing the kind of technical game required for lasting success within Postecoglou’s system, and has instead fallen by the wayside and languished as an inferior part alongside an 18-year-old midfielder moonlighting as a defender.
As per FBref, Dragusin actually ranks among the bottom 24% of centre-backs across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for progressive passes (2.60) per 90 and only the top 50% for pass completion.
Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy may well be inclined to urge Postecoglou to cut the club’s losses and make the Romania international expendable, which is a pretty damning thing given that Spurs’ other centre-backs all lie injured.
From being sent off after seven minutes in the Europa League during Tottenham’s away victory over Qarabag to making a spate of errors during a run in the starting line-up, courtesy of various other injuries, it’s been a testing campaign.
And let’s just forget about his ball-playing foibles, why don’t we? Sofascore have logged that the 22-year-old has been the author of four separate errors in the Premier League this term, his purportedly steely defensive qualities deserting him at an outfit crying out for some authority.
We will go out on a limb and surmise that Postecoglou will not be starting his young defender when Micky van de Ven, Cristian Romero and Ben Davies make their anticipated returns at the end of January.
Tottenham Hotspur managerAngePostecogloureacts
He’s young and has a platform for growth, but it’s unlikely that many Lilywhites supporters would bemoan the decision to cut him loose given his abject performances in white this season.
With a transfer value of around £21m, as per Transfermarkt, Dragusin’s stock might have taken a knock during his disastrous run at Tottenham, but he’s still got talent and many years of football ahead of him.
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Some might say that that is a fact to direct toward persistence, keeping him on the books and investing further in his potential, but Postecoglou might view things differently, with Dragusin lacking the nous and wherewithal to prosper in his system.
Spurs target £30m+ Udogie upgrade with "an engine unmatched by anyone else"
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أعلن الاتحاد الإفريقي لكرة القدم “كاف” مواعيد مباريات دور نصف نهائي دوري أبطال إفريقيا لموسم 2024-2025، والتي ستشهد مواجهات نارية بين كبار القارة.
وكانت منافسات ربع النهائي قد أسفرت عن تأهل 4 فرق، بواقع ممثلين من مصر ومثلهما من جنوب إفريقيا، ليُصبح نصف النهائي مواجهة خالصة بين عملاقي الكرة في شمال وجنوب القارة.
في واحدة من أكثر المواجهات المرتقبة، يلتقي النادي الأهلي، حامل اللقب وصاحب الرقم القياسي في عدد التتويجات (12 لقبًا)، مع فريق ماميلودي صن داونز الجنوب إفريقي، في صدام يعيد ذكريات منافسات السنوات الأخيرة بين الفريقين.
وكان الأهلي قد تأهل إلى هذا الدور بعد تخطيه الهلال السوداني بنتيجة 2-0 في مجموع مباراتي الذهاب والإياب، بينما عبر صن داونز عقبة الترجي التونسي بفوز صعب، بهدف نظيف في مجموع اللقاءين.
أما في المواجهة الثانية، فيسعى بيراميدز لمواصلة مغامرته التاريخية عندما يواجه أورلاندو بايرتس الجنوب إفريقي، في أول ظهور له بهذا الدور في دوري الأبطال، ويمثل هذا اللقاء صراعًا جديدًا يعكس صعودًا قويًا على الساحة الإفريقية.
طالع أيضًا | كيفين جونسون لـ “بطولات”: مواجهات الأهلي وبيراميدز ضد أندية جنوب إفريقيا ستكون تكتيكية ومغلقة مواعيد مباريات نصف نهائي دوري أبطال إفريقيا
مباريات الذهاب – السبت 19 أبريل 2025
صن داونز ضد الأهلي – الساعة 3:00 عصرًا بتوقيت مصر، 4:00 بتوقيت السعودية.
أورلاندو ضد بيراميدز – الساعة 6:00 مساءً، بتوقيت مصر، 7:00 بتوقيت السعودية.
مباريات الإياب ستُقام يوم 25 أبريل، والذي يصادف بداية العمل بالتوقيت الصيفي في مصر، حيث سيتم تقديم الساعة رسميًا.
مباريات الإياب – الجمعة 25 أبريل 2025
الأهلي ضد صن داونز – الساعة 7:00 مساءً بتوقيت القاهرة والسعودية.
بيراميدز ضد أورلاندو – الساعة 9:00 مساءً بتوقيت مصر والسعودية.
ويخوض كل من الأهلي وبيراميدز مباراتي الذهاب خارج الديار في جنوب إفريقيا، على أن تُقام مواجهتا الإياب الحاسمتان في القاهرة، وسط حضور جماهيري منتظر ودعم كبير من أنصار الفريقين.
Kagiso Rabada moves up to No. 3 on Test bowlers’ table, while in ODIs, Rashid Khan has re-entered the top ten
ESPNcricinfo staff02-Mar-2022
Shreyas Iyer hit three unbeaten half-centuries in the ODI series against Sri Lanka•BCCI
Shreyas Iyer was the Player of the Series in India’s 3-0 T20I sweep against Sri Lanka after scoring 204 runs with three unbeaten half-centuries, and that has given him a remarkable promotion of 27 places to No. 18 in the ICC rankings for T20I batters. Even as Iyer gained, Virat Kohli, who was rested for the series, dropped out of the top ten to 15th, while Pathum Nissanka’s 75 in the second game helped him get to ninth place, a rise of six spots.Away in New Zealand, South Africa completed a remarkable bounce back as they won the second Test in Christchurch to square the series. Kagiso Rabada was the Player of the Match there for his eight wickets in the game – to go with a handy innings of 47 – and that meant a sharp rise of three spots to No. 3 among Test bowlers. Only Pat Cummins and R Ashwin are now above him.ESPNcricinfo Ltd
Following New Zealand’s disappointing performance, Kyle Jamieson dropped two spots to fifth and Tim Southee went down one spot to sixth among Test bowlers, while Devon Conway’s 92 in the second innings took him up six places to No. 17.Back to T20Is, and Muhammad Waseem’s 112 in 66 balls in the final of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Qualifier A against Ireland not only gave UAE the title, it also put him at No. 12 among batters in the format. This is now the highest any UAE batter has reached on the T20I rankings, with Waseem topping the 13th place achieved by Shaiman Anwar in 2017.Full rankings tables
Click here for the full team rankings
Click here for the full player rankings
Rohan Mustafa had a decent tournament in Al Amerat with ball and bat too, as he scored 96 runs in four innings and picked up eight wickets – that moved him up to sixth place among allrounders, one below his career-high of fifth, which he achieved in February 2020.Across in Bangladesh, the home side won an ODI series against Afghanistan 2-1. Litton Das hit 136 and 86 in the second and third matches there, which put him at a career-best 32nd among batters, and while Mehidy Hasan Miraz dropped two spots to seventh among bowlers, Rashid Khan re-entered the top ten – at No. 9 – after picking up five wickets.
كشفت تقارير صحفية إسبانية، عن موقف الدولي البرازيلي، رافينيا لاعب فريق كرة القدم الأول بنادي برشلونة، بعد اعتراضاته في مباراة البلوجرانا أمس ضد ريال بيتيس.
وتعادل برشلونة على ملعبه بهدف لمثله أمام ريال بيتيس بملعب لويس كومبانيس “مونتجويك” وخسر نقطتين في صراع الصدارة مع ريال مدريد.
وبعد المباراة ظهر اللاعب البرازيلي الذي شارك بديلًا، وهو منزعج تمامًا بسبب قرارات حكم المباراة، وكان غاضبًا ولم ينجح ليفاندوفسكي أو هانز فليك، وكذلك تير شتيجن، من تهدئته، بل كان له صدام مع الأخير.
وذهب رافينيا واعترض بشدة على جيل مانزانو بسبب أنه أطلق صافرة النهاية دون أن يحتسب ركنية لصالح برشلونة، واستمرت ثورة اللاعب مع الحكم المساعد حتى الخروج من الملعب.
صحيفة “موندو ديبورتيفو” الإسبانية، أكدت بأن اللاعب البرازيلي لن يتعرض لعقوبة، رغم أنه قال للحكم المساعد “أنت وقح”.
وأشارت الصحيفة إلى أنه لحسن حظ رافينيا، لم يتم ذكر شيء في تقرير المباراة، مما يجعل موقف اللاعب سليما ويمكنه المشاركة في المباراة القادمة.
Chasing 202, Galle Gladiators came undone in the face of Kings’ superb attack after Danushka Gunathilaka’s 54
Andrew Fidel Fernando23-Dec-2021Avishka Fernando and Rahmanullah Gurbaz put on a manic opening stand in the Lanka Premier League (LPL) 2021 final against Galle Gladiators, Tom Kohler-Cadmore, Shoaib Malik, and Thisara Perera muscled Jaffna Kings to a total of 201 for 3, and then their superb attack closed the match down.On Thursday, Maheesh Theekshana (arguably the best bowler in the tournament) and Jayden Seales (the best quick of the LPL) went for runs, as Danushka Gunathilaka produced a fearsome opening salvo, that set Gladiators’ chase off to a rocket-fueled start. But Kings have a lot of good bowlers, one of whom is Wanindu Hasaranga. He produced a vital double-strike, and an excellent spell overall. Suranga Lakmal and Chaturanga de Silva also delivered tight spells.Related
LPL: Dinesh Chandimal, Thisara Perera, Imran Tahir, Jayden Seales headline ESPNcricinfo's team of the tournament
Gladiators were tenacious, but Kings defended their total comfortably, winning by 23 runs.There has been a controversial ownership change since the last LPL, but Jaffna have now won the first two LPLs. Thisara Perera has led them to both victories. Theekshana, Hasaranga, and Lakmal have been valuable assets to both campaigns. And for the second year, former Sri Lanka batter Thilina Kandamby has put together an excellent squad, and been at the helm of the best tactical side of the competition.Gurbaz’s opening salvo Gurbaz had had a mediocre first five matches of the LPL, but caught fire towards the end of the tournament, and was in outstanding striking form in the powerplay again. He got his first boundary thanks to a misfield at point at the end of the first over, but then exploded, hitting three straight sixes and a four off his next seven deliveries, to get the Kings’ innings into a high gear, from which it never really switched down. He eventually holed out against the canny left-arm spin of Samit Patel, but his 35 off 18 was instrumental in Kings reaping 61 in the powerplay.Fernando motors to another fifty Having hit arguably the tournament’s best innings against Dambulla Giants, in the qualifier on Tuesday, Fernando produced another impressive innings in the final, to keep Kings’ momentum going through the early middle overs. He had not been a slouch in the powerplay, hitting five boundaries, but continued to be effective against Gladiators’ spinners, clearing the boundary against Patel and later the legspin of Pulina Tharanga. When Nuwan Thushara had him caught at deep midwicket for 63 off 41 in the 13th over, Kings were still motoring at around 10 an over.Kohler-Cadmore and Perera finish off Kings’ top five have been ruthless through the course of the tournament, and they are all the batters they needed to use to get to yet another total of over 200. Kohler-Cadmore’s 57 not out off 41 helped the side push on through the middle overs. And then Thisara, the most explosive batter of the tournament, hit two sixes and a four at the start of the final over, to collect 17 not out off nine balls.Mendis and Gunathilaka give Kings a scare Kusal Mendis and Gunathilaka, both of whom are currently suspended from national duty, had points to prove in the LPL, and Mendis at least has provided reason for Sri Lanka’s selectors to consider him again once he becomes available, top-scoring in the league, with his 327 runs at a strike rate of 149. Today, though, it was Gunathilaka who was most effective, laying into Theekshana, Seales, and Lakmal in the first four overs of the powerplay, to hit an outstanding 54 off 21 balls. That salvo saw Gladiators plunder 81 from the powerplay overs.Hasaranga changes the game Such is the depth in Kings’ attack, though, that their third-best bowler this tournament has been Hasaranga, who currently sits atop the world T20I rankings. And it is he who dismissed Gunathilaka, having him caught at cover, before dismissing Ben Dunk the next ball with a googly. His fast thinking, upon receiving a throw at the non-striker’s end, also helped end the innings of Mohammad Hafeez, when he quickly threw the ball to the keeper, to find the batter short.Later in the game, his brother, Chaturanga, contributed as well, taking the wickets of Dhananjaya Lakshan and Tharanga. Wanindu took an excellent catch running back from cover to complete the dismissal for his brother.
Inter Miami superstar Lionel Messi has helped to launch the 2025 MLS campaign by doing keepy-uppies with an American football.
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NFL season came to a close at Super Bowl
Messi among those in attendance at Caesars Superdome
Attention now turning to quest for MLS Cup
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The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner was among those in attendance at Super LIX as the NFL season came to a close in spectacular style in New Orleans. As one form of football prepares to take a break, another is stepping into the spotlight.
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Messi landed the 46th trophy of his record-breaking career in 2024, as Inter Miami posted a historic points haul en route to claiming the Supporters’ Shield, but they came up short in the MLS Cup – meaning that there are wrongs to be righted in Florida.
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Messi, as the reigning MVP of MLS, will be back for more as he enters the final year of his current deal. The new campaign gets underway on February 22, with another quest for glory – that sees the regular season run through to October 18 – about to begin.
Liverpool Football Club have an interesting period of time coming up off the pitch. New boss Arne Slot has made a superb start to his tenure as manager, with his side currently sitting top of the Premier League table on 18 points, one more than Manchester City and Arsenal in second and third, respectively.
Off the pitch, however, some of their biggest stars have some important decisions to make regarding their current deal.. The contracts of Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold are set to expire at the end of the season.
Salah and Van Dijk would be not as much of a loss given they are 32 and 33 years old respectively. However, it would be a huge blow to lose local hero, Alexander-Arnold.
Alexander-Arnold’s contract situation
The 26-year-old England international is a product of Liverpool’s esteemed academy that has produced the likes of Steven Gerrard, Jamie Carragher and Steve McMannaman. He is the latest Merseysider off that famous production line.
Trent Alexander-Arnold for Liverpool
The Reds’ number 66 has an extraordinary record for his boyhood club. He has played 319 times for the club, scoring 19 times and registering an incredible 83 assists. He has registered ten or more assists in the Premier League in three separate seasons.
The Englishman, who has 32 caps and four goals for his country, has been a crucial player for the Reds in recent years. He was imperative to Jurgen Klopp’s dominant Liverpool side in the late 2010s, helping win their first Premier League title and sixth European Cup.
Recent reports in Spain have suggested the right-back could make a move from Anfield to the Santiago Bernabeu and join Real Madrid on a free transfer. Los Blancos can negotiate a deal with him in January and could look to wrap it up before any other side, or Liverpool, beat them to it.
Trent Alexander-Arnold vs Man United
It is certainly a precarious situation for the Reds, who would no doubt love to keep hold of their star man. Not only would he leave the club, but they might not make any money on the departure, given he is set to depart on a free.
Alexander-Arnold is valued at £58.4m as per Transfermarkt, although that could be more if his contract was not set to expire, perhaps even as high as £100m. Liverpool might well have another player who could reach that value, given his performances this campaign.
Liverpool’s next £100m star
The player in question here is Netherlands midfielder Ryan Gravenberch. The 22-year-old has been in superb form under Slot this season and has been playing a relatively new role as a deep-lying midfielder.
This term, the Ajax academy graduate has played nine times for the Reds, completing 90 minutes in every single one of their games so far. He has been excellent from a defensive standpoint, using his long legs to win balls back with ease, before progressing play with line-breaking passes.
That is certainly something reflected in his stats from the 2024/25 Premier League season so far, courtesy of Sofascore. The midfielder has completed an average of 32.3 passes in the opposition’s half per 90 minutes and has won an impressive 4.9 ground duels each game.
Stat (per 90)
Gravenberch
Rice
Touches
84
52
Pass accuracy
89%
91%
Passes completed
60.9
33.3
Passes into opposition half
32.3
22.2
Ball recoveries
6
5
Tackles + interceptions
3.8
1.5
Ground duels won
4.9
1.5
He could be well on his way to becoming Liverpool’s own Declan Rice. The England international has emerged as one of the best number six and eight hybrids in world football and was sold to Arsenal from West Ham for £105m last summer, having been described as among the “top five” midfielders in the game by compatriot, Conor Gallagher.
The Gunners number 41 plays a similar role to that of the Dutch international now, and is of a similar profile – as FBref have noted, among midfielders operating in the Champions League this season – using his long limbs to retrieve the ball before progressive play or explosively carrying forwards.
Ryan Gravenberch for Liverpool
Although he is worth just £33.4m, now, Gravenberch’s value as per Transfermarkt is continuing to rise thanks to his impressive performances this season, and he could well hit the £105m value of the man he is likened to, Rice, if he keeps it up.
Still only 22 years of age, the Dutchman is already looking like something of a “Rolls Royce” – as per journalist Declan Carr. If he continues these performances for the Reds this season, there is no reason why he cannot become their next player worth £100m or more.
Liverpool could unearth a bigger talent than Gravenberch in "special" teen
The Anfield star may well have another superstar on their hands.