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Have you ever seen a Premier League season end in quite such fashion? After Liverpool dispatched Tottenham Hotspur at the beginning of the month, they were crowned champions, romping home to the title at a canter. No one was ever going to stop them, not even Ibiza. They partied hard between games, deservedly so, too.

They had to wait what felt like an age to actually get their hands on the trophy, though, but they lifted it aloft last Sunday in front of their own supporters for the first time in nearly 40 years.

The Reds may well have won the Premier League in 2019/20, but that ill-fated Covid-19 season meant that no fans were actually inside the ground to see Jordan Henderson get his mits on English football’s biggest piece of silverware.

So, there was understandably quite the party at Anfield over the weekend as Virgil van Dijk, leader supreme, danced for joy as he threw the red-ribonned trophy into the air.

Such an astonishing season, Arne Slot’s first at the helm, lest we forget, begs a question. Where do these Liverpool players stand among the pantheon of Merseyside greats?

Which Liverpool players have become legends of Anfield

A year ago, Jurgen Klopp waved farewell to Anfield a bonafide Liverpool legend. Yet, is legacy may well now be surpassed by Slot who has managed the unthinkable in his first campaign in England.

For winning the league alone, the Dutchman will now stand among the greatest Liverpool managers of all time.

He’s also helped to successfully cement Mo Salah’s legacy as an icon, a player surely worthy of a statue in Liverpool once his playing days come to an end.

Across a simply staggering campaign, the rampant Egyptian scored 34 goals in 52 games, posting 23 assists as well.

In the league, he netted 29 in 38 and also supplied 18 assists. He was two of Thierry Henry’s assist record but he did tie the record for the highest number of goals and assists in a single Premier League campaign.

1. Mo Salah (2024/25)

38

29

18

2. Andy Cole (1993/94)

40

34

23

3. Alan Shearer (1994/95)

42

34

13

4. Erling Haaland (2022/23)

35

36

8

5. Thierry Henry (2002/03)

37

24

20

6. Mo Salah (2017/18)

36

32

10

7. Luis Suarez (2013/14)

33

31

11

He is a certified legend, as too is captain Van Dijk. The pair of them signed new contracts a few months ago to cement their status as legends. Trent Alexander-Arnold may well have been up there too had he rejected advances from Real Madrid. Sadly, we all know how that story ended.

Is there anyone else up there? Well, Alisson is certainly a modern-day great, now up to 298 appearances for Liverpool and hailed as “the greatest goalkeeper in Premier League history alongside Peter Schmeichel,” by Jamie Carragher.

That trio of players will certainly not be forgotten in a hurry, but whether they’ve matched the legacy of a certain Steven Gerrard remains to be seen.

How Liverpool struck gold on Steven Gerrard

The term ‘generational’ is often thrown about a bit too regularly in modern football but it’s safe to say that Gerrard, as far as English talents go, was generational.

He’s one of the best we’ve ever seen in the Premier League but how did he get there?

Well, it all started in November 1998, when aged 18 years, five months and 30 days, he made his Premier League debut for the Reds in a 2-0 win over Blackburn Rovers.

Managed by Gerard Houllier at the time, it was rather poetic that perhaps the best player he ever managed shared a name.

It was the Frenchman who saw Gerrard’s obvious talent, notably handing him the Liverpool captaincy just five years later in 2003.

The rest, as they say, is history. Gerrard, capped a remarkable 114 times for England, would go on to feature 710 times for Liverpool. That places him third on the club’s all-time record appearance makers behind Carragher (737) and Ian Callaghan (855).

He never lifted the Premier League like Salah and Co, but he did win the Champions League on two occasions and among many other domestic honours, lifted the FA Cup twice. Who could forget that screamer in the final against West Ham? It was a bullet of a strike, something the midfielder became famed for during his illustrious career.

However, it could have been different for the now 44-year-old. Remember when Chelsea came calling? How could we forget?

In 2004, during the European Championships, Gerrard was distracted by transfer speculation. “Arsene Wenger, Jose Mourinho and Sir Alex Ferguson talked me up before the tournament, so I knew they fancied signing me,” he once noted.

It was Mourinho and Chelsea who followed up on that interest, reportedly tabling a British record bid for the iconic England international. Gerrard even allegedly handed in a transfer request.

Unlike Trent, a move to another of Europe’s biggest clubs never happened. The Liverpool academy graduate stayed at Anfield and became a legend, one of the greatest we’ve seen in this country.

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Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

He was heralded left, right and centre, but perhaps most notably by the great Brazilian, Pele.

Speaking just months after the 2006 FA Cup final win over the Hammers, Pele said: “The fans, they look only for forwards, always a forward. Somebody who scores. Sometimes you have a player like Gerrard. For me, for the last five years Gerrard has been the best player in the world. He is a midfielder, he plays very good. People didn’t mention Gerrard, now they mention Ronaldinho, Ronaldo, Messi because they are forwards.”

Fine words indeed from perhaps the greatest of all time. It’s safe to say Liverpool struck gold on Gerrard. They must be forever thankful that he didn’t head to Chelsea all those years ago.

After Wirtz: Liverpool looking to sign £126m star who's shades of Torres

Liverpool are hoping to sign a new centre-forward in the transfer market this summer.

ByAngus Sinclair May 27, 2025

Chelsea are maintaining their transfer plans for the summer window, despite no longer being able to add to their Club World Cup squad till much later this month.

Chelsea prioritising new attackers for Enzo Maresca

If Enzo Maresca becomes desperate to reinforce his squad again during this summer’s tournament, which kicks off in three days, the Blues will have a unique registration window open from June 27 to July 3 – so missing out on key targets before Tuesday’s 7pm deadline wasn’t exactly the end of the world.

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Chelsea attempted to complete deals for both AC Milan goalkeeper Mike Maignan and Borussia Dortmund sensation Jamie Gittens, but haggling on price saw the west Londoners fail to seal either of their signatures in time.

Cole Palmer

7.33

Moises Caicedo

7.02

Enzo Fernández

6.95

Nicolas Jackson

6.88

Noni Madueke

6.82

via WhoScored

Chelsea walked away from the deal for Maignan after deciding not to meet Milan’s reported £25 million valuation, and they also saw three deadline day bids rejected for Gittens as Dortmund continued to demand more money.

Following these botched deals, reliable journalist Simon Phillips reports that Chelsea are prioritising new attackers for the rest of the window, with BlueCo keen to add a new left winger, versatile attacking midfielder and another striker after Liam Delap.

“For the rest of the window, it is attackers that is the priority. SPTC sources have confirmed that Chelsea want to sign a new left-winger, a versatile attacking midfielder, and another new striker. The Hugo Ekitiké story is far from dead,” said Phillips, via his Substack.

“One source continues to mention both Morgan Rogers and Eberechi Eze to me as real ones to watch. There’s a lot of noise around both players right now and remember, Chelsea reached out to Rogers agent earlier this week. If Chelsea cannot land Ekitike, expect another new striker to be targeted. Enzo Maresca wants his attack improved and has asked for all the above positions.”

Phillips also states that Gittens remains on the radar of Chelsea despite their tough negotiations with Dortmund on Tuesday.

Jamie Gittens wants to join Chelsea and is convinced it'll happen

According to fellow journalist Graeme Bailey, writing for TBR, the 20-year-old is equally keen for this move to happen, regardless of the deadline day failure.

It is believed that Gittens is “especially” convinced that his move to Chelsea will eventually happen, and he still wants to join the west Londoners after holding positive talks with Maresca’s side.

Discussions over a move for the £55 million winger will apparently continue once the transfer window reopens on June 16, and Gittens could be an excellent addition to Maresca’s squad after scoring 12 goals and assisting five others in 48 appearances last season.

“He’s a very important player for us,” said ex-Dortmund boss Nuri Şahin.

“Jamie himself wants to take the next step, and we want him to take that step. Now he’s scoring goals and playing more mature football. It’s not news to me that he’s incredible one-on-one and is a very good finisher.”

Excitement is starting to build amongst Celtic supporters ahead of the new season.

Kieran Tierney’s return to Glasgow was confirmed last week, and fans cannot wait to see their beloved homegrown hero bedecked in green and white hoops again.

It’s safe to say the transfer window is really starting to take shape for Brendan Rodgers’ Celtic side.

Indeed, despite the arrival of Tierney, the Bhoys have an interest in signing Liverpool’s Andy Robertson while another defender, this time of Japanese origin, could also join.

Talks are reportedly underway to sign Hayato Inamura from J League club Albirex Niigata but he’s not the only player Celtic appear to be in conversations to sign.

Celtic targeting a new winger

According to a report by Anthony Joseph of Sky Sports News, Celtic have now ‘agreed’ a fee of £1.7m with Nordsjælland as they attempt to sign attacker Benjamin Nygren, adding that the Hoops ‘will now look to finalise’ the deal.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

Joseph states that an agreement was reached on the player side last week and that talks have progressed well with the club since.

Given that the 23-year-old is out of contract with the Danish Superligaen side in December, Nygren is available for significantly lower than his estimated current market value of around £5m, making the agreed fee appear an absolute bargain.

The winger began his senior career with hometown club IFK Göteborg and, after unspectacular spells with Genk in Belgium and then Heerenveen in the Netherlands, he arrived at Nordsjælland in January 2022, with whom his career has really taken off.

Now, he’s set to become the 11th Swedish player to appear for Celtic, hoping to follow in the footsteps of club legends Mikael Lustig, Johan Mjällby and, of course, Henrik Larsson.

Benjamin Nygren​​​​​​​: the new Nicolas Kühn?

Similar to Nygren, Nicolas Kühn​​​​​​​ had bounced around numerous clubs at a young age, representing RB Leipzig, Jong Ajax, Bayern Munich Amateure, Erzgebirge Aue​​​​​​​ and Rapid Wien before joining Celtic for a reported fee of £3m in January 2024.

Well, the German has certainly found a home in Glasgow, exploding onto the scene this season, as the table below illustrates.

Minutes

3,285

8th

Goals

21

2nd

Assists

15

1st

UCL goals

3

2nd

Average SofaScore rating

7.29

2nd

This end product led to Rodgers labelling Kühn’s performances as “outstanding”, while Michael Shearer of Breaking the Lines asserted that he is ‘poised to become’ the Celts’ ‘next great attacking player’.

This has seen a £25m price-tag placed on his head, with countless Premier League and Bundesliga clubs purportedly interested.

So, could Nygren have a similar impact upon his imminent arrival?

Well, let’s assess how the two wide-attackers compare to one-another.

Appearances

107

51

Minutes

6,206

3,416

Goals

35

7

Minutes per goal

177

488

Assists

8

10

Shots per 90

2.8

2.11

Shots on target %

41.7%

46.4%

Take-on success %

60.6%

57.8%

As the table shows, Nygren was significantly more impressive at his previous club than Kühn was upon his own arrival, with Global Football Rankings actually rating the Superligaen (13th) nine places higher than the Austrian Bundesliga (22nd).

The 23-year-old’s form for Nordsjælland​​​​​​​ has seen him earn his Sweden debut earlier this year, featuring in all four of the Blågult’s friendlies so far in 2024, scoring against both Northern Ireland in Stockholm and Hungary at the Puskás Aréna earlier this month.

Analyst Will Glavin labels Nygren a “versatile​​​​​​​” attacker who possesses a “killer instinct in front of goal”, given his ability to appear in “dangerous areas” at the right time.

Meantime, Sakhu Mpofu of Total Football Analysis documents how, at his best, he “inverts into the centre’ from the right-flank, which could also be used to describe Kühn.

Thus, in short, Celtic supporters should be extremely excited about the arrival of the Swedish youngster.

​​​​​​​

Bigger talent than Tierney: Celtic eyeing move for "world-class" Hoops fan

Having already secured the services of Kieran Tierney, could Celtic snap-up another boyhood Celts fan, who is a “world class” Premier League star?

1 Jun 18, 2025

Glasgow Rangers have made a formal bid to sign another full-back for manager Russell Martin after an Ibrox deal for Max Aarons.

Rangers sign Aarons on loan as Gers announce deal

After confirming a deal which was agreed earlier in the year to sign midfielder Lyall Cameron, the Gers and 49ers Enterprises have moved efficiently to bring Aarons to Ibrox.

Moving to Glasgow on a straight loan deal from Bournemouth, Aarons got straight to work with Rangers and said after penning his contract:

Ahead of Rangers’ Champions League qualifier against Panathinaikos and Scottish Premiership opener at Motherwell, Martin and the Gers will be looking at more additions, with further defensive signings on the agenda.

Leicester City centre-back Conor Coady is open to a move to Rangers following contact, whereas Liverpool’s Owen Beck is another transfer target. Talks were thought to be opened by Rangers over a move for Beck, and a new update has emerged.

Rangers make bid to sign Owen Beck

According to DaveOCKOP, ‘Rangers have now made their interest formal with a bid for the 22-year-old’.

Liverpool have held talks with Beck over extending his contract and sending him out on loan, whereas Rangers are interested in a permanent deal for the left-back.

Beck spent last season on loan at Blackburn Rovers and won their Young Player of the Season award after making 24 Championship appearances. Prior to his time at Ewood Park, Beck also had loan spells at Famalicao, Bolton Wanderers and Dundee United.

The Welshman was actually described as “spectacular” by scout Jacek Kulig, who also compared him to Andy Robertson when coming through Liverpool’s academy.

Elsewhere, former Liverpool U21 coach Barry Lewtas called Beck a “consistent performer” back in 2022. “I thought Owen was fantastic. The progress he has made over his time at the Academy, but certainly the last couple of years, is a credit to him with the work he puts in [and] how coachable he is because he listens and takes on board the information we give him. He has become a real consistent performer for us and in my opinion he was the standout player against Derby.”

Rangers deal agreed: Gers accept bid to sell Ibrox ace without Martin's approval

They won’t be making a profit either.

1 ByCharlie Smith Jun 25, 2025

Now, a move to Glasgow with Rangers could be one to keep an eye on following the update of a formal bid being submitted.

Real Madrid’s superiority was challenged in the early 2000s as Valencia disrupted La Liga’s natural order, and Galácticos legend Zinedine Zidane has revealed he requested the signing of an England legend to put Madrid back on their perch.

Zidane and Real’s path to the 2001/02 Champions League final was one of the great knockout runs in club football history, beating Bayern Munich in the quarter-finals and arch-rivals Barcelona in the last four, before besting an elite Bayer Leverkusen team led by Michael Ballack in the final.

The French football legend scored perhaps his most famous goal in that final, volleying home Roberto Carlos’ looped cross from the edge of the box to win the match 2-1.

However, that triumph was the start of somewhat of a trophy drought by Madrid’s own lofty standards. They won the La Liga title the following year, but did not win another top flight title until 2007 and had to wait until 2011 before their next cup win, which was the Copa del Rey.

Barcelona accompanied English and Italian sides in dominating Europe’s elite competition, as Real president Florentino Perez adopted a policy of superstar signings to regain their status as Kings of the continent.

Luis Figo

2000

€60m

Barcelona

Zinedine Zidane

2001

€73.5m

Juventus

Ronaldo Nazario

2002

€45m

Inter

David Beckham

2003

€37.5m

Man Utd

Michael Owen

2004

€9m

Liverpool

Robinho

2005

€24m

Santos

Sergio Ramos

2005

€27m

Sevilla

Fabio Cannavaro

2006

€10m

Juventus

Ruud van Nistelrooy

2006

€14m

Man Utd

Kaka

2009

€67m

Milan

Karim Benzema

2009

€30m

Lyon

Cristiano Ronaldo

2009

€94m

Man Utd

Xabi Alonso

2009

€35.5m

Liverpool

Perez made a habit of luring the Premier League’s top talents to the Spanish capital, with Xabi Alonso revealing how Real tempted him: “I was really happy with the team (Liverpool) and my team-mates and felt that we could do great things.

“I was happy on that side but within a club you have to see the big picture and another season would have been too much for me. It was very difficult to take that decision (to leave) but it was probably for the best for me because if I had stayed another season it would have been uncomfortable for me.”

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However, not everyone caved to the temptation, with Zidane revealing he specifically asked Perez to sign Steven Gerrard, only for the Liverpool captain to refuse the move.

Zidane named Gerrard the 'best player in the world'

Indeed, Real Madrid tried to sign Gerrard once in 2005 and again in 2009, potentially making him one of their biggest signings of the Galácticos era, and Zidane claims it was him who pushed Perez to make the move, as he believed the Reds star was the number one player in world football.

Gerrard is widely regarded as one of the best midfielders in Premier League history despite never winning a league title with Liverpool, while his best finish on the Ballon d’Or podium was third in 2005, placing behind Ronaldinho and Frank Lampard.

There’s no doubt the Liverpool superstar was let down by his teammates in the quest to add team trophies to his individual accolades, and one has to wonder how his status in the game would be viewed if he had joined Madrid at Zidane’s request.

Glasgow Rangers are interested in signing a free-kick specialist on a free transfer for new boss Russell Martin.

Busy week for Rangers as 49ers sign Rothwell and Fernandez

The Gers and new owners 49ers Enterprises have had a busy week at Ibrox in regards to new signings, with both Joe Rothwell and Emmanuel Fernandez moving to Rangers on permanent transfers.

Rothwell, who worked with Martin at Southampton in their promotion-winning season from the Championship, arrived from Bournemouth, and hours later, Fernandez was announced as a Gers player from Peterborough United.

Motherwell vs Rangers

August 2

Rangers vs Dundee

August 9

St Mirren vs Rangers

August 23

Rangers vs Celtic

August 31

Rangers vs Hearts

September 13

Talking after signing Fernandez, Martin said: “Emmanuel is a young defender with a huge amount of potential, and I am excited to welcome him to the club. He has a strong physical presence, is a commanding defender and I believe in this environment we can help him develop and provide him with the opportunities to take his game to the next level.”

The duo join Lyall Cameron and Max Aarons through the door ahead of the Gers’ Champions League qualifier against Panathinaikos later this month, and more new additions could be made before the end of the month.

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Leicester City defender Conor Coady and Luton Town midfielder Thelo Aasgaard both look on course to head to Glasgow, and another player with EFL experience is also on Martin’s radar.

Rangers also interested in signing free agent John Swift

According to a report from SportsBoom, Rangers are keen on signing John Swift, who is currently a free agent after leaving West Bromwich Albion at the end of June.

The Gers aren’t the only side keen, though, with Championship sides Derby County, Norwich City, Portsmouth and Stoke City also looking at a cut-price deal.

A free-kick specialist, Swift came through the ranks at Chelsea but has made the majority of his career appearances for Reading and West Brom. The 30-year-old has never plied his trade outside of England, so a move north to Scotland would be a first for Swift, should a deal go through.

Former Baggies boss Tony Mowbray praised Swift last season, highlighting his free-kick ability and labelling him as a a “wonderful player”.

“So it shouldn’t be a surprise to anybody that John Swift can bend one in the top corner from 25 yards. He is a wonderful player and that is why he has been in the team.”

Previously, former Reading manager Veljko Paunovic also hailed Swift, saying: “Swift is super talented – he showed urgency and wanted to decide the game. It was fantastic execution and vision to play Joao in. Injuries were the main issue for Swift in the past and he has been missed. It’s important to keep him healthy and motivated like he is now.”

West Brom are “finalising” a move for a “tremendous” international defender in the summer transfer window, according to a new claim regarding their upcoming business.

Mason eyeing "positive future" at West Brom

Ryan Mason took charge at The Hawthorns earlier this summer, with the former Tottenham midfielder tasked with guiding the Baggies back into the Premier League as soon as possible.

The 34-year-old has certainly spoken well about what he hopes to see West Brom achieve under him, focusing on a “positive future” with plenty of success.

“I’m absolutely thrilled to have been appointed Head Coach of West Bromwich Albion. This is a huge club with a fantastic infrastructure and an incredible fan base and I am excited about what we can achieve together. Having spoken at length to the board and those at the club I am convinced that Albion is the perfect place for me to be and I can’t wait to get started. I will bring with me a huge amount of enthusiasm, dedication and ambition and look forward to a positive future together at such a fantastic club.”

Mason will know that new signings are required in order to aid their Championship promotion push in 2025/26 and have already brought in centre-back Nat Phillips and centre-forward Aune Heggeb. Now, they are closing in on a new international defender.

West Brom "finalising" move for centre-back

According to journalist Ben Jacobs on X, West Brom are now “finalising” a move for CF Montreal and USA centre-back George Campbell.

“George Campbell is finalising a move from Montreal to West Bromwich Albion. American centre-back left out of Montreal’s draw with Orlando yesterday ahead of formalising the transfer.”

Campbell could be an impressive signing by West Brom, even though some supporters may have reservations because he has never played in Europe before, only representing Montreal, Atalanta United and Atlanta United 2 in his club career.

Granted, that is a fair concern to have, but the 24-year-old is now a one-cap USA international who will hope to feature prominently at his home World Cup next summer, and Gonzalo Pineda has heaped praise on his abilities as a player.

"I can see a center back with tremendous potential. He’s a center back that is physically gifted. His aggression when he presses between the lines was fantastic today, so I was pleased with his performance before he scored the goal. He did a couple tackles on the ground, and we gained a couple important balls in transition that helped us to continue the attacking. I am very happy with his performance."smallRelatedWest Brom plot move to sign "fantastic" free agent Mason thinks will be keyHe played in the Champions League last season.Hopefully, Campbell takes to the English game seamlessly, assuming he does join West Brom, coming straight in as an influential starter who can inspire the Baggies back into the Premier League.

There’s much fanfare around Liverpool’s pursuit of Newcastle United striker Alexander Isak, and rightly so.

Hugo Ekitike has left Eintracht Frankfurt and signed for the Premier League champions in a deal worth an initial £69m, but the hungry Reds want more, want to consolidate their imperious position at the summit of the mountain.

Isak, 25, has informed Newcastle that he wishes to pursue a move to Anfield, and with sales of stars like Luis Diaz, Darwin Nunez and Harvey Elliott, it might just be possible.

However, it’s not just the frontline that Arne Slot and sporting director Richard Hughes are hoping to improve before the window slams shut.

Liverpool's summer transfer plans

Away from the front of the ship, Liverpool also plan to add some depth at the back, with Crystal Palace’s Marc Guehi having emerged as the top target over the past several weeks.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

However, Tottenham Hotspur are also eager to make their own bid, and so the Anfield side appear to have lined up a potential alternative who has taken his first strides onto the senior stage.

Indeed, as per Corriere dello Sport – via Sport Witness – Liverpool have initiated contact with Serie A club Parma as they look to swipe their rising defensive star Giovanni Leoni.

Leoni, 18, exuded confidence and quality across his breakout campaign in Italy, and Inter Milan are also looking to sign him this summer.

Previous reports have suggested Leoni would be available for a fee of around €40m (£34m).

Why Liverpool want Giovanni Leoni

Liverpool made an attempt to sign Bournemouth’s Dean Hujsen in May, seeking to activate the young Spaniard’s £50m release clause.

He signed instead for Real Madrid, but Liverpool’s intent was clear.

Leoni fits a similar profile, and in this way, he could turn out to be an even more exciting talent than Guehi, who, aged 25, is one of the Premier League’s standout performers.

Though Liverpool wouldn’t be signing the same level of ability in the 6 foot 4 Leoni, he has the chance to leap ahead of the Palace captain, having been hailed by talent scout Jacek Kulig as “one of the most complete teenage centre-backs in Europe.”

That roundedness is better highlighted through data-led platform FBref, who ranked Leoni among the top 17% of centre-backs across Europe last season for goals scored, the top 38% for successful take-ons and the top 17% for passes blocked per 90, highlighting that blooming technical variation.

Guehi is, of course, riding the crest of a wave as one of Europe’s most talented defenders, but Leoni would be cheaper and could be shaped by Slot’s coaching expertise over the next several years, absorbing the fruits of Virgil van Dijk and Konate’s labours (should the latter stay put).

Matches (starts)

34 (34)

17 (14)

Goals

3

1

Assists

2

0

Touches*

64.9

46.9

Pass completion

84%

89%

Key passes*

0.5

0.1

Ball recoveries*

4.3

2.0

Dribbles*

0.4

0.2

Tackles + interceptions*

2.6

1.7

Clearances*

4.6

3.6

Duels (won)*

4.9 (59%)

2.5 (61%)

Errors made

2

1

As you can see, Guehi far outstrips his younger positional peer, but there’s a lot to like from the Italian, who has established himself as a crisp passer and a defender who is strong in the duel.

Also, Leoni made just one error across the campaign, which bespeaks his composure and coolness under pressure. A calm head is something that has proved a staple of Guehi’s skill set over the past few years.

Leoni is a work in progress, but Slot is a master at bringing up-and-coming prospects to the fore. Given the cheap price tag and the existing completeness about Leoni, he might just come to prove the bigger talent in the long run.

Isak's new Gordon: Liverpool lining up "explosive" £51m Diaz replacement

Liverpool are still ready to be active in the summer transfer market.

1 ByAngus Sinclair Jul 25, 2025

As they aim to spend big once again this summer, Manchester United could yet add to their summer funds after a Champions League club opened talks to sign one of their want-away forwards.

Man Utd agree blockbuster Sesko deal

After missing out on European football and finishing as low as 15th, Manchester United were expected to struggle in the transfer market this summer. May believed that the United name, alone, would struggle to attract players and a record low in the Premier League was thought to be a drop too far for players of a certain calibre to even consider.

As it turns out, however, that assumption couldn’t have been more wrong. The Theatre of Dreams remains exactly that for a number of players rather than the nightmare it has become for certain stars and Ruben Amorim’s side have welcomed some much-needed improvements as a result.

First through the door was Matheus Cunha before Bryan Mbeumo soon followed to take the Red Devils’ spending to around the £120m-mark and now their most impressive arrival yet is reportedly on his way.

Newcastle United had the Champions League advantage and, at this stage, it wouldn’t be absurd to suggest that they have the more attractive project. What they don’t have, however, is the Manchester United name; the history of Old Trafford and a reputation as one of the most successful clubs in world football which made Benjamin Sesko’s decision for him.

Perfect for Cunha: PL "monster" is now keen to join Man Utd after Sesko

Manchester United have wasted no time in making moves in the market after landing Benjamin Sesko.

ByEthan Lamb Aug 8, 2025

The RB Leipzig forward’s arrival is likely to take United’s spending to around £180m, which could yet see the Red Devils turn to the transfer market to sell several unwanted stars this month.

Benfica open talks to sign Antony

One of the players likely to leave this month is Antony, but whilst it seemed as though a return to Real Betis was on the cards, another side have now entered the fray. According to CNN Portugal, as relayed by Sport Witness, Benfica have now opened talks to sign Antony in an unexpected hijack ahead of Betis before the window slams shut at the start of next month.

INEOS have been ‘messed around’ by Betis this summer, meaning they are delighted more clubs are now entering a potential bidding war.

The Brazilian enjoyed a revived spell on loan at the La Liga club last season, but they have so far been unable to agree a second spell. Leaving the door ajar for other suitors to come swooping in, Benfica are now reportedly negotiating a loan deal which will see them buy a percentage of the winger. United, unsurprisingly, would prefer such an offer.

Dubbed a “special case” by Betis boss Manuel Pellegrini, Antony will be desperate to seal a move away from Manchester United this summer. Whether he’s willing to take a pay-cut from his reported £200,000-a-week (£10m-a-year) salary to do so may well be another question, however.

Liverpool have met a roadblock in their quest for greatness, and this one might prove insurmountable.

Time was when FSG were perceived as being misers, unwilling to fork out for the big targets that Jurgen Klopp wanted to advance his Anfield project.

But after this incredible summer of spending, who can argue against the Liverpool owners’ intent now?

Arne Slot won the Premier League in his first season at the club, finishing ten points ahead of second-placed Arsenal despite relaxing standards early, with the title wrapped up at the end of April.

But Liverpool’s rivals have also spent this summer, intent on dethroning the Reds. Though Florian Wirtz, Hugo Ekitike and the like have strengthened Slot’s first team and then some, there have also been several departures.

The latest of which looks set to be Darwin Nunez, who leaves Merseyside with a thick air of untapped promise.

Why Liverpool are selling Darwin Nunez

In all honesty, it doesn’t seem likely that sporting director Richard Hughes would cash in on Nunez and Luis Diaz, who joined Bayern Munich for £65.5m last week, without pre-established plans for some kind of dynamic attacking successor.

Newcastle United’s Alexander Isak is that man. The Athletic’s David Ornstein has revealed that “there’s a very good chance” Isak will leave St. James’ Park this summer, with “his preference being Liverpool.”

Though Liverpool have already signed Ekitike, Isak has proven himself at the highest level, and the Sweden striker could certainly cohabit with Liverpool’s mobile attacking recruit.

The fact of the matter is that Isak’s relationship with Newcastle and Eddie Howe is broken, albeit not irreparable. This is Liverpool’s time to swoop in and sign “the best striker in the Premier League”, as Isak has been named by Sky Sports’ Jamie Carragher.

There are plenty of variables which could disrupt FSG’s marquee move, however, and not least of which is the Magpies’ £150m valuation of their number nine.

Liverpool begin plan for Isak alternative

According to L’Equipe, Liverpool are considering acting on their long-standing interest in Paris Saint-Germain’s Bradley Barcola this summer, should a move for Isak fall through.

The left-sided Barcola would be seen as a direct Diaz replacement, and is renowned as one of the brightest talents in French football.

PSG do not want to sell the 22-year-old and have valued him at €100m (about £87m), though Liverpool clearly have the funds, having seen a £110m offer for Isak knocked back last week.

Why Liverpool want Bradley Barcola

Two years ago, Barcola left Lyon and signed for PSG in a €50m package including add-ons. Across the 2023/24 campaign, he started slowly, but came alive last term, notching 42 goal contributions across all competitions (including the Club World Cup).

Renowned for his blistering pace and ability to manipulate tight spaces with quick feet and balletic whirls, Barcola would be a credit to the Liverpool project, instrumental across the Ligue 1 side’s earth-shattering quadruple campaign, winning their maiden Champions League title along with all the goods in France.

Given that Barcola ranks so highly against his positional peers across Europe’s top five leagues and is considered to be a statistically similar star to Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka, as per FBref, it does feel like Liverpool could hit the jackpot if they complete a deal.

Analyst Ben Mattinson has even declared the Frenchman to be “one of the best left wingers in Europe”, having risen from prospect to prodigy since leaving Lyon for the Parisians.

Barcola’s one of those players best analysed through the eye test, because picking at his qualities through the data diminishes him. Even so, he chalked up quite the impressive return last season.

Raphinha

57

34

25

59

Bradley Barcola

58

21

19

40

Vincius Junior

51

20

17

37

Cody Gakpo

49

18

7

25

Luis Diaz

50

17

8

25

This blooming level of prolificness suggests Barcola could be the perfect Isak alternative, should Liverpool be forced into ending their interest in the 25-year-old.

Barcola might not be a centre-forward (though his dynamism lends itself to alternative roles across the frontline), but he would certainly arrive at Liverpool with the properties to replace Diaz, who Slot used as a makeshift number nine many times last term.

He’s fleet-footed, but there’s also the notion that he has more of a creative capacity than Diaz, and that could be used to establish him as a leading member of Slot’s Liverpool team.

Ekitike will need plenty of creative support as he attempts to find his feet in the English top flight, but then the France forward, 23, has been praised by football scout Jacek Kulig for his talents, the analyst saying, “he could definitely reach world-class striker levels.”

With this in mind, is it truly crucial that Liverpool complete a deal for Isak this summer? Liverpool, after all, have only Cody Gakpo as a senior option on the left wing now.

Rio Ngumoha is an incredible prospect, but he’s only 16 years old; chucking him into the deep end this season could derail the hype train.

Given that Gakpo is more of a goalscoring wide forward, focused on cutting inside and striking on goal, Barcola would provide Liverpool with the perfect contrasting foil, blending flair against economy of movement.

Fabrizio Romano has confirmed that Barcola is viewed as a “world-class player” by those in the FSG offices after all.

So is Isak, but then, Carragher said on The Overlap that he doesn’t “want Liverpool to spend £150m on Isak”, citing such a fee as Kylian Mbappe-level money.

Given that Barcola would be affordable for a much cheaper, though still hefty, figure, Liverpool might want to push ahead with a deal for the PSG man, whose signature might just prove the more fruitful of the two.

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