West Ham United reaped the rewards from Premier League rivals Chelsea's decision to release Declan Rice at a young age, but they could be at risk of a similar misjudgement.

Rice's talents were clear to see in West Ham's academy, and it was not long before he was making his debut for the club at the age of 18.

After 245 appearances for the Irons, however, culminating in last month's Europa Conference League triumph, his time at the club is set to come to an end when he joins Arsenal in a £105m transfer.

Considering what West Ham got out of Rice, plus the nine-figure windfall that his sale brings to the club, it is fair to say Chelsea will be left kicking themselves.

But could it be West Ham who are left questioning what could have been after releasing Armstrong Oko-Flex?

According to ExWHUEmployee, ambitious Championship side Sunderland have already taken the young winger on trial with a view to adding him to their squad.

Could West Ham regret letting Armstrong Oko-Flex depart?

Football is full of examples of players not cutting it at one club, only to then become a major hit at another – Rice being just one of them. For every instance of that happening, there are hundreds more where the club proved right in letting a player leave.

West Ham will certainly be hoping the latter is true in the case of Oko-Flex, who made just one senior appearance for the East London side, coming in a Europa League tie against Viborg at the start of last season.

Much was expected of the Republic of Ireland U21 international after he scored a hat-trick against Arsenal on his Premier League 2 debut soon after joining from Celtic, for whom he featured four times in the first team.

Oko-Flex was loaned to Swansea last season to gain experience, but he was recalled in January after making 13 appearances – all but one of those as a substitute.

Still, that was enough time on the field to give an indication of what the Irishman is all about, and his performances see him ranked favourably by FBref in their player comparison model.

Indeed, based purely on statistics, some top players in the Premier League are comparable to Oko-Flex, with Mason Mount of Chelsea and Alexis Mac Allister two names in particular.

The Dublin-born attacker, who also spent some time in Arsenal's academy ranks, averaged 0.30 shots on target last season, which compares to 0.49 for Mount, while the pair played 38.2 and 38.6 live passes per 90 minutes respectively – passes that are not from set-pieces.

They also tackle at a similar rate (1.82 per 90 minutes for Oko-Flex v 1.80 for Mount) and also average a similar number of touches (54.2 v 53).

Oko-Flex is far from being on Mount's level just yet, of course, but the early signs are positive enough, with Sunderland clearly seeing enough potential to give him a chance.

As he said during his time on loan with Swansea, Oko-Flex – on a reported £5.5k a week during his time at the London Stadium – is "hungry to play" and wants to be able to "make an impression" by featuring regularly.

Much like Rice before him, he will now get the chance to do that elsewhere. West Ham's loss could well be Sunderland's gain.

لا ينوي المدير الفني لفريق كريستال بالاس، أوليفر جلاسنر، أن يجعل مباراة الغد سهلة بالنسبة لفريق مانشستر سيتي، حسبما صرّح في مؤتمره الصحفي يوم الجمعة.

ويلتقي الفريقان في إطار منافسات الجولة الثانية والثلاثين من الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز.

ويحتاج مانشستر سيتي إلى الفوز من أجل مواصلة منافسة ليفربول وآرسنال في سباق لقب الدوري الإنجليزي المشتعل هذا الموسم.

ويحتل ليفربول حاليًا صدارة الدوري الإنجليزي برصيد 70 نقطة، بفارق نقطتين عن آرسنال و3 نقاط عن مانشستر سيتي.

ولم ينجح مانشستر سيتي في تحقيق الفوز في مباراته في الدور الأول هذا الموسم من الدوري الإنجليزي ضد كريستال بالاس، حيث تعادلا بهدفين لمثليهما.

وقال أوليفر جلاسنر في تصريحات نشرتها شبكة “بي بي سي” العالمية: “أحب مثل هذه المباريات لأنها تتحداك”.

اقرأ أيضًا | رغم تصريحات جوارديولا.. مانشستر سيتي يأمل مشاركة لاعبه المصاب أمام ريال مدريد

وأضاف: “كنا نجلس معًا يوم الأربعاء مع محللينا وأظهروا لنا العديد من المقاطع ثم كنا نتحدث ونناقش ما يمكننا القيام به وما يناسب لاعبينا”.

وواصل: “لا يمكننا أن نقول إننا نريد اللعب مثل ليفربول أو آرسنال أو ولفرهامبتون، نريد اللعب مثل كريستال بالاس، نعتقد أن هذا يمكن أن ينجح ولكن علينا إثبات ذلك غدًا”.

وأردف: “ربما يمتلك مانشستر سيتي أفضل مدرب في العالم وهم يستعدون لكل موقف في العالم”.

واختتم: “ليس من السهل جدًا العثور على نقاط الضعف ولكننا نعتقد أننا وجدنا موقفًا أو موقفين في السابق، دعنا نقول في كثير من الأحيان، ويمكن أن يناسبنا أيضًا ونريد أن نستخدمها، لكن علينا أن نثبت ذلك غدًا”.

Rangers are "closing in" on the signing of Cremonese striker Cyriel Dessers, having reached an agreement on the "final fee", according to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano.

Which striker are Rangers signing?

The Gers have expressed an interest in Feyenoord striker Danilo, however, they had an opening bid of £3.5m immediately rejected by the Dutch side earlier this week, as it was way below their valuation.

In fact, there have been reports that Feyenoord could demand as much as £17m for the Brazilian, as they are currently under no pressure to cash-in, meaning the Light Blues could turn their attention to other targets.

Michael Beale has been pushing to sign Dessers for quite some time, having sanctioned a seven-figure bid at the beginning of June, and the manager is now inching closer to completing a deal for the 28-year-old.

Taking to Twitter, Romano has now claimed that Rangers and Cremonese have reached an agreement regarding the "final fee" for the £19k-per-week forward, with the documents to finalise the move currently being drafted.

The Gers are "closing in" on a deal for the Cremonese striker, with an agreement now "imminent", indicating that the deal could be done in the next few days.

"Understand Rangers are closing in on deal for Cyriel Dessers. Agreement now imminent with Cremonese for Nigerian striker — here we go soon. Clubs have agreed on final fee and all documents are being drafted."

Who is Cyriel Dessers?

The Nigerian forward has regularly been finding the back of the net in some of Europe's major leagues for quite some time now, firing home 20 goals in all competitions for Feyenoord during the 2021-22 campaign, before completing a switch to the Serie A.

During his time with Cremonese, the Belgium-born attacker has not been quite as prolific, registering seven goals in all competitions last term, however, he has been playing in a poor side, who ended up finishing second-bottom in the Serie A.

Hailed as "phenomenal" by members of the media, the former Feyenoord man's previous exploits indicate he could be a fantastic acquisition for Rangers, having amassed 140 goal contributions in 212 games at centre-forward throughout his career so far.

There are aspects of the Nigeria international's game that could improve, considering he has averaged just 0.06 assists per 90 over the past year, and 0.91 aerials won, placing him in the 23rd and 21st percentile respectively.

All in all, though, Rangers should be excited by the imminent arrival of Dessers, as his goal-scoring record has been very impressive for a number of years, and there is every indication he could be a success in the Scottish Premiership.

Leeds United are yet to recruit any new additions this summer despite the Championship season commencing in just three weeks and now a new update has emerged on a potential transfer target.

What's the latest on Leeds' interest in Paddy McNair?

According to TEAMtalk, Leeds are one of the clubs interested in signing Middlesbrough centre-back Paddy McNair.

As per the report, the Championship club are willing to listen to offers for their defender this summer and Leeds will need to compete with a number of clubs to secure McNair's signature with Luton Town, Burnley, Sheffield United, Fulham, Bournemouth and Leicester City also named as potential suitors.

How good is Paddy McNair?

Daniel Farke has a huge challenge on his hands to meet the expectations at Elland Road next season, as anything short of automatic promotion back to the Premier League next season would be a disaster for the West Yorkshire outfit.

It has been a transformative summer for the Whites with a full take-over by the 49ers confirmed, a new head coach appointed and several players making an exit from the club upon their relegation.

Robin Koch, Rodrigo, Brenden Aaronson, Weston McKennie and Rasmus Kristensen have departed so far, with the latter the latest Leeds player to confirm a move, signing for Serie A club Roma on a season-long loan.

As a result, the signing of McNair could be a great opportunity for Farke to bolster the defensive presence on the pitch to replace Kristensen and provides the squad with a player who has a wealth of experience in the Championship ahead of next season.

Over 30 Championship appearances last season, the 28-year-old scored one goal, tallied up an 83% pass completion rate and won the majority of his duels combined (59%), as well as averaging 63.2 touches, 2.1 clearances and 1.3 tackles per game, proving that he is a reliable and consistent defensive presence.

Not only that, McNair has displayed strong versatility in his positioning with experience on both sides of the centre-back partnership, defensive midfield and right-back, something that could be incredibly valuable to Farke when deploying his team over the 46-game campaign.

When comparing the ball-playing Northern Irishman to Kristensen, McNair outperformed the Leeds defender in a number of key attributes over last season including pass completion (81.5% v 70.9%), percentage of dribblers tackled (63.3% v 55.3%) and aerial duels won (55.8% v 55.7%), as per FBref, demonstrating that he could be a worthy replacement.

The €3.9m-rated (£3.3m) Middlesbrough titan has earned high praise over his career, with international teammate and Leeds stalwart Stuart Dallas full of compliments for his compatriot back in 2019:

"He works hard, he’s fit and his running ability and how powerful he is are something else. You’d think the 90th minute was the first minute and it’s a credit to him."

With that being said, it would be a no-brainer for Leeds to sign McNair this summer as there is now definitely an opportunity to strengthen the backline, whilst his Championship experience could give the team a boost in their pursuit of dominating the second tier next season.

Near-full-strength teams face off in what is likely to be a run-fest in Bangalore

The Preview by Nikhil Kalro13-Apr-2017Match factsRoyal Challengers Bangalore v Mumbai Indians
Bengaluru, April 14, 2017
Start time 1600 local (1030 GMT)4:13

Agarkar: To leave Chris Gayle out must be a tough decision

Head to headLast season Mumbai Indians, bowling first on both occasions on chasing-friendly grounds, won both games.Overall Mumbai have an 11-8 winning record against Royal Challengers in the IPL. At the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru, Mumbai have won six of seven games against RCB.Form guide

Royal Challengers Bangalore (sixth): lost to Sunrisers Hyderabad by 35 runs, beat Delhi Daredevils by 15 runs, lost to Kings XI Punjab by eight wickets

Mumbai Indians (third): lost to Rising Pune Supergiant by seven wickets, beat Kolkata Knight Riders by four wickets, beat Sunrisers Hyderabad by four wickets

In the newsRoyal Challengers captain Virat Kohli is available, having recovered from a shoulder injury. AB de Villiers, who missed the first two games with a back injury, struck a 46-ball 89 against Kings XI in the previous game. This means Royal Challengers will have their strongest squad, save for KL Rahul. Kohli, at a press conference, said Chris Gayle is a “top-contender” to play in all home matches. Vishnu Vinod may therefore be left out, and Jadhav could resume wicketkeeping duties.Kohli also said Royal Challengers are unlikely to bat first again at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium. “We decided to strengthen our bowling and then back that part of our side, but now with me coming back that might change again,” Kohli said. “Bangalore has generally been a ground where you can chase down high totals. Tomorrow, being a day game, really matters because the wicket plays much better under lights than during the day time.”Since Lasith Malinga’s return from international duty, only Ambati Rayudu’s absence does not let them be a full-strength side. Their headache is the form of fast bowler Mitchell McClenaghan, who has conceded 129 runs and taken three wickets in three games this season. In a like-for-like replacement, Mumbai may bring in Tim Southee for McClenaghan.RCB will be led out by their full-time captain on Friday•BCCI

The likely XIsRoyal Challengers Bangalore: 1 Chris Gayle, 2 Virat Kohli, 3 AB de Villiers, 4 Shane Watson, 5 Kedar Jadhav, 6 Mandeep Singh, 7 Stuart Binny, 8 Pawan Negi, 9 Tymal Mills, 10 Yuzvendra Chahal, 11 Aniket ChoudharyMumbai Indians: 1 Parthiv Patel, 2 Jos Buttler, 3 Rohit Sharma, 4 Nitish Rana, 5 Kieron Pollard, 6 Krunal Pandya, 7 Hardik Pandya, 8 Harbhajan Singh, 9 Tim Southee, 10 Lasith Malinga, 11 Jasprit BumrahStats that matter On a small ground, chasing seems to be the preferred way to go. In 10 T20s at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium before Royal Challengers’ successful defence of 157 against Delhi Daredevils in the previous game, five scores of over 200 were defended and the five totals under 200 were successfully chased. Chris Gayle’s weakness against right-arm spinners has been accentuated in the IPL. He has scored 771 runs in 574 balls in the IPL, at a strike rate of 134, and has been dismissed 19 times in 56 innings in which he has faced right-arm spinners. Against Harbhajan Singh, Gayle has scored just 65 runs in 65 balls in the IPL, with three dismissals. Using left-arm spin to limit damage against AB de Villiers, Against left-arm spinners, de Villiers has scored 448 runs in 330 balls, at a strike rate of 135.75. He has also been dismissed nine times in 46 innings.
Who can Mumbai use? Krunal Pandya has conceded just seven runs in 10 balls against de Villiers. Krunal dismissed him twice in the last season. Royal Challengers have been Lasith Malinga’s only nemesis in the IPL. He has taken just 13 wickets against Royal Challengers at an an average of 36 – his worst average against any team in the IPL.
At the M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Malinga has taken 5 wickets in 20 overs, at an average of 31.80 and an economy rate of 7.95, his worst at any venue where he’s bowled at least 20 overs. Malinga v de Villiers? De Villiers has scored 71 runs in 42 balls against Malinga without being dismissed. Malinga has a T20 economy rate of 6.74, compared to 10.14 against de Villiers. In the 2016 IPL, Virat Kohli had a single: dot ball ratio of 1.58 (291 singles: 184 dot balls). By contrast, Gayle had a single:dot ball ratio of 0.322 (29 singles: 90 dot balls).

Celtic have already been hit with a frustrating injury blow to one of their new summer recruits as Marco Tilio is set to miss the start of the 2023/24 campaign.

Hoops head coach Brendan Rodgers has confirmed that the winger, who was signed from Australian side Melbourne City on a permanent deal, will not be available for selection for the first couple of months of the season.

However, that does not rule out the possibility of the Scottish giants lining up with a fresh attacking addition on the wing when they face Ross County on the opening day next month.

Celtic have been linked with a swoop for Shakhtar Donetsk forward Tete, who has requested to leave his current club as he does not want to return to Ukraine after loan spells with Lyon and Leicester City, where he scored once in nine Premier League starts.

How good is Tete?

The 23-year-old wizard is a player who has the quality to be an excellent signing for the Hoops, if he is able to translate his form from his time in France over to Scotland, and a big upgrade on James Forrest.

Tete caught the eye as he spent the second half of the 2021/22 campaign and then the first half of the following season on loan at Lyon from Shakhtar.

During his first spell, the Brazilian gem averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.23 across Ligue 1 appearances – a score only two Hoops players bettered last season – and contributed with two goals alongside five assists.

This was followed by six goals and two assists across 17 outings in the French top-flight last season, which earned him an average Sofascore rating of 7.04.

Tete, therefore, racked up 15 direct goal contributions in 26 games for Lyon – an average of one every 1.73 games. This shows that the right winger was able to make a significant impact at the top end of the pitch on a regular basis from a wide position, by using his finishing ability and creativity to punish opposition teams.

Forrest, who is also predominantly deployed on the right flank, has struggled to provide quality end product week-in-week-out over the last two seasons.

Last term, the veteran Hoops gem produced four goals and two assists in 16 Scottish Premiership matches, which earned him an average Sofascore rating of 6.94.

This came after the 32-year-old magician averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.74 to go with one goal and two assists over 19 league games for Celtic during the 2021/22 campaign.

These statistics suggest that the potential is there for Tete to offer far more than Forrest in the final third, both in terms of being able to create and score goals, whilst also having the ability to deliver better performances.

The 5 foot 9 dynamo would also come in as someone who already knows what Rodgers wants from his players, as they worked together at Leicester earlier this year before the Northern Irishman's exit.

Tete's touch was hailed as "immaculate" by the ex-Liverpool boss and Celtic's interest in signing him now suggests that the manager saw enough in the young talent in England to suggest that he would improve his squad in Glasgow, which is backed up by the aforementioned statistics.

Aston Villa have 'definite interest' in signing Barcelona forward Ferran Torres this summer as Unai Emery looks to beef up his forward line, according to journalist Dean Jones.

What's the latest transfer news involving Ferran Torres?

One report in Spain claims that Aston Villa are keen on Torres this summer, though any move to try and bring him to Villa Park just now 'does not convince Barça today' despite their apparent willingness to part ways with the Spain international.

Last term, Torres made 45 appearances in all competitions for Barcelona, registering seven goals and three assists in total, as per Transfermarkt.

Mundo Deportivo via Birmingham Live add further scope regarding the Villans' interest, stating that Aston Villa offered to take the £165k-a-week ace on loan and insert a €25 million (£21.3 million) buyout option into any prospective deal.

Torres, who has been called an "A-lister", joined Barcelona for an initial £45.9 million from Manchester City back in 2021 after the Catalan giants successfully secured a bank loan to help them complete the move, as per The Guardian.

Contrary to Aston Villa's admiration of the 23-year-old, Torres is not believed to be keen on a switch to Villa Park at present and is content to stay at Barcelona for the foreseeable future, as per 90min.

In an interview quoted from Spanish media, Torres stated on his future: "Today, I am at Barça, but football takes many turns. I have the phone on airplane mode, on July 10, I will open it. "I'm just focused on what's mine, training, taking advantage of the pre-season that I couldn't do last year [due to injury] and from here on, showing that I'm a great footballer. In the next few days you will have news."

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, journalist Jones has revealed that Aston Villa are keen on offering Torres the chance to move to the West Midlands.

Jones said: “There's definite interest there, and they feel he could be a really good player for their system. Getting the two Torres players could be a real good make-up for Aston Villa going forward next season.”

Who else are Aston Villa keen to sign this window?

Torres would definitely be a high-profile signing to excite the Villa Park faithful and would add another quality body into Emery's squad by accompanying new signing Youri Tielemans, who has joined from Leicester City on a free transfer.

The Express & Star report that Villarreal defender Pau Torres is set to follow Tielemans to Aston Villa and will officially undergo his medical at the club later this week.

Corriere dello Sport via TEAMtalk claim that Roma defender Roger Ibanez is another name that may end up swapping continental shores for the Villans over the next few weeks.

At maximum, Aston Villa would need to shell out around €30 million (£25.7 million) to acquire the 24-year-old, which is deemed well within the reach of their healthy transfer budget.

Leeds United enforcer Tyler Adams is also being courted by Aston Villa as they look to take advantage of the Whites falling into the Sky Bet Championship, signifying that plenty of exciting incomings look to be on the way ahead of 2023/24 commencing.

In feedback to the BCCI, India captain Virat Kohli is understood to have expressed concern at coach Anil Kumble’s approach

Nagraj Gollapudi30-May-20174:11

Bal: Captain and players should not pick the coach

India’s campaign for Champions Trophy has begun under a cloud of discontent within the dressing room with the captain, and possibly a few other senior players, expressing a lack of confidence in their head coach.Speculation had been rife ever since the BCCI chose not to automatically extend the tenure of Anil Kumble as the head coach, choosing instead to advertise the position, and it has now emerged that the decision was made following feedback from Virat Kohli about Kumble’s coaching method, which he is said to have described as “intimidating”.Kumble’s year-long contract expires at the end of the Champions Trophy. The development comes at less than an ideal time for India, with their first match in the Champions Trophy, against arch rivals Pakistan, just days away.It is understood that Kohli relayed the sense of discontent to the BCCI’s top office bearers as well as the Committee of Administrators (CoA) before the team left for England. He is also understood to have spoken to Sourav Ganguly, who is part of the cricket advisory panel which has been tasked with deciding the coaching option.The players’ concerns are thought to centre mainly around Kumble’s man-management skills. In the words of one official familiar with the details, Kumble has been conducting himself like a “headmaster” at a school. Such an approach, the official said, “had not gone down well” with the players who are used to a more relaxed dressing room. Some players – not the bigger personalities like Kohli or MS Dhoni – have felt “a bit intimidated” by Kumble’s approach.Such has been the approach, the official said, that some of the injuries that have ruled players out during Kumble’s tenure were not strictly cricket related. “Kumble was pushing hard. The bulk of them [injuries] are non-cricketing injuries. One of the players was stressed out. So the team is not a happy lot.”What has surprised the BCCI is that Kumble has failed to read these concerns. The official said that the reason Kumble has been successful was because “the team has been successful” playing cricket mostly at home. “The way the cricket set-up works in India is the coach is not the king. So the coach has to understand that.”Based on the player feedback, the BCCI decided that the time to “change” had come and the “best” way to move forward was to put in place an advertisement inviting fresh applications. The official admitted that the timing was not ideal – the advertisement went out on the day Indian squad arrived in London to defend the Champions Trophy, and applications for the job close on the eve of the tournament opener – but he said the process had to followed.The most telling public comments came from Kohli, who said last week he did not find anything untoward with what the BCCI was doing. “The process has been followed every single time the similar way in Indian cricket for the past so many years is what I know,” Kohli said at his first media briefing upon landing in England. “Even the last time the post was up for a change the same procedure was applied. With the term being one year, the procedure is being followed in the same manner. I don’t see anything very different from what has happened in the past. That is something the board has recognised. They want to follow the same pattern.”Kohli was equivocal in his response to the success India have had under Kumble. “When you have results come your way, the contribution is from every part of the team,” he said. “It is not from a single source to say the least. Everyone works hard equally if not more than the other person.”Kumble has not yet spoken publicly about the situation. He is, however, bound to be disappointed considering India have only lost one series in any format under his charge: the two-match Twenty20 series in Florida against West Indies last August. Kumble has also been front and centre in talks with the BCCI over enhancing the contracts not just of the national team’s players but also domestic players and Indian coaching staff.The situation also puts three other Indian legends in an awkward position. It was only last June that Kumble was nominated by the three-man cricket advisory panel comprising his contemporaries, Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly and VVS Laxman; Kumble wasn’t in the original shortlist of candidates the BCCI had finalised because he had no formal coaching experience. But it was at the panel’s insistence that he was put in. And now they have to go through the process again; it isn’t yet known if Kumble will go through the process again. Ganguly is currently in England, doing television commentary for the official broadcaster of the Champions Trophy.At the time of Kumble’s appointment, the BCCI made out the contract for only a year saying that would give Kumble time to prove his coaching credentials. The former BCCI president Anurag Thakur had said that a review would be carried out after one year. Incidentally, Ajay Shirke, who was the BCCI secretary last June, had said that when the review was done, Kumble should find himself in the “driver’s seat” considering India were playing a long home season comprising 13 Tests and a couple of ODI series. Kumble might not be holding the steering wheel anymore.

Liverpool are continuing their midfield rebuild this summer with a number of targets still being looked at ahead of next season, and now a reliable source has revealed another potential incoming.

What's the latest on Liverpool's interest in Florentino Luis?

According to Sky Sports senior reporter Melissa Reddy, Benfica midfielder Florentino Luis is one of many targets the Merseysiders have identified to replace Fabinho this summer.

Reddy revealed on Twitter: "Liverpool had been assessing longer-term candidates to replace Fabinho. Profile might shift as they'll require an immediate starter. Among the names mooted have been Sofyan Amrabat, Ryan Gravenberch, Kalvin Phillips and Romeo Lavia…

"Lavia and Gravenberch have long been considered by LFC (regardless of current situation), with their reps spoken to. Other players they've looked at: Nicolo Barella, Khephren Thuram, Florentino Luis, Joao Palhinha, Teun Koopmeiners… They do love a surprise, stealth signing."

Who is Florentino Luis?

The Reds are seeking out more new additions for the centre of the pitch after it was confirmed this weekend that Fabinho is expected to make a £40m move to the Saudi Pro League to join Al-Ittihad.

Whilst it won't be easy to replace the Brazilian mainstay's impact at Anfield, it presents an opportunity for Jurgen Klopp to complete a full rebuild of the midfield personnel with Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai already acquired for the next generation of success.

As a result, the signing of Luis could be a great piece of business for Liverpool and the German coach could repeat his Darwin Nunez masterclass by snapping up another youthful prospect from Portugal.

The 23-year-old is already showing glimpses of his strength and dominance in the deep-lying midfield role, ranking in the top 15% of his positional peers across the Men's Next Eight Leagues for aerial duels won, interceptions, tackles, progressive passes and pass completion, as per FBref.

Not only that, when comparing the talented midfielder's output with Fabinho's last season, Luis comfortably outperformed his Liverpool counterpart in several key defensive attributes including pass completion (89.7% v 88.3%), percentage of dribblers tackled (69.7% v 38.7%), successful take-ons (59.1% v 46.7%) and aerial duels won (61% v 58.8%).

The Portugal youth international has been the recipient of high praise over his career so far, with his former coach Joao Tralhao comparing Luis to Manchester United's Casemiro:

"[He has] an exceptional talent and physical qualities totally in line with his footballing qualities. [He] has a very similar profile to Casemiro. From very early on, we realised that Florentino was on his way to becoming an elite player."

Luis has a reported release clause of €120m (£103m), but Liverpool will be hoping that their relationship with Benfica will help to agree a deal much less than the contractual obligation, after working with the Portuguese giants recently to secure their record-breaking deal for Nunez last summer.

The latter man's debut campaign in England was arguably not plain-sailing – as he started just 19 league games and missed 20 big chances in the top flight – although the Uruguayan hotshot did still showcase his undoubted talent, having scored 15 times in all competitions to finish behind only Mo Salah in the scoring charts.

The 24-year-old – who had scored 34 goals the year prior in Portugal – will be hoping to truly catch fire next season, although if his stunning, instinctive flick against Real Madrid is anything to go by, then Klopp certainly has a real player on his hands.

With that being said, if the Reds can seal the deal for Luis there is no doubt that he would be a worthy successor to Fabinho at Anfield next season, while he could also follow in Nunez's footsteps by being another exciting talent to have flourished after leaving Lisbon for Liverpool.

Chelsea have made contact with Neymar's entourage to discuss a potential summer move, and they are now keen to sign the Paris Saint-Germain on a permanent deal, rather than on loan, according to reports.

What's the latest Chelsea transfer news?

Chelsea have already bolstered their attacking options this summer, with Nicolas Jackson arriving from Villarreal for a figure slightly over his £30.1m release clause, while Christopher Nkunku has completed a £52m move from RB Leipzig.

However, Mauricio Pochettino is still running the rule over some other potential signings, with Barcelona's Ousmane Dembele now emerging as a target, amid his ongoing contract renewal at the Camp Nou.

Pochettino is said to be an admirer of the Frenchman, who has a €50m (£43m) release clause included in his current Barca contract, and the Blues would be willing to offer him a longer, more lucrative deal if he were to move to Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea are also considering a move for Juventus striker Dusan Vlahovic, with Pochettino keen to add more firepower to his frontline, however, Juventus are set to hold out for £77m to sanction the Serbian's departure, amid interest from Paris Saint-Germain.

With PSG eyeing Vlahovic, there may have to be some outgoings at the Parc des Princes this summer, and the French club could be willing to let Neymar leave, although their stance on his exit isn't clear, according to recent reports from France (via Sport Witness).

The Blues have emerged as potential suitors for the Brazilian, recently reaching out to the player's entourage to discuss a summer move, which would be on a permanent basis, rather than on a loan deal.

The 31-year-old is said to be valued at around €50m-€70m (£43m-£60m), with owner Todd Boehly making his interest clear, positioning himself to win the race for his signature, should he become available at some point this summer.

Are Chelsea signing Neymar?

At this stage, the move appears to be unlikely, as the report claims the PSG star seems happy to stay in the French capital, however, Chelsea are seemingly among the main contenders for his signature, should his stance change.

Although he is now in the latter stages of his career, the left-winger could still be a top-quality addition for the Blues, given that he recorded a phenomenal 18 goals and 17 assists in just 29 appearances in all competitions last season.

Hailed as a "superstar" by members of the media, the former Barcelona man has been among the world's best players for a number of years now, having scored a remarkable 77 goals for Brazil, tied with Pele in the nation's all-time top scorers list.

The only concern about signing the Brazil legend will be his astronomical wages, with Capology reporting he earns a whopping £930k-per-week, nearly triple the amount of the current highest earner at Stamford Bridge.

You could argue it is not worth shelling out so much money on a player approaching the final few years of his career, and so Chelsea should only pursue a move for Neymar if he is willing to accept a considerable wage decrease, but he could be a real statement signing at Stamford Bridge.