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Liverpool’s 2025/26 campaign is upon us. This weekend, Arne Slot will lead his troops out for the first time this term, looking to claim the Community Shield against Crystal Palace, who won the FA Cup in May.

The curtain-raiser is little more than a prelude to the campaign, but for the Premier League champions, it’s an opportunity to showcase the new quality added to the ranks, and to set the tone for the years ahead.

The likes of Florian Wirtz and Hugo Ekitike will be gunning for starts up top, while full-backs Milos Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong will hope to kick off a long and fruitful partnership on the flanks. Giorgi Mamardashvili may make his debut following Alisson Becker’s departure from pre-season due to a personal issue. The Brazilian has since returned to training.

One player who will not feature for the Reds is Newcastle United’s Alexander Isak, who desperately wants to sign for the Merseysiders and has already been the subject of a rejected £110m bid.

But will sporting director Richard Hughes manage to pull it off?

The latest on Alexander Isak to Liverpool

Newcastle’s struggle to sign a new centre-forward has inhibited Liverpool in their quest for “the best striker in the Premier League”, as Isak has been described by Sky Sports’ Jamie Carragher.

Isak’s position at Newcastle appears untenable, for he was not included in the club’s recent barbecue, a get-together involving the squad, staff and family members, and he has also been ordered to train alone.

With the Magpies actively searching for a new number nine, it feels like Isak will be granted the chance to move at some stage this summer, albeit that is hardly a certainty. For their part, Liverpool are said to be readying a fresh approach, according to reports.

Alexander Isak’s Record at Newcastle (all comps)
Season	Apps (starts)	Goals	Assists
24/25	42 (41)	27	6
23/24	40 (36)	25	2
22/23	27 (18)	10	3
Data via Transfermarkt

Should Liverpool fail to capture their quarry, FSG have earmarked several alternatives, with one in particular appearing a curious choice.

Liverpool open talks for Isak alternative

According to Empire of the Kop, Liverpool are interested in signing Yoane Wissa from Brentford this summer, should they fail to prise Isak away from St. James’ Park. It’s understood that initial enquiries have been made.

Wissa, 28, was one of the Premier League’s most prolific forwards last season and is valued at £50m. Suitors will hope to pay less. Newcastle have led the race over recent weeks, but Tottenham Hotspur and Al-Nassr have also expressed a desire to snap him up.

The DR Congo international has now returned to training after previously going on strike, though he still targets a move away from the Gtech Community Stadium.

That said, if Liverpool were to bump up the intensity of their intrigue, there’s perhaps a sense that Hughes might inadvertently add to the Magpies’ woes, for Wissa would surely be enticed by a one-way trip to Anfield.

Why Liverpool are interested in Yoane Wissa

Wissa might not be the flashiest name on the market, but he’s a clinical goalscorer and he’s proven in the Premier League. Last season, he scored 20 goals across all competitions, including 19 in the Premier League.

Hailed by Sky Sports’ Mark McAdam for his “absolutely sensational” finishing, Wissa might not have Isak’s dynamism or staggering technical ability, but he’s rather good at what he does, and would provide the perfect counterpoint to Ekitike.

Last season, Ekitike ranked among the top 10% of strikers across Europe’s top five leagues for assists, the top 6% for shot-creating actions, and the top 4% for progressive carries and successful take-ons per 90, as per FBref.

He does, however, mirror Isak’s ready-made clinical nature, and that’s something that could prove important given that Ekitike is not the finished product.

There’s a partnership there, for sure. Wissa and Ekitike might not be stylistically similar as number nines – and that bodes well for Liverpool’s long-term fluency – but the Bees star could become the Reds’ next version of the former Eintracht Frankfurt man all the same.

That’s because Newcastle have a vested interest in the £25k-per-week talent, with their interest longer-standing too (the Tyneside outfit first bid for Ekitike in 2022, before ultimately signing Isak).

For Liverpool to steal ahead and pile more misery onto the Carabao Cup champions would be a cruel blow to those of a Toon persuasion, but the argument for signing Wissa is strong.

Forking out another British-record fee on Isak is understandable, but that doesn’t mean Liverpool should spend a ridiculous amount on an alternative just to tick a box. In Wissa, an astute purchase could be made, and one which would enhance and progress the team all the same.

With Darwin Nunez on the cusp of completing a permanent transfer to Al Hilal in the Saudi Pro League, this would be a necessary move to make, and one which would see Wissa establish himself as Liverpool’s next version of Ekitike.

Wissa might not have Isak’s show-stopping name, but there’s no question that the DR Congo star boasts a wealth of Premier League experience and would serve as a welcome counterpoint to the expansive Ekitike.

Liverpool have already stolen one centre-forward target from Newcastle this summer, and they could do the same again by completing a shrewd move for Wissa, should a deal for Isak fall through.

He's like Gerrard: Liverpool preparing formal offer for £120k-p/w "wizard"

Liverpool are looking to close several more transfer deals this summer.

By
Angus Sinclair

Aug 8, 2025

Leeds United have their eyes on a £50,000-a-week striker as an alternative to Fulham’s Rodrigo Muniz, according to journalist Graham Bailey.

Leeds keen on new striker with Muniz a top target

The Whites have been relatively busy so far during the summer transfer window, with seven new senior faces arriving at Elland Road.

Incomings	From	Fee
Lukas Nmecha	Wolfsburg	Free
Jaka Bijol	Udinese	£15m
Gabriel Gudmundsson	Lille	£10m
Sebastiaan Bornauw	Wolfsburg	£5m
Sean Longstaff	Newcastle	£12m
Anton Stach	Hoffenheim	£17.4m
Lucas Perri	Lyon	£13.9m

Daniel Farke and the 49ers Enterprises are still hoping to add more, with a new winger and forward now seemingly at the top of the to-do list for sporting director Adam Underwood.

Leeds recently missed out on an ambitious move for Igor Paixao, who chose Marseille over a move to Yorkshire. In regards to a new striker, Fulham’s Muniz has been a firm target in recent weeks, however, there is yet to be progress on any potential transfer.

Talking to Leeds United News, Bailey said that those at Craven Cottage are in talks over a new deal for the Brazilian.

“It’s not news that intermediaries are doing the work. Fulham remain in talks over a new deal, however.

“They still want to keep him, but until they get the new deal signed, it’s not going to stop other people offering him elsewhere. He’s a good Premier League striker with a high ceiling. He’s still quite young, so he’s going to get linked around.”

Leeds meet £24.5m star's agents and now ready to trigger his release clause

The Whites could have an advantage in their race to sign a talented playmaker.

By
Sean Markus Clifford

Aug 1, 2025

Leeds may soon have to move on from Muniz, and the journalist answered a question on the Whites’ alternative centre-forward targets.

Leeds still eyeing move for Everton’s Beto

Bailey added that Everton striker Beto, who was linked with Leeds at the beginning of the window, is still on the Elland Road radar as Farke and Underwood search for a new striker.

Beto, a Guinea international, is on £50,000-a-week with the Toffees and is into the final two years of his Everton contract.

However, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin leaving Merseyside this summer, Everton currently have a shortage of senior strikers, despite signing Thierno Barry, so any Leeds move for Beto could be tricky, as they have found in their attempts to sign Muniz.

Beto over the last 12 months	Percentile (FBref)
Non-penalty goals	72nd percentile
Aerials won	97th percentile
Shots on target	87th percentile
Successful take-ons	90th percentile

Time is ticking, though, with Beto and Everton due to travel to Leeds on August 18 for a Premier League opener.

Chelsea have a number of players they wish to get off the books before deadline day on September 1, with Blues boss Enzo Maresca set for a few key decisions surrounding high-profile first-team stars.

£50m "game-changer" would now love to join Chelsea despite Arsenal approach

The Blues have been handed a boost in their pursuit of an attacker.

ByDominic Lund Jul 21, 2025

Raheem Sterling, Ben Chilwell, Renato Veiga, Axel Disasi, Carney Chukwuemeka, Lesley Ugochukwu, Armando Broja, Tosin Adarabioyo, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Nicolas Jackson, João Félix and Alfie Gilchrist have all been linked with the Chelsea exit door in recent weeks.

Cole Palmer

7.33

Moises Caicedo

7.02

Enzo Fernández

6.95

Nicolas Jackson

6.88

Noni Madueke

6.82

via WhoScored

Benoit Badiashile has also hinted that he could leave Chelsea this summer, with The Athletic’s Simon Johnson reporting they’ll consider offers for Trevoh Chalobah too, despite his heroics during the second half of 2024/2025, so Maresca could oversee a major reshuffle of his defence.

Chelsea have already sold Kepa Arrizabalaga, Basir Humphreys, Noni Madueke, Marcus Bettinelli, Djordje Petrovic and Mathis Amougou for an estimated total fee of around £100 million, but they remain under pressure from UEFA to balance out their squad.

Failure to do so could even result in Maresca not being able to register new players for their Champions League campaign next season (Kaveh Solhekol), even if Chelsea are currently making a profit after also winning the Club World Cup and taking home £87.5 million.

Financially, Chelsea are in a very good position to carry on signing players, and that is certainly their intent towards the latter stages of this transfer window (Simon Phillips), but they’ll need to seal more departures.

Unofficial swap deals could be a key method that Chelsea utilise to both bring in upgrades and trim their bloated squad (Simon Phillips), with £195,000-per-week forward Christopher Nkunku a potential sacrifice in this regard.

Reports earlier in the window suggested that Chelsea and Man United have explored an exchange involving Nkunku and Alejandro Garnacho, and journalist Simon Phillips has now shared an update on the Frenchman’s future.

Chelsea looking to replace Christopher Nkunku as Newcastle eye "surprise" move

Writing via his Substack, the reporter claims that Chelsea are actively looking to replace Nkunku, and Newcastle have emerged as “surprise” suitors for him.

Eddie Howe’s side have expressed an interest, and even though it hasn’t advanced further than that right now, the Magpies are believed to be considering a swoop for the former RB Leipzig sensation.

This follows other audacious claims from Spain that Chelsea offered Nkunku to Real Madrid as part of a two-player swap deal for Rodrygo, but it is unclear whether the west Londoners would propose the versatile attacker for any Newcastle player.

Nkunku, despite not being a firm fixture in Maresca’s starting elevens, still managed double digits in terms of goals scored in all competitions last season, and most recently put in some impressive displays at the CWC.

“Yeah, he’s a top player, we all know his quality, how he is as a player,” teammate Felix told the media about Nkunku last campaign.

“We already saw him doing amazing things at Leipzig. And yeah, I like to play with him. I think we think the game kind of like the same way. So I think he already know what I’m going to do, and I know what he’s going to do. I think it’s pretty easy to play with him. I think we connect very well.”

Chelsea are now through to the Club World Cup final after brushing aside Fluminense with ease 2-0 in New Jersey.

After just about getting the better of Brazilian outfit Palmeiras 2-1 in the last round, Enzo Maresca’s Blues managed to progress through to the final stage by beating yet another South American side, as either Real Madrid or Paris St. Germain now await the West Londoners for a chance at pre-season glory.

João Pedro would steal most of the headlines from the straightforward win by popping up with both of Chelsea’s goals on the day, as the brand-new attacker looks to instantly settle into his new environment after leaving Brighton and Hove Albion behind.

How to Watch the FIFA Club World Cup for Free

Everything you need to know about the Club World Cup.

By
Charlie Smith

Jun 13, 2025

Joao Pedro's performance in numbers

After clearly impressing Maresca with a lively 26-minute run-out against Palmeiras, the Italian would hand the exciting 23-year-old attacker the first-team reins as Chelsea’s main man up top against Fluminense.

It was an inspired decision from the former Leicester City boss to axe Liam Delap in favour of starting the fresh number 20, with Pedro only needing an hour to score a brace to hand his new employers an uncomplicated passage through to the Club World Cup final.

It was a confident and assured performance from a star who will want to make that sole striker spot his own ahead of the new Premier League season getting underway, with Pedro firing home a clinical 30 goals across his last two seasons at the Seagulls, before Chelsea came calling.

Based on Nicolas Jackson’s selfish miss in the second half, which sent Cole Palmer into a frenzy, he could well make that up-for-grabs position on the pitch his own very soon.

But, he wasn’t the only standout performer as Chelsea’s Brazilian opponents were dealt with comfortably, with this fellow attacker for the Blues sticking out once more, as some now even herald him as Chelsea’s finest player of the entire Club World Cup tournament.

The 8/10 star turning into Maresca's "best player"

Of course, those with connections to Stamford Bridge will be rightly enthused by Pedro’s flashes of excellence.

But, there have been other key individuals for Chelsea across the whole span of the tournament who have stood out even more than the much-talked-about South American, with Pedro Neto definitely fitting into this bracket.

Across his five games in the United States heat, the former Wolverhampton Wanderers winger has tallied up a crucial three goals, with his goal against LAFC in the middle of last month getting Maresca’s men up and running in the competition.

Whilst he didn’t collect another memorable strike against Fluminense, it wasn’t through lack of trying, with the tireless attacker seeing his only effort of the game be blocked, away from just shining as a vibrant and slick option down the Blues’ left flank when running forward with pace to burn.

Neto’s performance in numbers vs Fluminense
Stat	Neto
Minutes played	68
Goals scored	0
Assists	0
Shots	1
Touches	34
Accurate passes	18/18 (100%)
Successful dribbles	4/6
Total duels won	5/8
Stats by Sofascore

Amazingly, Neto would complete four successful dribbles across his standout 68-minute spell, with his surges up the field constantly allowing for openings to happen, with Neto also accurately completing every single pass that came his way when feeding the likes of Pedro to shine.

Whilst the former Brighton striker did snatch most of the plaudits come the full-time whistle, Neto wasn’t short of admirers himself either, with journalist Zach Lowy taking to X to declare the Portuguese entertainer as Chelsea’s “best attacker” this tournament and “arguably their best player” full stop.

That is quite the call to make, but it was backed up by The Standard’s Sam Tabuteau post-match, who also declared him ‘Chelsea’s best performer’ in America, amidst a high 8/10 rating for his efforts against Fluminense.

It will be intriguing to see if Neto can kick on after all this pre-season praise when Premier League football returns to West London, with the Club World Cup trophy also perhaps making the trip back to England very soon if all goes to plan.

Bigger star than Estevao: Chelsea hold talks over signing £78m "superstar"

With Estêvão Willian set to arrive from Palmeiras, could Chelsea actually sign a bigger talent by snapping up a “gifted” superstar worth £78m?

By
Ben Gray

Jul 8, 2025

Chelsea have made a proposal to sign an “insane” attacker who’s England’s “biggest talent”, and BlueCo have now received a response, it has been revealed.

Blues looking to reshuffle attacking options

The Blues have been very busy in the opening stages of the summer transfer window, having already confirmed the arrivals of the likes of Jamie Gittens and Joao Pedro, which means they may need to offload some current players to create space in the squad.

Fabrizio Romano has now revealed the west Londoners may have the opportunity to sell one of their wingers to a rival club, with the transfer expert stating that Arsenal are making moves to secure Noni Madueke’s signature.

Having already agreed personal terms on a move across the capital, it is clear Madueke is keen on joining the Gunners, which means the last remaining hurdle is for the two clubs to agree a suitable fee.

HandofArsenal have now revealed that Chelsea have floated the idea of signing Max Dowman in preliminary talks over the deal to sell Madueke (via Sports Mole), but BlueCo did not receive the response they would’ve been hoping for.

The Blues’ proposal to sign Dowman has been knocked back by Arsenal, given that he is very highly regarded by the north Londoners, meaning the deal to offload Madueke will need to be of a different nature.

Bigger talent than Gittens: Chelsea expected to bid big for £85m superstar

Despite signing João Pedro and Jamie Gittens in the last week, Chelsea are now expected to bid £50m+ for a Premier League “superstar”.

ByBen Gray Jul 7, 2025

Sky Sports reporter Florian Plettenberg has revealed the winger is valued at around £52m by the Blues, meaning they could be in line to pocket a tidy fee for his services.

"Insane" Dowman could be England's "biggest talent"

Although he is still only 15-years-old, the teenager has been tipped to go on and have a very successful career, with Arsenal insider Will Balsam dubbing him the “biggest talent in England”.

Scout Ben Mattinson has also been left extremely impressed by the young attacking midfielder’s performances at youth level, claiming he could go on to make his Premier League debut in the near future.

As such, it is disappointing that Arsenal have no interest in letting Dowman leave this summer, but it is good news that Chelsea could be set to receive a big fee for Madueke, with Enzo Maresca well-stocked in attacking areas and definitely in a position to sanction the winger’s departure.

Everton are now in a race with David Moyes’ former side to sign a “very good” international midfielder who will be allowed to leave this summer for £25 million, according to a recent report.

Everton weighing up several transfer options

It’s been a rather quiet transfer window for the Toffees so far, but that could soon be about to change, as the return of pre-season gets ever closer. Everton have brought in Carlos Alcaraz on a permanent basis this summer, and they could be close to adding to that, as BBC Sport reports that Everton are close to signing defender Kenny Tete on a free transfer.

A deal is said to be close to being secured, as signing a new right-back has become a priority given Ashley Young was allowed to leave upon the expiry of his contract.

Everton now want to buy "brilliant" 65-cap star who could sign for only £9m

The Toffees could land a bargain…

BySean Markus Clifford Jun 25, 2025

The Merseysiders remain in talks with Villarreal over a deal to sign striker Thierno Barry, but he is not the only forward David Moyes is considering signing. Goodison News reported that the Toffees are interested in Millwall striker Mihailo Ivanovic after he scored 13 goals in the Championship last season.

Everton don’t want to stop there, and a report has now revealed that they have registered their interest in signing James McAtee from Manchester City. The young Englishman looks set to leave the Etihad this summer.

Everton in race with West Ham for Onyedika

McAtee may not be the last midfielder to arrive at Goodison Park this summer, as according to Sacha Tavolieri, Everton are in pole position to sign Raphael Onyedika from Club Brugge, albeit together with the Hammers.

Tavolieri states that both the Toffees and West Ham are leading the race to sign the midfielder this summer, with the Hammers the most concrete with their interest so far. He goes on to add that while he is under contract until 2027, the Belgian side would be happy to get around €30 million, which is roughly £25 million, this summer.

The 24-year-old has been with his current club since August 2022, where he’s won the Belgian league once and the Belgium Cup, which came in 2025. Onyedika, who has won 16 caps for Nigeria, was a key player for Club Brugge last season, as he played 25 times in the Jupiler Pro League and started all 11 of their Champions League matches.

Apps

141

Goals

6

Assists

4

Onyedika is very unknown to English football, as he’s spent his football career playing for FC Midtjylland and FC Fredericia before moving to Belgium. But reporter Graeme Bailey has labelled the midfielder a “very good player” and someone who is a “threat”, while he’s also been linked with a move to Leeds United.

Liverpool have been the team to beat throughout 2024/25, as seen by the progress made under Arne Slot since he took the reins during the summer last year.

The Dutchman has led the Reds to their second Premier League title, but has already wasted little time in targeting reinforcements ahead of the 2025/26 campaign.

After such a dominant year that saw the club win the title by 10 points, you wouldn’t expect a whole host of changes, but it appears as though Slot desperately wants new additions to inject further quality into the side.

Countless players have been touted with a summer switch to Anfield, but as of yet, no deals have reached their conclusion with the window not yet open.

However, work is being done behind the scenes over the last couple of days, with rapid progress being made on numerous deals in the full-back areas, as well as Florian Wirtz.

The latest on Liverpool’s hunt for new full-backs

With Trent Alexander-Arnold departing Liverpool this summer, Bayer Leverkusen right-back Jeremie Frimpong has been the main target to fill the void, agreeing a £29.5m deal for his services.

The Dutchman has travelled to Merseyside over the last couple of days to complete the formalities of his switch to England, potentially being the club’s first signing of the summer.

He’s not the only player who’s edging closer to a move to Anfield, with Bournemouth left-back Milos Kerkez still on their radar ahead of the summer, according to Fabrizio Romano.

He claims that the hierarchy are still “working on” a deal to land the Hungarian international, who’s registered two goals and five assists in the Premier League this campaign.

It’s been reported that the Cherries are demanding £45m for his signature during the off-season, with the defender open to a switch to join Slot’s men – following in the footsteps of one player currently on the books.

Why Kerkez could repeat Liverpool's Mac Allister success

Alexis Mac Allister has played a key role in the success endured by Liverpool over the last few months, cementing his place at the heart of the side alongside Ryan Gravenberch.

The Argentine, who joined in a £35m deal from Brighton back in the summer of 2023, has registered 95 appearances in the last two years since his move to Merseyside.

49 of which have come during 2024/25, featuring in all but three Premier League matches, notching 10 combined goals and assists, having a huge impact in their ability to claim the title.

The 26-year-old now appears to be a bargain given his success at Anfield, potentially replicating such a deal with a move for Kerkez over the coming months.

A deal for the Bournemouth defender could see another young star move to the club from a mid-table English outfit, looking to be a key player in any future success under the Dutchman.

The 21-year-old has emerged as a leading full-back despite his tender age, having the tools to thrive at both ends, which has undoubtedly led to the keen interest from Slot’s men.

Kerkez, who’s been labelled “sensational” by journalist Charles Watts, has created 1.1 chances per 90 along with 1.1 successful crosses per 90 – subsequently able to hand other players in front of him the chance to star in the final third.

Milos Kerkez’s stats for Bournemouth in the PL (2024/25)

Statistics (per 90)

Tally

Games played

38

Goals & assists

7

Pass accuracy

81%

Successful crosses

1.1

Chances created

1.1

Dribbles completed

56%

Tackles won

50%

Stats via FotMob

He’s also completed 56% of the dribbles he’s attempted, with 1.9 touches in the opposition box – further highlighting the talent he possesses with the ball at his feet.

However, Kerkez has also starred defensively, winning 50% of the tackles he’s entered and has come out on top of 4.1 duels per 90, having the capability without the ball to impress despite his attacking nature.

The £45m fee could well prove to be a good price for a young talent who is only going to improve further should he receive more minutes in England’s top-flight over the next few seasons.

Should he get anywhere near the levels produced by Mac Allister on Merseyside, it would be a sensational deal, offering Slot a new dimension to his already star-studded first team squad.

Related Slot's answer to Huijsen: Liverpool enquire about signing £74m "freak"

Liverpool would consider signing a centre-back this summer.

Posts ByAngus Sinclair May 28, 2025

Make no mistake about it, this has been an utterly dreadful campaign for Manchester United.

Whether it was Erik ten Hag in the formative months of the season or Ruben Amorim in the latter stages of the term, no one has been able to get a tune out of this downtrodden Premier League giant.

After suffering a 4-3 defeat at the hands of Brentford on Sunday afternoon, it reduced the Red Devils to their 16th league defeat of 2024/25. That’s the first time that’s happened since 1989/90, before the Premier League even existed.

In truth, United were not expected to win this one. Their focus is well and truly on their Europa League semi-final next Thursday, and as a result, Amorim rang the changes.

There was a first start for 17-year-old striker Chido Obi, while 20-year-old Tyler Fredricson started at centre-back and 18-year-old Harry Amass was given a run out at left-wing back.

On that evidence, the defeat was not a shock. Still, it did little to help an already dispondent fanbase.

Where it went wrong for Man United at Brentford

While teenager Chido Obi struggled in attack, notably having just 18 touches of the ball, it was not an awful day for United in attack.

Mason Mount – who had not found the net in 400 days – opened the scoring, darting into the penalty area and finishing off a close-range opportunity.

Alejandro Garnacho and Amad also scored late on to save United’s blushes somewhat, but those two goals were too little too late. Still, it showed that there is promise for the future at Old Trafford.

It was at the back where United met their downfall. The tone was set when Brentford found their equaliser on 27 minutes. Amass was absolutely bullied by Michael Kayode who beat the youngster to the ball inside the area and then it cannoned off Luke Shaw for an own goal.

The second goal was equally as comical. Matthijs de Ligt went down injured and United switched off, which allowed Mikkel Damsgaard to find Kevin Schade who didn’t have to do much at the back stick.

For Schade’s second and the hosts’ third, there was very little resistance at the back post either where Fredricson left the Bees forward open at the and he was left with a simple finish.

It was then made all the worse when United failed to apply their offside trap correctly. The ball was slid in between the back line on the edge of the box and then Kayode laid it on a plate for Yoanne Wissa to score, completely unmarked again.

Chalkboard

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

Clearly, very little in the United backline helped but it was Shaw who was notably bad.

Luke Shaw's performance in numbers

At the peak of his game, Shaw proved himself to be one of the best left-backs not just in the Premier League, but also in Europe.

That was certainly the case at Euro 2020 where as you should all remember, he scored in the final against Italy for England.

Well, since then, it’s been a sad and agonising tale of woe for the left-sided defender who has struggled to stay fit, most notably in the last few seasons.

While Shaw managed over 30 league appearances in 2022/23, he was only seen on 12 occasions in the top-flight last season and only five times in 2024/25 to date.

In truth, this should be his last start in United’s famous colours; he was not good enough.

Minutes played

45

Touches

30

Accurate passes

19/24 (79%)

Key passes

0

Shots

0

Successful dribbles

0

Clearances

2

Tackles

1

Interceptions

0

Duels won

1/3

The own goal was bad enough but he had already nearly turned one into his own net in the first three minutes of the game. In the words of Manchester Evening News reporter, Samuel Luckhurst, he simply “wasn’t at it” having also been given the captain’s armband.

Well, it wasn’t a captain’s performance, let’s put it that way. The left-back was handed a 2/10 match rating by the Express and was consequently was hauled off after just 45 minutes.

One can excuse a lack of match fitness and you may well blame that for Shaw’s display in London this weekend, but he’s really not shown very much in his limited outings this season.

During his 45 minutes on the field, he only completed 79% of his passes and won just one of his three duels. Unsurprisingly, his 30 touches were also fewer than goalkeeper Altay Bayindir’s total of 57 touches.

We are so used to seeing Shaw as a flying wing-back and perhaps he should have started there on this occasion given Amass’ own struggles. Yet, this was evidence that he now completely lacks confidence, perhaps not just in his fitness but in his own abilities.

The 29-year-old left the action having been dominated by the Brentford attack. Their clever play and trickery on the edge of the box were simply too much for him to handle.

Don’t be surprised if this is one of, if not the last time, we see him start a game for the club.

Perfect for Cunha: Man Utd in advanced talks to sign "world-class" talent

Manchester United have wasted no time in targeting reinforcements, with a deal edging closer for one star.

ByEthan Lamb May 2, 2025

Bowlers’ inconsistency allows England to recover from 54 for 5 on second day

Nagraj Gollapudi27-Jul-2024Shamar Joseph has a false start as he misses his run-up first ball on Saturday. Edgbaston mocks him jovially. It was similar to the false start Joseph had six months ago as he ran in to deliver his first ball in international cricket, against Australia at the Adelaide Oval: that time, he overcame it to take Steve Smith’s wicket. He has a picture of that dismissal framed in his house in New Amsterdam, in Guyana.At Edgbaston this morning, Joe Root pushes the first ball, a fuller delivery, to mid-on. In Joseph’s second over, Ollie Pope decides to cut a ball in the channel rooted in his crease with a horizontal bat. That’s a big no, no, on this slow-paced pitch. Pope ends up punching the back of his bat more than once after watching his inside edge uprooting his middle stump. It is enough to send Joseph squealing in delight.Pope’s dismissal and the timing comes as balm for West Indies and especially Jayden Seales, who could have actually had the first wicket of the morning had he pressed for a lbw review against Root in the second over of the morning. Replays show the delivery, which seamed into Root and squaring him up, would have clipped the top of leg stump but Joshua da Silva tells Seales that the ball is heading down leg the side.Shamar Joseph made a mess of Ollie Pope’s stumps early in the day•Darren Staples/Getty ImagesBut Seales is not distracted and soon after forces an outside edge from Harry Brook who is caught at slip – exactly in the same fashion as at Trent Bridge. From their overnight 38 for 3, England are 54 for 5 inside the first hour of the morning.Fans in the Caribbean, watching all this in the tender hours of the morning, must have started to believe. Rally, rally, they would have urged their team. In the end, though, emotion is not enough to win Test matches. You need more than one plan. You need to sustain pressure and create it even if nothing is in your favour, including the pitch. You need to find ways to dry up the flow of runs.All this is known to Kraigg Brathwaite, a proud leader who, after Joseph’s miracle spell at the Gabba in January, flexed his biceps to tell former Australian fast bowler Rodney Hogg who had derided West Indies as “pathetic and hopeless” at the outset.On Saturday, though, as the afternoon stretched out, West Indies’ plight became more and more hopeless. First, Root and Stokes gradually loosened the visitors’ grip by rotating the strike and picking runs comfortably going into the lunch. Immediately after the break, West Indies seemed to have a plan.Alzarri Joseph banged in short-pitched deliveries into the body of the England captain, but Stokes pulled two fours with ease in the first over of the new session. In his next over, Joseph forced the error from Stokes with consecutive 90mph deliveries that were banged short-of-the-length and rose quickly. Stokes ducked out of the first one, but was sucked into pulling the second one straight to square leg. Stokes cursed himself for falling into the trap.Ben Stokes grimaces after holing out off Alzarri Joseph•Darren Staples/Getty ImagesJoseph continued the short-ball barrage against Jamie Smith in his following over, coming from round the stumps. The first time he attempted to hook, Smith ended up gloving the ball, just over the outstretched hands of the leaping da Silva. Joseph had himself leapt in the air in his excitement, thinking da Silva had pouched Smith. The next delivery, Joseph directed another bouncer, which this time failed to climb up and Smith instinctively pulled it over the roof of the rousing Hollies Stand, forcing a ball change.Instead of sticking to the plan of bowling short and packing the field on the leg side, West Indies drifted away from it. That allowed Root to march towards his century and Smith to settle down quickly. Even after Root departed, Chris Woakes managed to quickly carry forward the momentum alongside Smith as the pair eventually helped England take the lead.Related

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Seales conceded that while the Windies bowlers had “showed great fight” on both Friday evening and Saturday morning, they had failed to do it “consistently, and backing it up all the time.”He cited the example of Smith, who he described as a “compulsive hooker”, someone West Indies should have attacked for longer with the short ball. “If we had stuck at it little bit longer and keep forcing him to do it time after time, one may not have held and he could’ve gotten out.”But Seales disputed the idea that West Indies had failed to keep the pressure at all times on a pitch that was slow and scoring was easy. “We bowled well as a group,” he said. “Collectively we were on the right spots the majority of the time. We forced them to go at it and try and score runs quickly and it paid off for them.”Kudos to them. But I thought we did our job as a bowling unit: we stuck to it as long as we possibly could. And when the time came to try the short ball, we gave our best efforts. It just didn’t go our way.”About 10 minutes before lunch the Hollies stand burst out singing . Da Silva didn’t mind joining in and was heard on the stump mic singing Jon Bon Jovi’s anthem. At the time it was all fun and frolic. By the late afternoon, the lyrics summed up West Indies’ situation in this match – and this series.

The opener hasn’t played a single T20I this year but knows the next two weeks are crucial with the T20 World Cup looming

Shashank Kishore26-Aug-20224:16

KL Rahul: ‘Playing Shaheen Shah Afridi could have helped challenge ourselves ahead of the T20 World Cup’

KL Rahul is yet to feature in a T20I this year because of injuries, and in the time he has been away, India have shifted towards a new approach to the format from a batting perspective. He may not have been an active part of this process, but he’s aware of it, and happy to buy into it as India look to fine-tune preparations leading into the 2022 T20 World Cup in Australia.On Thursday, Rahul had his first hit with the T20I squad after arriving from Zimbabwe, where he led India to a 3-0 sweep in the ODI series. With scores of 1 and 30 in the two innings he played in Harare, his own batting form was patchy, and Rahul’s focus in the nets was simply on enjoying an extended session.Even as Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Suryakumar Yadav brought out their artistry, Rahul seemed intent on bringing back his fluency. VVS Laxman even jokingly stopped him from coming out of the nets twice. Rahul enjoyed three stints in all, over a three-hour session.Related

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He was edgy against pace initially, and was beaten on length on at least three occasions by Arshdeep Singh’s angle away from him. Rahul held his own against Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s swing, though, getting right behind the line and moving swiftly into position to drive and play straight. His sessions were closely monitored by two cameras – one behind the stumps and another in front of cover, just outside the net.After his first 30-minute session, Rahul cooled off for a bit and went back in for round two against spin. Ravindra Jadeja and R Ashwin challenged him by pushing him back with a series of quicker ones and sliders. Rahul focused on his back-foot play, and the big shots that weren’t seen in his first session slowly surfaced late into his second as he tonked a straight hit over the sightscreen.In the third session, Rahul was simply focused on meeting the ball with giant forward strides, especially against Arshdeep, who bounded in tirelessly. The left-arm seamer was tossed a new ball that he swung back in from different lines, ranging from fourth stump to middle, just to get Rahul playing straight and ensuring he wasn’t bringing his front pad in the way. For someone who has all the shots in the book, this session was all about the basics.Then, as the last round was called, Rahul had fun, paddling and ramping deliveries before ending with a flat-batted slap to walk off tired and happy. The punch on the bat as he walked off resonated with satisfaction at grinding his way in.KL Rahul last played a T20I in November 2021•BCCIOn Friday, Rahul spoke of India’s new approach and of enjoying the challenge of bringing it to life. At IPL 2022, his most-recent competitive T20 outing, Rahul’s powerplay strike rates barely crossed 100, drawing plenty of chatter from pundits and former players. In the death overs, though, which he seemed intent on building towards, he struck at 198.36. Overall, Rahul ended the season with the second-most runs – 635 in 14 innings at a strike rate of 135.38 – behind Jos Buttler.”This new approach, we’d spoken about it much before when I was part of the team early on in the year as well and just after the [2021 T20] World Cup,” Rahul said. “Last season we had spoken about what we need to improve individually and how as a team we try to be more aggressive, put the bowlers under pressure by going out there and play with a lot of authority, freedom and aggression.”So I was there when that happened. Unfortunately, I have not been able to play too many T20Is since then, but we have played the IPL, and I played with the same approach, tried to see how with that same approach I can be consistent and still contribute to the team. I haven’t played since the last two-three months, and that is a challenge for me, one I am looking forward to.”It’s done really well for us, the new approach. What the team wanted and what the captain needed has been embraced by everybody, every player in the team, which is great to see and that is the biggest step. That big step has already been taken and embraced by the players, so from now on it’s only about building on it and getting stronger and by the time the World Cup comes, everyone knows exactly what to do.”The next two weeks could be another test of Rahul’s work towards returning to being the white-ball destroyer he can be. He isn’t the captain, and he has a middle order that can take apart the best of attacks. From a team point of view, it’s all systems go. Rahul couldn’t ask for a more ideal scenario than this.