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Tottenham Hotspur avoided an embarrassing Carabao Cup defeat last night, subsequently claiming a 3-0 victory over League One Doncaster Rovers.

The win keeps Thomas Frank’s hopes of claiming a trophy in his first year as Lilywhites boss alive, with a trip to face current holders Newcastle United awaiting them in round four.

It may have only been against a team two divisions below them, but the Dane will have been impressed with the relentless nature of the performance, which saw the Lilywhites have 55% possession.

Such an outing gave numerous fringe players a chance to stake their claim for a regular role in the starting eleven, with the Dane having some incredible strength in depth currently at his disposal.

However, the victory also allowed one other player to finally get the opportunity he’s craved to feature in his natural position after being forced to operate in an unnatural role as of late.

Xavi Simons’ performance against Doncaster

After joining in a £52m deal from RB Leipzig during the summer transfer window, Xavi Simons became a player with huge expectations at Spurs, but he’s so far struggled to reach the levels many hoped for.

He’s mainly operated in a wide left role, but he was handed a start in a more familiar central role against Doncaster last night – taking advantage of the opportunity handed his way.

The Dutchman featured for a little over an hour, but had a huge impact on proceedings – as seen by the underlying stats that he produced in North London.

Simons created seven chances and won four fouls – with both tallies being the most of any player on the pitch – subsequently highlighting the threat he posed to Grant McCann’s side.

He also completed 97% of the passes he attempted, with four of his efforts being into the final third – allowing him to create one big chance in the process.

Whilst he was unable to register a goal or assist last night, the 22-year-old looked a constant nuisance in the number ten role, with Frank needing to stick with him in such a position.

However, one other first-team player managed to impress, now arguably being just as important as the Dutchman, given his own impressive display against Donny last night.

The Spurs star who is becoming as important as Simons

Given the sheer volume of competitions this season, Frank needs to have every Spurs player up to scratch to try and allow for success in various tournaments.

His side have already claimed wins in three separate competitions in 2025/26, with the side already impressing in the Premier League, Champions League and the Carabao Cup.

Simons has started all but one game since making his big-money move to join the Lilywhites, but the Dutchman has rapidly developed into a key player for the Dane as a result of his creativity.

However, he’s not the only summer addition who’s already impressed in North London, with Joao Palhinha immediately exceeding all expectations placed upon him after his loan move to the club.

The Portuguese international joined from Bayern Munich, but to the disappointment of many, with the 30-year-old not seen as the man to improve the first-team squad.

He’s already scored twice despite his deep-lying role, with his latest effort coming against Doncaster last night – producing an incredible acrobatic effort which opened the scoring.

Palhinha also featured out of position at centre-back, but still managed to thrive, producing numerous incredible figures that helped the Lilywhites claim a crucial victory.

The former Fulham star completed 63 passes, at a completion rate of 90%, with the former of the two stats the most of any player who featured during the contest on home soil.

Despite his defensive role, he also managed to complete four passes into the final third, able to provide those ahead of him with the chances to impress in front of goal.

Minutes played

90

Touches

82

Passes completed

63

Pass accuracy

90%

Tackles made

2

Clearances made

6

Interceptions

1

Passes into final third

4

However, Palhinha dominated without the ball, making two tackles, six clearances and one interception – helping the Lilywhites keep their fifth clean sheet of the 2025/26 campaign.

As a result of his showing, the loanee was handed a superb 9/10 match rating by The Standard’s journalist Matt Verri, further showcasing how impressive he was during the victory.

After such a display, Frank simply can’t afford to drop the Portuguese international from his starting eleven, with the experienced talent on a phenomenal run of form in the first team of late.

Should he continue his current impressive form for the Lilywhites, there’s no reason as to why Palhinha can’t be as undroppable as Simons, with the pair able to catapult the side to new heights in the months ahead when operating together.

Fewer touches than Kinsky: Frank must bench 5/10 Spurs star after Doncaster

Tottenham Hotspur secured their place in the next round of the Carabao Cup last night with a win over Doncaster.

ByEthan Lamb Sep 25, 2025

Mitchell Starc does not see the surface at Kensington Oval going the same way as Lord’s did in the World Test Championship final as Australia look to set a big enough run chase to avoid back-to-back defeats to West Indies for the first time since 1999.In the Lord’s final earlier this month, Australia and South Africa traded low first-innings scores before batting became significantly easier on the third day under sunnier skies where, initially, Starc himself was able to make a half-century, and then Aiden Markram and Temba Bavuma marshalled South Africa’s historic chase.But though the wickets’ tally on the second day in Barbados dropped to ten compared to 14 on the first, Starc thought it unlikely that batters would suddenly start to dominate over the latter stages of this game. Travis Head and Beau Webster will resume on the third day with a lead of 82.Related

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“I think the wicket at Lord’s was very flat when the sun came out,” Starc said. “I certainly found it easy to bat on. This [one], we’ve seen these two days, there’s so much variable [bounce] there. We saw yesterday on day one the ball shoot low and then the next over it jumped up and created a wicket. I think that’ll probably be the same tomorrow. And some good bowling that creates enough chances.”There was a little bit of a partnership there with Beau and Trav [27 so far] there at the end, so hopefully that can continue in the morning and then push it as far as we can [with] some lower-order runs and then go from there. I think there’s enough chances [being created] as we’ve seen for the last two days, that you’re never quite in and you never know what total is going to be enough.”When West Indies coach Daren Sammy was asked what he thought was chaseable, he joked: “I would love to chase 82. Somebody get a double-hat-trick or something.”It was a moment of levity from a clearly frustrated Sammy, who raised questions about the umpiring and was left exasperated by his team’s catching. They dropped Sam Konstas twice on 0, taking their tally of misses in the match to six, five of which have come off Shamar Joseph. Konstas, however, was only able to make 5 before falling to Joseph for the second time in the game.Australia’s bowlers will come into play in what they hope will be a big chase for West Indies•Randy Brooks/AFP/Getty Images

“Pretty sure they are going to get a nice bollocking. Not too angry, but for sure, it’s an attitude,” Sammy said. “The same way you practice your batting and your bowling, fielding and catching becomes equally important. Catching at slip is a skill. As somebody who fielded there, it’s a skill we constantly have to work on, putting time in it.”Good teams will make you pay. So far, it’s not been too costly, but this is something that in order for us to improve on the goals that we have for this team, this is going to continue. Our catching efficiency has to go up.”Regardless of the chances they have spurned, though, West Indies – and, in particular, Shamar Joseph – have left a significant early dent on Konstas’ series aspirations after scores of 3 and 5 with the innings on the second day proving especially awkward.”I think he had three chances and still scored five,” Sammy said. “Credit to our boys. The plans that we had against their top order and the areas that the guys bowled at him, they made it very difficult. Kudos to Shamar, [because] before the Test started, he did say he’s ready for Konstas when they asked about him.”

In the past, the checks were carried out inside the dressing room but on Sunday they were being carried out on the field of play

ESPNcricinfo staff14-Apr-2025

Umpires Vinod Seshan and Chris Gaffaney check the size of a bat during Delhi Capitals vs Mumbai Indians game•BCCI

An unusual series of events took place during the IPL 2025 matches on April 13, in Jaipur and Delhi. The on-field umpires in both games began checking the dimensions of the bats of batters as they came in, a practice not usually seen on the field this season or previous ones.During the afternoon game between Rajasthan Royals and Royal Challengers Bengaluru in Jaipur, the umpires Nitin Menon and Saidharshan Kumar checked the bats of at least Shimron Hetmyer, Nitish Rana and Phil Salt as they walked into bat, among others.In the evening game between Delhi Capitals and Mumbai Indians in Delhi, Chris Gaffaney and Vinod Seshan checked Hardik Pandya’s bat after he came to the middle. All the bats passed the checks.Related

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The umpires checked the bat using a gauge through which the blade of the bat must pass to be deemed acceptable. In the past, the checks were carried out inside the dressing room but on Sunday it was noticeable that the checks were being carried out on the field of play during the game.According to the rules, the width of the bat face should not exceed 10.79 cm, the thickness of the blade shouldn’t be more than 6.7 cms, and the width of the edge of the bat cannot be more than 4cm. The length of the bat should not exceed 96.4 cm.

An “incredible” manager has now emerged as a contender to replace Graham Potter at West Ham United, it has been revealed.

Potter's future in doubt after yet another defeat

Potter would’ve been hoping that the surprise 3-0 victory at Nottingham Forest before the international break could be a turning point, but his side once again came up short over the weekend, this time falling to a 3-0 defeat at home against Tottenham.

Speaking after his side’s third loss in four Premier League games, the West Ham boss said: “I understand because the scoreline is the scoreline and I understand why people are upset,”

“We are a new team and we have to stick together and focus on the things we’ve done well and see where we can improve.”

West Ham make offer for £14m Tottenham ace with January move now possible

The Hammers have made an approach to sign an “outstanding” player, who is keen on a move to a new Premier League club.

ByDominic Lund Sep 14, 2025

However, having been in charge since January and been given the opportunity to bring in his own players in the summer, it remains to be seen how much longer the Englishman can last, considering his record up to this point is extremely poor.

The 50-year-old has averaged just 0.96 points per match, and has the second-worst Premier League win percentage of any West Ham manager at just 27.3%.

As such, the Hammers’ hierarchy are now starting to run the rule over potential replacements, according to reporter Alan Nixon (via GiveMeSport), who states David Sullivan is an admirer of former Nottingham Forest boss Nuno Espirito Santo.

Nuno was a huge success at The City Ground, meaning he has now emerged as a contender to replace Potter at West Ham, but they may have to move quickly, given that the 51-year-old is likely to be attracting interest courtesy of the job he did at Forest.

"Incredible" Nuno could be an ideal Potter replacement

At this stage, the Hammers are looking like serious relegation candidates, having lost three of their opening four games, which leaves them 18th in the Premier League table.

Consequently, it would make sense to bring in a manager with a proven track record of being able to transform struggling sides into European contenders, and that is exactly what the former Forest boss managed to do in his last job.

After taking over a Forest side that only narrowly avoided relegation the season prior, the Portuguese coach led them to the Europa League, and he was praised for the “incredible” job he did by Sky Sports’ Sam Obaseki, while also receiving plaudits from Fabrizio Romano.

Nuno could be an excellent appointment for West Ham, given that he is vastly experienced in the Premier League, having also managed Tottenham Hotspur and Wolverhampton Wanderers, and Sullivan should move swiftly to ensure he wins the race.

Rio Ngumoha is the talk of the town after scoring a last-gasp winner for Liverpool at St. James’ Park on Monday night, thus preserving Arne Slot’s flawless start to the Premier League campaign.

‘Flawless’ perhaps conveys the wrong mood. Liverpool have been pressed against the ropes in each of their opening league fixtures this season, yet they have snatched victory against Bournemouth at Anfield and Newcastle United on Tyneside.

It wouldn’t be unfair to suggest that Slot’s side are tactically imbalanced at the moment, with the thrilling addition of British-record playmaker Florian Wirtz seeming to distort the team’s balance, and the defensive fragility of Ibrahima Konate and much change further providing Slot with food for thought.

And so talks are ongoing for Crystal Palace centre-back Marc Guehi, with hope that he will sign before deadline day. Perhaps the 25-year-old’s arrival would add depth and another dimension at the rear to launch Liverpool back into a smoother rhythm.

However, there’s another top target who could. Indeed, Alexander Isak’s potential move to Merseyside remains one of the biggest stories as the market winds down.

The latest on Isak to Liverpool

Liverpool’s bid for Newcastle United striker Isak is going down to the wire, with the Magpies still yet to sign one centre-forward this summer – let alone two.

The Sweden international has made it perfectly clear he has no intention of staying at St. James’ Park beyond the transfer window (though how much power he has over that is another matter), but Liverpool will not follow up their rejected £110m offer from the start of August without encouragement from the Toon.

A PIF delegation extended an olive branch to the 25-year-old after Liverpool’s dramatic victory on Monday, but Isak has doubled down on his stance.

The ball, frustratingly, is in Newcastle’s court, for they cannot reasonably cash in on their talisman if they do not find and sign a replacement (or two).

With that in mind, FSG have identified the perfect alternative, and he might even prove to be a better signing for Slot’s side.

Liverpool ready D-day bid for Isak alternative

If Liverpool do fail in their protracted bid to sign Isak, sporting director Richard Hughes won’t turn to an alternative centre-forward.

Transfer Focus

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

That’s according to GIVEMESPORT. The publication have revealed that Liverpool are ready to make a deadline-day swoop for Real Madrid winger Rodrygo in the event that they miss out on Isak.

Rodrygo has been anticipated to leave Real this summer after struggles last season and signs of a diminished role under Xabi Alonso’s wing. Even with the La Liga giants open to the Brazilian’s departure, he has been priced at £76m.

Arsenal and Manchester City have shown interest of their own this summer, but the Gunners have signed Eberechi Eze this week and Pep Guardiola’s outfit look set to bar Savinho’s move to Tottenham Hotspur, thus jeopardising their move for Rodrygo.

What Rodrygo would bring to Liverpool

Liverpool sold Luis Diaz to Bayern Munich this summer, but Cody Gakpo has started the season strongly, scoring against Bournemouth and notching two assists at Newcastle. Ngumoha’s incredible emergence eases the need for a wide forward further.

But Rodrygo is a special player, and there’s no doubt that Liverpool could do with a little bit more to complete their frontline.

Given that the 24-year-old, who can play on both wings and as a frontman, managed to score 14 goals and provide 11 assists across all competitions last year, even though in a rut, Liverpool could strike gold in bringing him over.

And considering that he would cost less than Isak, maybe Rodrygo would even prove the better signing to make.

Isak is one of the best strikers in the world, and last year he scored 27 goals across all competitions as Newcastle qualified for the Champions League and won the Carabao Cup, with Isak scoring as Newcastle beat Liverpool at Wembley.

But Madrid’s tenacious wide forward has been remarked to be a “world-class superstar” by his former teammate Luka Modric, and boasts a wide-ranging skill set that appears custom-built for a top role in the Premier League.

Rodrygo’s clinical output over the past year has left plenty to be desired, no doubt about it, but there would be confidence that Slot could give rise to the £207k-per-week talent’s prolific side, while harnessing that ever-present underlying energy and application.

Goals

0.32

0.80

Assists

0.20

0.17

Shots taken

2.54

3.14

Shot-creating actions

4.75

3.07

Pass completion

85.8%

75.8%

Touches (att pen)

5.88

6.15

Progressive passes

4.72

3.00

Progressive carries

5.22

2.73

Successful take-ons

2.19

1.43

Isak and Rodrygo, two forwards of varying position and role, aren’t comparable in the strictest sense, but looking at their data when lined against one another underscores the reasoning behind a Liverpool bid for the latter.

To put it simply, Liverpool have hit the jackpot on Hugo Ekitike, whose £79m journey from Eintracht Frankfurt to Anfield has already yielded three goals and an assist from three matches. Sky Sports’ Jamie Carragher has hailed the Frenchman’s “brilliant start”, and there are those who question the need for a record-breaking move for Isak after such an exciting addition.

Ekitike, 23, looks a real sensation in the making, and though it would be unfair to expect him to maintain his present output across the long and circuitous campaign, who can deny him his potential?

Might Isak inhibit that growth? Might the addition of the Scandinavian superstar threaten to disrupt the progress of a rising talent who has already found a degree of fluency in England that avoids so many foreign hopefuls as they wade in and look to make their name.

Rodrygo, however, could play across the frontline and thus add depth without disrupting the progress being forged at Anfield right now.

Make no mistake, Isak would be an incredible signing for Liverpool, but Rodrygo, cheaper and more positionally dynamic, is a world-class player himself, and he knows how to shape a team aiming for the top.

Bad news for Wirtz: Liverpool "ready to bid" for £120k-per-week "machine"

Liverpool are set to continue their heavy summer spending with a deal that could even hamper Florian Wirtz…

4 ByJoe Nuttall Aug 28, 2025

In a summer full of impressive arrivals, Mikel Arteta and Arsenal are now reportedly at risk of losing a player of their own in reluctant fashion amid growing interest.

Arsenal still chasing Eze arrival

Even after splashing out to welcome Viktor Gyokeres, Martin Zubimendi, Noni Madueke, Kepa Arrizabalaga, Christian Norgaard and Cristhian Mosquera this summer, Arsenal still have unfinished business in the transfer window. Unlike in past seasons, Arteta is seemingly ready to enjoy a much-needed window of upgrades as he looks to end an increasingly concerning run without a major trophy at The Emirates.

The most important addition on that list of incomings remains Gyokeres. Arsenal’s biggest problem in recent seasons has been their inability to find the back of the net. They desperately needed a serial goalscorer last summer, but chose to invest elsewhere in a decision that Liverpool quickly made them regret.

It is not a mistake that they’ve made twice, however. Making up for lost time, the Gunners have welcomed one of the most clinical goalscorers that European football has to offer in Gyokeres.

The big task that sporting director Andrea Berta has now is finding as many reliable supply points as possible for Gyokeres to thrive. Tee the Swede up and he will score the goals that Arsenal have so desperately craved. It could really be as simply as that. And whilst the likes of Bukayo Saka will undoubtedly do just that, the addition of Eberechi Eze could take things to another level.

In a summer-long chase, the Crystal Palace man is still on Arsenal’s radar despite reports that his £68m release clause has now expired. Whether that forces the Gunners to pay an even greater price for his signature is now the big question.

Of course, if that does prove to be the case, then any potential sales of their own could go a long way towards funding any blockbuster move.

Arsenal deliver Kiwior transfer response

One sale that Arteta is not keen to sanction, however, is Jakub Kiwior’s. According to Fabrizio Romano, Kiwior is now considering an exit amid interest in his signature from a number of European clubs.

That said, those in North London have already rejected offers for their centre-back from Portugal last month and Arteta would prefer to keep hold of his defender this month.

Despite being praised for his “impressive” form by analyst Ben Mattinson when asked to step into the side amid defensive woes last season, Arteta’s stance on Kiwior’s exit comes as a slight surprise.

Arsenal have already signed Mosquera and have cover in the form of Riccardo Calafiori and, if needed, Ben White at the heart of their backline. Just where Kiwior fits into the pecking order as a result is difficult to say and the Gunners would be best to cash in whilst they can this summer.

Queensland have been left to rue a number of bizarre final-day dismissals, after falling to a 90-run defeat to Victoria.Resuming on day four at 58 for 3 chasing 329 for victory at the Gabba, Queensland were all out for 238 just before tea at the Gabba.Sam Elliott starred for Victoria, taking 4 for 43, while Todd Murphy also claimed 3 for 48  as he continues to push his case to be Australia’s second spinner in Sri Lanka.But the biggest challenge for Queensland came from within. The hosts looked in a position to hold on for a draw or push for a win midway through the first session, after Jack Clayton and Ben McDermott put on 59 for the fourth wicket.But their 18.3-over stand was ended when McDermott dropped a ball at his feet and took off for a quick single. Clayton gave up on the single and was run out while not pushing hard to make his crease on 43.The run out was superbly executed by bowler Xavier Crone with a back-handed flick, but still the wicket was gifted to the visitors.Crone’s run out was also his second such dismissal of the match after removing Mark Steketee in similar fashion in the first innings.Even after Clayton’s dismissal, McDermott and Jimmy Pierson put on 63 for the fifth wicket only for Pierson to be bowled for 31 trying to scoop Murphy.And from there the innings fell apart. Murphy also had McDermott caught at slip for 68, before Xavier Bartlett and Jack Wildermuth were both caught hooking Elliott at deep fine leg.Mitchell Swepson was then the last to fall, bowled by Murphy to become the offspinner’s third victim.The win leaves Victoria top of the table at the halfway mark, four points clear of Western Australia. Queensland remain last and are the only winless team after five games.

In a Facebook post, Shakib speaks of why he joined politics, and also says he wants to bid farewell to the game with his fans in attendance

Mohammad Isam09-Oct-2024

Shakib Al Hasan is set to play his final Test match in Dhaka later this month•AFP via Getty Images

Shakib Al Hasan has apologised for his silence during the student-led protests in Bangladesh in July, which led to several hundreds of deaths. It is the first time that Shakib acknowledged the movement that led to the fall of the longstanding Awami League-led government – in which he was a member of parliament (MP) – on August 5.”Firstly, I would like to pay my respects to all the students who sacrificed their lives, led the anti-discrimination movement, and were martyred or injured during the people’s uprising,” Shakib wrote on his Facebook page. “I extend my deepest respect and condolences to them and their families. While no sacrifice can compensate for the loss of a loved one, nothing can fill the void of losing a child or a brother, to those of you who were hurt by my silence during this critical period, I respect your feelings and sincerely apologise. If I were in your place, I too might have been upset.”Related

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Shakib was playing in the Global T20 Canada franchise league during the violence in Bangladesh in July. During one of the matches in early August, Shakib argued with a fan who had asked him about his silence on the upheaval back home.Apart from being an MP, Shakib, of course, is arguably Bangladesh’s biggest cricket star ever, a larger-than-life figure in Bangladesh, and so his silence rankled. He was named in a murder case related to the protests, along with 146 other Awami League leaders, while he was playing the first Test against Pakistan in Rawalpindi.On September 26, Shakib, who resides in the USA with his family, announced his retirement from Test cricket. He said that if the authorities could guarantee his safe entry and exit from Bangladesh, he wanted to play his last Test in Dhaka, against South Africa from October 21. He had not been in the country since the T20 World Cup in June, having linked up with the Test squad directly in Pakistan and India. BCB president Faruque Ahmed said the board could not guarantee him the security he wanted, but at the government level there were positive signals for Shakib. Sports adviser Asif Mahmud had said the government would provide him with security, but Shakib needed to explain his political stance to his fans.In his long Facebook post on Wednesday, Shakib duly spoke of why he had joined politics last year. He had got an Awami League nomination, and went on to win comfortably from the Magura-1 constituency.”I was briefly the member of parliament from the Magura-1 constituency. My political involvement was primarily driven by my desire to contribute to the development of my hometown Magura. As you know, it is difficult to directly impact the development of one’s area without a specific role in Bangladesh.”My wish to develop this area is what motivated me to become an MP. However, at the end of the day, my primary identity is as a cricketer for Bangladesh. No matter where I have been or in what position, I have always carried cricket in my heart.”Shakib concluded his post by paying tribute to his fans. “You all know that I will soon be playing my last match… I want to say goodbye with all of you around. At the moment of farewell, I want to shake hands with those whose applause compelled me to play better. I want to meet the eyes of those who cheered in joy when I played well and whose eyes welled up with tears when I did not. I believe that at this farewell moment, you will all be with me. Together, we will close the story that, in truth, stars not me, but all of you.”

Florian Wirtz’s medical is scheduled for Friday, and Liverpool supporters are surely now confident that they will get their man.

Despite all the noise regarding obscene transfer fees, Bayer Leverkusen’s Wirtz will sign for an initial £100m fee, with a further £16m achievable through add-ons.

No doubt, Arne Slot can’t wait to bring the German playmaker into his team, adding some truly world-class quality to ensure the Premier League champions stand a great chance of defending their belt.

Of course, Liverpool need a new centre-forward to dance to the creative tune Wirtz will play from number ten. Darwin Nunez’s time on Merseyside is at an end, reported interest from Serie A rising.

Multiple names have been bandied about, but Hugo Ekitike’s has held the most weight over the past several weeks.

The latest on Hugo Ekitike to Liverpool

Liverpool need a striker, and Eintracht Frankfurt’s Ekitike has been billed the perfect fit, not just a budding goalscorer of a high class but also a dynamic and rounded player whose strength lies in his elegance and flair.

The 22-year-old completed his first full season in Germany last year, scoring 22 goals and providing 12 assists across 48 matches in all competitions.

But with a deft touch, selfless link-up play and intelligent off-the-ball movements all front and centre of Ekitike’s skillset, there’s little question that he has a “very complete offensive range”, as noted by one French reporter.

Analyst Ben Mattinson has also dubbed Ekitike “one of the best strikers out there”, but he’s not the best. That particular player lingers elusively out of reach for all who might want him this summer, but Liverpool haven’t given up hope.

Liverpool still in for Ekitike alternative

As per the Liverpool Echo’s Ian Doyle, Liverpool are still huge admirers of Newcastle United’s Alexander Isak and are attentive to his situation.

Even though The Athletic’s David Ornstein claimed the 25-year-old would not be moving this summer after qualifying for the Champions League, Liverpool chiefs are looking to raise funds through the sales of existing players, and the summer is still young.

For their part, Newcastle categorically don’t want to sell. Isak is the cream of Eddie Howe’s crop and has been valued at more than £150m.

Why Alexander Isak would be perfect

Isak is one of the best players in the Premier League, with analyst Raj Chohan even declaring him “the best striker in the world” after his extraordinary 2024/25 campaign.

Newcastle signed the marksman from Real Sociedad three years ago in what remains a club-record £63m move, but Isak has shaken away the injury issues of seasons past to have enjoyed his finest year yet, bagging 27 goals and six assists over 42 matches in all competitions.

In the Premier League, his 23-goal return was surpassed only by that man Mohamed Salah, and with Isak missing only 18 big chances and creating 11 golden opportunities for his teammates, as per Sofascore, he’d help Liverpool’s Egyptian star and the rest in creating a layered attacking game next year.

Isak’s goalscoring is second-to-none, sure, but that’s not why Liverpool have a vested interest. Instead, it’s the player’s underlying quality, so rounded and technically impressive.

His physicality and robustness (when swerving the injury front) have established the rangy forward to become one of the best in the world, with his goal against Liverpool at Wembley to win the Carabao Cup in March underscoring his value.

Maybe that was the game that convinced FSG of this star’s prowess, for rumours of his potential cross-country summer switch have persisted ever since.

It’s hardly surprising. Liverpool clearly want a certain type of centre-forward, with FBref’s data-driven model revealing Ekitike to be one of Isak’s most statistically comparable players.

Let’s have a look at how they match up.

Alexander Isak vs Hugo Ekitike (24/25)
Stats (per 90)	Isak	Ekitike
Goals scored	0.75	0.53
Assists	0.20	0.28
Shots taken	3.10	4.00
Shot-creating actions	3.00	3.55
Touches (att pen)	6.17	6.88
Progressive passes	2.87	1.86
Progressive carries	2.71	3.27
Successful take-ons	1.37	1.83
Ball recoveries	1.80	3.06
Tackles + interceptions	0.49	0.81
All data via FBref

What’s interesting is that Ekitike is a bit more active in his ball carrying and in his recoveries, but he also unleashes strikes on goal with greater regularity, with xG (expected goals) tally reaching 0.76 per 90.

Isak’s xG tally, conversely, amounted only to 0.66 per 90, which basically means he scored more frequently than he should have from the chances he found himself at the centre of.

Ultimately, we’re not going to see both players under Slot’s wing, but one of them should suffice. Given Ekitike’s stylistic similarities to Isak, though, you could argue that he’s little more than an imitation of the Swede, pastiching his style of play but not to the same effect.

The 6 foot 3 star has a wealth of experience as a top striker in the Premier League, so it’s understandable that Liverpool would have to pay a premium.

Would the £150m mark be too much for the Reds? It’s likely, but then such a figure is potentially overinflated. Wirtz, it must be said, was touted at €150m (£127m), right up into Liverpool announced themselves the finances involved in a deal that leaves the likes of Chelsea and Arsenal with bigger outlays on single-player transfers at this stage.

To fork out what would likely reach the £100m ballpark once again in the same transfer window would be a big ask of FSG, but the American owners have established a self-sustainable model that has bred illustrious success, and with the right player sales, this might just be one to keep an eye on.

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Wrexham are currently preparing for a season in the Championship after they finished second in League One to earn promotion up to the second tier.

The Red Dragons are yet to make their first signing since the end of last season, but there will be plenty of work going on behind the scenes to identify targets to improve the team.

Phil Parkinson will have to judge which of his players are ready to make the step up to the Championship after a season in League One, which means that some difficult decisions could have to be made.

Why Thomas O'Connor may be replaced

One player who could be replaced as a regular starter is left-sided central defender Thomas O’Connor, who has been at the club since they were in the National League.

The former Southampton academy graduate has never played above League One level in his career to date, and was a regular starter – starting 25 of his 31 appearances in the 2024/25 campaign – for Wrexham this season.

O’Connor was, however, an unused substitute in five of the last seven matches and it remains to be seen whether or not he will be able to handle the step up to the Championship, a level that he has never played at before.

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The BBC reported earlier this month that Wrexham, Norwich, Birmingham, and Sheffield United are among the teams interested in a deal to sign Harry Darling on a free transfer from Swansea City.

His contract with the Welsh side is due to expire at the end of this month, and the Red Dragons are one of the sides looking to snap him up for nothing.

Why Darling would be an upgrade on O'Connor

Parkinson must push to convince Darling to make a move across Wales rather than joining Birmingham, Norwich, or Sheffield United, as he would improve the club’s options at the back.

Despite being right-footed, the 25-year-old Englishman often plays on the left-side of a centre-back pairing and this means that he could take O’Connor’s place as the left-sided centre-back in a back three at Wrexham.

Unlike the current Red Dragons defender, Darling is an experienced Championship defender who has made 108 appearances at that level, which means that he would arrive at the Racecourse as a proven second tier star.

He would be a relatively risk-free signing as someone who has been there and done it and could immediately improve Wrexham’s team, particularly when you take his performances this season into account.

Appearances

31

39

Goals

0

5

Clearances per game

2.9

5.0

Dribbled past per game

0.5x

0.3x

Ground duel success rate

53%

66%

Aerial duel success rate

57%

64%

As you can see in the table above, Darling’s defensive work in the Championship, in terms of his success rate in duels and how often he was beaten by opposition attackers, was more impressive than O’Connor’s was at a lower level.

This suggests that the Swansea star, who was hailed as “outstanding” by former boss Luke Williams, is a big upgrade on the current Wrexham left centre-back, particularly from a defensive perspective.

Darling also, as shown in the table, scored five goals from centre-back, compared to O’Connor’s barren return in League One, and this suggests that he would offer a much greater goal threat in the 2025/26 campaign.

The English titan, who ranked in the top 31% of centre-backs in the league for progressive passes per 90 (3.70), is a ball-playing defender who has shown that he can mix technical quality and class on the ball with strength and reliable out of possession at Championship level.

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Therefore, he would be the perfect signing, as a proven second tier star, to come in as a big upgrade on their left-sided centre-back position this summer.