Success is seldom round the corner in football. While the jubilation of winning matches against arch-rivals provides ephemeral injections of endorphins, scorn at rivals' expense, how often does it actually count toward something lined in silver?

This is especially pertinent for the lion's share of the Premier League, living in the shadowed wake of Manchester City's domination under Pep Guardiola.

Liverpool? Liverpool have suffered, pulled and pained and pricked by the buffeting blows of near misses and 'what-ifs?', reaching illustrious heights under the lionised Jurgen Klopp but still yielding perpetual sporting glory to the all-conquering Citizens.

Still, Liverpool have enjoyed more than most, winning the whole gamut under Klopp, who has now departed after nearly nine years. Arne Slot is his successor and will be hoping to lead Liverpool toward new, shiny heights, looking to upgrade Anfield's first team with some well-placed signings.

Where, exactly, is that primary position of concern? Liverpool are good at keeping their innermost transfer thoughts under wraps, with information gleaned so far suggesting that signing a central defender and wide forward is of the greatest importance.

A winger, in particular, has dominated Liverpool-focused transfer headlines over the past week.

Liverpool eyeing new wide forward

Last weekend, Liverpool rejected Newcastle United's proposal to exchange Jarell Quansah plus cash for winger Anthony Gordon, who was awarded the Magpies' Player of the Season award for 2023/24.

Gordon is a player that Liverpool admire, formerly of Everton and but a boyhood Red, but FSG believe they are well-stocked at left wing, and indeed, Liverpool aren't exactly short of options.

Luis Diaz

27

51

18

Cody Gakpo

25

53

22

Diogo Jota

27

32

19

Darwin Nunez

25

54

31

Fans might feel that to take a step forward under Slot, and claim some of that fleeting success mentioned above, an upgrade is needed somewhere in the attacking department, with Liverpool having toiled toward the end of Klopp's reign, spent of energy and lacking a killer instinct in the final third.

Diaz, in particular, is likely considered expendable in the minds of most of the Reds faithful; having been linked with a move to Barcelona in recent months, Liverpool would only entertain the indefatigable Colombian's sale if his £50m price tag is met.

Gordon, meanwhile, would only leave St. James' Park if Liverpool played to their £75m tune, having swerved PSR concerns – the ball, so to speak, is in Tyneside's court with that one.

This is a significant sum, but it wouldn't quite make him Liverpool's most expensive forward addition in history. That, instead, lies with Darwin Nunez.

Darwin Nunez's Liverpool career

He arrived with quite the glowing repute from his days in Portugal, off the back of a 34-goal campaign with SL Benfica that confirmed his status as one of Europe's most promising young forwards, scoring five goals in the Champions League against Bayern Munich, Barcelona and… Liverpool.

And despite sealing the Community Shield off the bench on his debut with a last-gasp strike against Manchester City, Nunez only bagged 15 goals across all competitions and looked both threatening and toothless throughout a polarising term.

Still, having earned the moniker of Liverpool's "agent of chaos" – as relayed by writer Leanne Prescott – the Uruguay international has so much to bring to the table.

As per FBref, he ranks among the top 5% of centre-forwards across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for assists, the top 13% for shot-creating actions, the top 15% for progressive carries and the top 20% for tackles per 90.

While Nunez missed a staggering 27 big chances in the Premier League last season, scoring just 11 goals, he was excellent when taking the whole year into account, clinching 18 goals, 13 assists and playing an important part in the club's resurgence.

His unceasing output, unflappable mentality and unique approach to the centre-forward game have made the £140k-per-week talent an exciting commodity that still seems to hold the finest days within. In other words, Nunez has yet to tap into the full scope of his potential and he could veritably explode under Slot's tutelage next season.

His importance is reflected in his rising market value, despite his lofty signing fee and the continuing narrative that he's yet to reach his peak on Merseyside.

Darwin Nunez's market value in 2024

Gordon could bloom into one of the Premier League's leading forwards, especially if making the move back to his home city and plying his trade at Liverpool.

The England international scored 12 goals and added 11 assists across all competitions last term, earning praise for his "unbelievable" campaign from teammate Bruno Guimaraes.

£75m would make him one of Liverpool's most expensive players, but not the most expensive. That tag lies with Nunez, who joined in the summer of 2022 from Benfica, completing a transfer rising to a club-record £85m fee.

Despite the ebb and flow that has dictated the South American's first few years on English shores, his exploits have still seen him skyrocket into one of the most marketable and highly-valued players in the Premier League, with CIES Football Observatory's valuation model recording his current price at £95m, some £20m more than the mooted fee to sign Gordon.

Sure, Nunez has been faced with his share of criticism since alighting in Liverpool for the first time (as a Liverpool player, that is) but he remains one of the most talented and influential forwards on the continent.

His exploits under Marcelo Bielsa at CONMEBOL Copa America denote his high-level quality, playing in a 4-2-3-1 system that bears a semblance to that of Slot's soon-to-be-inculcated brand.

Notching 31 goal contributions across the 2023/24 campaign is hardly the mark of a poor striker. Can we, the Liverpool flock, not afford this superstar his foibles?

He's dipped his toes into the ascendancy over his first few years, now, under new management, he must take the plunge and live up to his mountainous potential.

His value has risen 1438%: Liverpool must axe £1m ace instead of Quansah

Arne Slot does not need this talent despite his value rising by 400%.

ByAngus Sinclair Jul 2, 2024

Arsenal could outbid a major European club in the race for a highly-rated £42 million defender, who may well replace the potentially exit-bound Jakub Kiwior.

Edu looking at signing new centre-back for Arteta

According to various reports in the last few weeks, sporting director Edu and manager Mikel Arteta have been tipped to bring in a new central defensive option ahead of a likely Premier League title challenge with Man City next season.

24-year-old now reaches agreement to leave Arsenal for La Liga giants

The Spaniards are now looking to shake hands on a deal with Edu.

ByEmilio Galantini Jun 28, 2024

Arteta is looking to make it third-time-lucky in his pursuit of the title, having lost out to City in each of their two previous challenges since 2022. The Gunners pushed Pep Guardiola's side to the final day, accumulating 89 points and scoring 91 goals, but their rivals have set an incredibly high standard to beat in recent years.

To take the squad that bit further, Edu has been targeting a new striker for Arsenal, as well as a potential new midfielder to replace the exit-bound Thomas Partey. Arsenal are believed to hold an interest in Amadou Onana, among others, with Partey attracting serious interest from the Middle East and Turkey.

However, it has also been reported that Arteta wishes to acquire an alternative to star central defensive duo Gabriel Magalhaes and William Saliba. Arsenal conceded the fewest Premier League goals of any top-flight side last season, with Gabriel and Saliba being a factor in this.

Arsenal

29

Man City

34

Liverpool

41

Everton

51

Man United/Crystal Palace

58

You could make a case that there are few options to come in if either of the pair were to be absent, though, which has led to interest in a variety of central defensive options. Arsenal have been considering a bid for Marc Guehi, with the Crystal Palace ace currently impressing for England at Euro 2024.

Elsewhere, Nottingham Forest star Murillo and Barcelona star Jules Kounde are other reported targets for Edu. A highly rated defender in Serie A who has also turned heads with some excellent displays for Italy at the Euros is Bologna star Riccardo Calafiori.

The 22-year-old was even hailed by World Cup winner Gianluca Zambrotta for his "extraordinary" performance against Albania in their opening group game.

“He played an extraordinary game, like the whole team in the first 60 minutes,” said Zambrotta.

"He played with personality, without fear, perhaps the only flaw was on the long ball where we took a risk with Donnarumma’s exit. But he showed some beautiful things.”

His performances on the biggest stage will only increase his price tag, which is already rumoured to be somewhere around the £42 million mark.

Arsenal could outbid Juventus to replace Kiwior with Calafiori

According to Tutto Juve, the Gunners present a very real danger to Juventus in the race to sign Calafiori this summer.

It is believed Arsenal see Calafiori as an ideal option to replace Kiwior, who Tutto Juve states could well leave. It is also thought that they can offer more money than Juventus and potentially outbid the Old Lady, who are counting on Calafiori's preference to remain in Italy.

The centre-back was a star under Thiago Motta at Bologna last term, with the tactician now looking to prise him away to Juventus after choosing to replace Massimiliano Allegri.

Calafiori made 30 Serie A appearances for Bologna over 2023/24, managing two goals and five assists in that time.

Captain makes 30 from 14 balls after taking four wickets to seal six-wicket victory

ECB Reporters Network26-Jun-2021South East Stars 108 for 4 (Smith 30) beat Lightning 107 (Smith 4-15) by six wicketsCaptain Bryony Smith shone with bat and ball as South East Stars began their Charlotte Edwards Cup season with a comfortable six-wicket win over Lightning at Trent Bridge.The 23-year-old, eager to add to her four England caps, took four for 15 with her off-breaks as Lightning were bowled out for 107 in 19.1 overs before launching the run chase with 30 off 14 balls as the Stars cruised home with 41 balls to spareLightning struggled against the Stars’ spinners, who claimed seven wickets between them, Smith’s fellow off-spinner Kalea Moore taking 2 for 20 and leg spinner Dani Gregory 1 for 22, with only Beth Harmer (34) and Abbey Freeborn (30) making any impression with the bat.Opting to bat first, Lightning lost Sarah Bryce second ball when she hit Alexa Stonehouse straight to backward point but Beth Harmer, fortunate to survive a fumbled run-out chance on three, gave the Powerplay momentum with back-to-back boundaries off Stonehouse’s left-arm medium pace before pulling right-armer Grace Gibbs for six and four, but Sonia Odedra chopped on to Emma Jones, leaving Lightning 34 for two after six.But Moore and Gregory reduced them from 43 for 2 to 54 for 5 with three wickets in as many overs, Harmer, Kathryn Bryce and Michaela Kirk all beaten by flight and turn.Freeborn injected some pace with successive fours off Moore and another off Smith but the Stars skipper had her revenge, switching to round the wicket to bowl the Lightning batter.Smith then held a return catch to remove Kirstie Gordon and had Teresa Graves caught at wide mid-on in the 18th over, Sophie Munro was run out by Aylish Cranstone’s throw from point in the next before Nancy Harman also hit Smith to wide mid-on as Lightning’s last four wickets fell for 11 in 12 balls.Smith raced to 30 off 13 balls to give the Stars’ chase a flying start, hitting four fours and two big leg-side sixes but was out attempting a third as Kirk leapt to hold a superb catch on the boundary at wide long-on. But the Stars had 64 of the 108 needed by the end of the Powerplay.Alice Capsey picked up three nice-looking boundaries but mistimed one from Sophie Munro (1-25) to be caught at mid-off, Cranstone skied one to mid-on and Gibbs miscued to point to give Kathryn Bryce a second wicket but Phoebe Franklin’s 24 off 29 balls finished the job.

MatériaMais Notícias

da doce： A estreia do Bahia na Copa do Nordeste, embora não tenha sido das mais tranquilas, foi do jeito que o torcedor mais queria: vencendo. Em confronto válido pela 2ª rodada, já que o duelo contra Sampaio Corrêa acabou sendo adiado para o dia 24 de fevereiro, o Esquadrão garantiu seu primeiro triunfo na tarde deste sábado, ao bater o Campinense no estádio Amigão pelo placar de 3 a 1.

Com o resultado, a equipe comandada por Guto Ferreira chegou aos 3 pontos, pulando para a ponta do Grupo B, enquanto o time treinador por Ranielle Ribeiro, por conta do revés, acabou caindo para a 3ª colocação, porém do Grupo A, com apenas 1 ponto somado.

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da bet7k： >Aplicativo de resultados do LANCE! está disponível na versão iOS

BOM INÍCIO POR PARTE DO BAHIA

Mesmo jogando longe de seus domínios, o Bahia imprimiu bom volume de jogo logo nos primeiros movimentos. Com maior posse de bola, o Esquadrão marcava a saída por parte do Campinense buscando acionar seus atacantes Raí Nascimento e Ronaldo, porém sem causar perigo ao goleiro Mauro Iguatu.

Na sequência, até meados dos 20 minutos, o duelo era pegado com muitas faltas sendo cometidas e assinaladas pelo árbitro. Entretanto, quem conseguiu criar a primeira grande da partida foi a Raposa, com Olávio, porém o arremate do camisa 9 acabou indo para fora tirando tinta da trave do gol defendido por Danilo Fernandes.

TRICOLOR ABRE A CONTAGEM, MAS RAPOSA EMPATE EM SEGUIDA

Mesmo com panorama lá e cá, a equipe visitante seguiu em busca de seu tento. Até que conseguiu. Depois de desperdiçar a primeira chance aos 19 minutos, Marco Antônio deu a volta por cima e, aos 40 minutos, balançou as redes aproveitando erro por parte do sistema defensivo do time de Campina Grande ao tentar afastar a bola, tirando zero do placar.

Embalado pelo tento, o Bahia ainda teve uma grande chance aos 46 minutos com Raí Nascimento, porém o atacante, ao tentar mandar de cobertura, acabou jogando para fora mesmo cara a cara com Mauro Iguatu. Aproveitando o erro, os mandantes, no minuto seguinte, aos 47, conseguiram igualar o marcador com Felipinho, que ao mandar uma bomba, contou com um desvio no meio do caminho, não dando chances a Danilo.

RAPOSA ADOTA POSTURA OFENSIVA NA SEGUNDA ETAPA

Com apenas Guto Ferreira mudando seu esquema tático na volta para a etapa complementar, tirando Raí Nascimento e colocando em seu lugar Rodallega, a ideia era ganhar velocidade na frente. Entretanto, as coisas não saíram conforme planejado. Mantendo os 11 iniciais, a Raposa foi com tudo para cima
sufocando a saída de bola do rival, com Felipinho quase marcando seu segundo gol, mas que acabou indo para fora.

Na sequência, mais trocas foram promovidas por Guto outra vez focando o sistema ofensivo. E quase surtiu efeito. Aos 25 minutos, Rodallega, em cobrança de falta, causou perigo ao goleiro Mauro Iguatu com a bola indo pela rede pelo lado de fora.

BAHIA GARANTE A VITÓRIA NA RETA FINAL DE JOGO

Com o tempo passando, o empate parecia não agradar os treinadores. Sendo assim, em novas substituições, a Raposa chegou a oferecer perigo em algumas chegadas como a de Cláudio, que cabeceou com perigo contra o gol rival.

Porém o Esquadrão não intimidou-se e respondeu na mesma moeda. E desta vez com o efeito esperado. Aos 39, Rodallega, que já havia tentado surpreender Mauro em uma cobrança de falta, teve uma nova chance, conseguindo mandar no ângulo do arqueiro. 2 a 1.

E queria mais. Aos 43, Marcelo Cirino, em bola esticada de Jonathan, o atacante, na velocidade, mandou na saída do arqueiro fechando a conta no Amigão em 3 a 1, para festa dos jogadores do Esquadrão.

FICHA TÉCNICA
CAMPINENSE 1×3 BAHIA

Data e horário: 29/01/2022, às 16h (de Brasília)
​Local: Estádio Amigão, em Campina Grane (PB), em Florianópolis (SC)
Árbitro: Luiz César de Oliveira Magalhães (CBF-CE)
Assistentes: Nailton Júnior de Sousa Oliveira (CBF-CE) e Wesley Rodrigues Miguel (CBF-CE)

Cartões Amarelos: Djalma Silva, 43’/1ºT

Gols: Marco Antônio, 40’/1ºT (1-0); Felipinho, 47’/1ºT (1-1); Rodallega, 39’/2ºT (2-1); Marcelo Cirino, 43’/2ºT (3-1)

CAMPINENSE: Mauro Iguatu; Felipinho, Michel Bennech, Cleiton e Felipe Ramon; Rafinha, Serginho Paulista e Juninho (Patrick, aos 33’/2ºT); Matheus Regis (Emerson, aos 33’/2ºT), Junior Potiguar(Iago Silva, 23’/2ºT) e Olávio.
(Técnico: Ranielle Ribeiro)

BAHIA: Danilo Fernandes; Douglas Borel (Jonathan, aos 13’/2ºT), Ignácio, Luiz Otávio e Djalma; Patrick, Rezende e Daniel (Lucas Mugni, aos 22’/2ºT); Raí Nascimento (Rodallega, no intervalo), Marco Antônio (Marcelo Ryan, aos 22’/2ºT) e Ronaldo César (Marcelo Cirino, aos 25’/2ºT).
(Técnico: Guto Ferreira)

The young J&K medium-pacer was with the franchise in the UAE as a net bowler

ESPNcricinfo staff24-Sep-2021Sunrisers Hyderabad have signed up 21-year-old Jammu & Kashmir medium-pacer Umran Malik as a “short-term Covid-19 replacement” for T Natarajan, who had to be placed in isolation after testing positive for the virus before the start of the team’s game against Delhi Capitals on September 22. Malik has been with the Sunrisers team as a net bowler in the UAE.Malik has played just one T20 and one List A game in the Indian domestic circuit, after making his debut for the state team earlier this year. The T20 game was against Railways in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, where he picked up 3 for 24 from his four overs in a seven-wicket loss for his team, while the List A appearance was in the Vijay Hazare Trophy against Bengal, where he conceded 98 runs from his ten overs for one wicket as Jammu and Kashmir conceded 368 runs and lost by 82 runs.Under IPL guidelines, franchises are allowed to sign short-term replacement players during the absence of a regular squad member, so Malik will “only be a part of the Sunrisers side until Natarajan recovers and is allowed to join the team”, an IPL statement confirmed.Earlier this year, during the first leg of the IPL when it was played in India, bowling allrounder Shams Mulani became a short-term recruitment for the Delhi Capitals in similar circumstances when Axar Patel tested positive for Covid-19.Natarajan went into isolation along with six other members of the Sunrisers contingent – including allrounder Vijay Shankar and net bowler G Periyaswamy – who were identified as his close contacts on September 22. The game between Sunrisers and Capitals was, however, allowed to go ahead on schedule.All participants in the IPL had to quarantine for six days upon arriving in the UAE, and undergo testing every two days in the first week, and every fifth day from the second week. According to the guidelines in place for the IPL, anyone testing positive for Covid-19 must isolate for a minimum of ten days. They can then rejoin the team’s bubble after clearing two tests, on days nine and ten.This is the second time during the course of the two-part IPL 2021 that a Sunrisers player has tested positive for Covid-19. In May, wicketkeeper-batter Wriddhiman Saha had to isolate for two weeks in Delhi after returning a positive test.

Haris Sohail has been ruled out of the England tour with a grade 3 hamstring injury and will return to Lahore by the first available flight to undergo a four-week rehabilitation programme at the high performance centre. He was meant to make a comeback in ODIs after he was dropped last year after the Zimbabwe series.Pakistan have not named a replacement because they are carrying a large squad and have the options of Sohaib Maqsood, Saud Shakeel and Agha Salman to fill in.Sohail was dropped from the Test side as well after the New Zealand tour earlier this year and since then he only played four List A games – for Balochistan – in January. He scored an unbeaten century in four games in the Pakistan Cup, scoring 164 runs but he missed a big chunk of the tournament when he was in New Zealand. He was picked for the ODIs in England after missing out in the series against South Africa.Pakistan landed in England on June 25, started training on June 28, and Sohail complained about a strain in his leg muscle after two net sessions. He pulled out of the first intra-squad practice game on July 1 and later missed the second one as well. An MRI scan on Wednesday confirmed he had a tear in his hamstring. The PCB said he sustained the injury during a training session in Derby last week.”I was keenly looking forward to the ODIs as part of my objective to contribute in the side’s success and also cement my position in the side,” Sohail said after being ruled out of the tour. “I am disappointed that my tour has been cut short, but I will return to Lahore and undergo a rehabilitation programme so that I can fully recover for the 2021-22 season.”Sohail, who made his international debut in 2013, is considered one of the finest batters in Pakistan but was never able to cement his place. In 2015, he was “spooked” in his Christchurch hotel room and he returned home without playing for Pakistan after the frightful experience.Earlier this year he was named in the Test squad for New Zealand, but he missed the training sessions and practice match owing to a thumb injury. He later turned up to play both the Tests and scored 3, 9, 1 and 15 before being dropped across formats.In the last eight years, he has played 16 Tests (847 runs at 32.57), 42 ODIs (1685 at 46.80) and 14 T20Is (210 at 19.09, strike rate of 102.94).Last year he pulled out of the England tour due to the Covid-19 pandemic as he decided not to stay in isolation, which was a mandatory quarantine period for all foreigners travelling to the UK.Pakistan’s three-match ODI series begins later today in Cardiff, which will be followed by three T20Is on July 16, 18 and 20. The side will depart for the West Indies on July 21 where they will play five T20Is and two Tests from July 27 to August 24.

He played nine first-class matches between 1997 and 2007, taking 34 wickets

PTI18-Sep-2021Murtaza Lodhgar, the former Bengal left-arm spinner and Mizoram’s Under-19 coach, died of cardiac arrest on Friday night in Visakhapatnam, Cricket Association Bengal (CAB) president Avishek Dalmiya has confirmed.Lodhgar, 45, was in the port city with the Mizoram colts, who were set to play the league phase of the Vinoo Mankad Trophy as BCCI’s domestic season is set to commence.”The tragedy happened just after dinner,” Dalmiya told PTI. “Murtu (as he was known in Bengal circles) along with the team’s physio went out for an after-dinner walk and suddenly felt enormous chest pain and fell on the road. “The physio and other team members immediately took him to the hospital where he was declared brought dead late on Friday.”I still can’t believe that Murtu is no more. It is a personal loss for me as he was one of the pillars of our family-run first division club Rajasthan SC. He was one of the most loved cricketers in our fraternity and also worked with our women’s team with distinction. It’s an irreparable loss.”CAB is currently trying to make arrangements so that his family can bring his remains to the city for the burial.Lodhgar was a powerhouse performer in club cricket but due to the presence of domestic giant Utpal Chatterjee, he played only nine Ranji Trophy games, taking 34 wickets.One of the highlights of his short first-class career was a five-wicket haul against Karnataka at the JU (Salt Lake) ground in the 2004-05 season. He played a few more matches that season but never got consistent opportunities as he was in the wrong side of 30s and slightly portly for the top-level cricket.Lodhgar was also a regular at the bustling club cricket scene in the United Kingdom.