In a ruthless mood, Manchester United could bid farewell to an attacking talent this month with a European giant now reportedly ready to increase their offer and secure their target.

Man Utd transfer news

Before the Red Devils can even think about welcoming incomings of their own, they must endure a January exodus of players. The likes of Marcus Rashford and Christian Eriksen have become surplus to requirements with the former dropped ever since missing out on a place in Manchester United’s derby day victory over Manchester City. Now, he alongside a number of others must be shown the door this month.

At the start of the season, Rashford’s potential departure would have sent shockwaves throughout the Premier League. One managerial change later, however, it seems simply inevitable. But he may not be the only attacking star headed for the door.

According to Corriere Dello Sport, Napoli are ready to increase their offer to sign Alejandro Garnacho this month in what could see them egde closer to Manchester United’s reported £59m asking price.

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The Italians have certainly got money to burn after selling Kvicha Kvaratskhelia to Paris Saint-Germain for a reported €70m (£59m) this month, but it remains to be seen whether they’ll spend the entirety of that fund on a replacement in the form of Garnarcho.

The winger, himself, meanwhile, reportedly wants out of Old Trafford after falling down the pecking order since Ruben Amorim’s arrival and could yet get his wish before the end of this month to follow in Diego Maradona’s footsteps and become the latest Argentine to become a Napoli star.

Man Utd should cash in on Garnacho

When he was scoring sensational overhead kicks under Erik ten Hag, the idea that Manchester United would be selling Garnacho a season later would have been absurd. But Napoli’s next bid could be too much to turn down.

The Red Devils desperately need to sell in order to welcome reinforcements of their own and players of Viktor Gyokeres’ calibre and that could mean sacrificing Garnacho.

The young winger once found himself at the centre of praise at Old Trafford when Ten Hag told reporters as relayed by Reuters: “I love to work with Garnacho. He’s a player who needs a challenge, he likes a challenge, he is very brave, he’s very confident, our job is to push him to high levels.

“He has high potential and now we have to get the potential out, therefore you have to work day by day.”

The days of that praise are seemingly over, however, with Amad Diallo instead stealing the spotlight and Garnacho potentially heading for a disappointing departure. Given how quickly Napoli will want to replace Kvaratskhelia too, their pursuit of the Manchester United one may well be as swift as possible this month.

A Bayer Leverkusen star has confirmed he will leave the club this summer amid links with Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Liverpool.

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Leverkusen star confirms impending exitLinked with Barcelona and LiverpoolSet to become a free agent in summerFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Leverkusen centre-back Jonathan Tah has made it clear that this season will be hist last with the German side. The 29-year-old, who has also been linked with Real Madrid, is a free agent at the end of this season and now he will decide where to head to next.

Advertisement(C)Getty ImagesWHAT TAH SAID

He told that he will "definitely" be leaving this summer, adding: "I don't have a timeframe but the club knows about it. And, as I have always done, I've communicated everything very openly. Everything was said from the beginning. There was a point when I made the decision not to extend my contract and not to stay here, and that's how it's going now."

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Tah has developed a reputation as one of Germany's best defenders and a top player on the European stage. He will not be short of suitors, it just remains to be seen if he will stay in Germany, move to La Liga, or head to the Premier League this summer.

Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT?

Before Tah does leave, he will try and secure Leverkusen a second straight Bundesliga title but they are eight points behind leaders Bayern with just four games remaining.

Trent Alexander-Arnold has re-joined Liverpool training as the contract rebel steps up his recovery from an ankle injury.

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• Alexander-Arnold re-joins Liverpool training
• Suffered ankle injury against PSG
• Reds face Leicester on Sunday

• (C)Getty Images
  

  WHAT HAPPENED?

  Alexander-Arnold has been absent since sustaining an ankle injury in Liverpool's Champions League round-of-16 defeat against Paris Saint-Germain in March. Reds manager Arne Slot had earlier claimed that he expects the full-back to return to the pitch before the end of the 2024-25 campaign. On Wednesday, the England international re-joined the club's session ahead of their Premier League clash against Leicester City on Sunday.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  While Alexander-Arnold is slowly recovering from his injury, uncertainty looms over the player's future at Anfield beyond the current season as he has reportedly agreed to join Real Madrid in the summer. The 26-year-old's contract expires at the end of the 2024-25 campaign and he is unlikely to extend his stay at his boyhood club.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Former Rangers star Ally McCoist has warned the Reds full-back that he will not be considered among the legends of the club, despite being associated with them for more than two decades, if he leaves them for Los Blancos.

• Getty Images Sport
  

  WHAT NEXT FOR LIVERPOOL?

  Slot's side could secure the Premier League title by beating Leicester City, but only if Arsenal lose to Ipswich Town earlier on Sunday.

Chasing 275, the visitors were bowled out for 76 in 19.5 overs in Auckland

Andrew Fidel Fernando25-Mar-2023Sri Lanka crashed to 76 all out in pursuit of a target of 275, after Henry Shipley blasted out the their top order, eventually claiming 5 for 31. Where New Zealand had scrapped to 274 all out, their scorecard featuring a highest score of 51 – by Finn Allen – Sri Lanka succumbed meekly against the bounce that Shipley, Blair Tickner, and even Daryl Mitchell generated, on an Eden Park surface with plenty of carry.Some Sri Lanka batters fell to the short ball, which New Zealand’s batters had also struggled to contend with in their innings. Others were dismissed by full deliveries that seamed. And the run-out of opener Nuwanidu Fernando, who had charged most of the way down the pitch for a third even though his partner was not interested, set off the whole, sorry collapse.Only three Sri Lanka batters got to double figures; their best individual score was Angelo Mathews’ 18.Shipley, a tall bowler whose braced front leg in his delivery stride ensures a very high release point, did not merely generate awkward bounce on a helpful pitch, but was also good when he pitched the ball up. His best delivery was perhaps to Pathum Nissanka, whom he bowled through the gate, having jagged the ball into the batter off the seam. Later, he had Dasun Shanaka edging a fullish delivery to the slips as well.SL penalised for slow over-rate

Sri Lanka have been docked a point for maintaining a slow over-rate in their first ODI against New Zealand. They were found an over short of the target in their 198-run loss. The players were each docked 20% of their match fees.

His three other wickets were from the short ball, though – Kusal Mendis was rushed into a pull and sent the ball to the fine-leg fielder, Charith Asalanka nicked a wideish short delivery to the keeper, and Chamika Karunaratne holed out trying to bludgeon a pull, late in the game. This was Shipley’s first five-for in internationals, in just his fourth ODI. In fact, he’d only had three five-fors before this across List A and first-class cricket.Tickner and Mitchell took two wickets apiece, and Matt Henry was unfortunate not to produce a dismissal, such was the quality of his bowling, and the haste with which Sri Lanka’s batters seemed to throw their wickets away. Sri Lanka were all out in the 20th over. This was their lowest total against New Zealand, and their fifth-lowest ever.Mitchell had also contributed with the bat, as his 47 helped New Zealand progress through the middle overs. Allen’s 51 at the top of the innings had given the hosts their impetus, though, as he prospered against the seamers’ fuller deliveries initially, before later walloping Wanindu Hasaranga’s legspin for consecutive sixes.Pathum Nissanka loses his leg stump to a Shipley inducker•AFP/Getty ImagesDebutant Rachin Ravindra’s 49 off 52 was not particularly flashy, but was perhaps the most important innings of the match, as he kept New Zealand ticking in the late overs despite the fall of wickets at the other end. He and Glenn Phillips had come together with the score 152 for 5 in the 30th over, and proceeded to put on the only half-century stand in the game, producing 66 off 59 balls.When Phillips was dismissed, holing out trying to thump Dilshan Madushanka over the square-leg boundary, Ravindra continued to accumulate meticulously in the company of the tail. He hit four fours and a six, before he himself holed out – a common dismissal for the New Zealand batters, who kept trying to clear the short straight boundary but were forced to do so against shorter lengths, which Sri Lanka’s bowlers utilised heavily. New Zealand left the last three deliveries of their innings unused.Though Sri Lanka showed little spine with the bat, they displayed spunk in the field and with the ball. Chamika Karunaratne relied on short-of-a-length deliveries to fetch him career-best figures of 4 for 43 from his nine overs. Lahiru Kumara was rapid, and intense, as he took 2 for 46, with Kasun Rajitha also claiming two wickets. And Sri Lanka took the catches that came their way.This defeat means automatic qualification for this year’s World Cup appears unlikely for Sri Lanka. If South Africa win their two matches against Netherlands, or Ireland win their three remaining games, those teams put themselves on 98 Super League points each (provided no over-rate penalties), which Sri Lanka now cannot reach even with two wins against New Zealand.

Stats highlights from the Asia Cup match between Bangladesh and Sri Lanka in Mirpur

Shiva Jayaraman28-Feb-201680 Runs scored by Sabbir Rahman – the fourth highest individual score for Bangladesh in T20Is. Tamim Iqbal’s 88* against West Indies in a T20I in 2012 is the highest. Sabbir faced 54 deliveries, equaling the second most faced by a Bangladesh batsman in a T20I. The knock was also Sabbir’s highest in T20Is, beating his previous highest of 51*, against Pakistan. He hit 13 boundaries (10 fours and three sixes), which is the joint-highest by a Bangladesh batsman in T20Is. Shakib Al Hasan had hit 11 fours and two sixes in his knock of 84 against Pakistan in Pallekele in World T20 2012.54.42 Sabbir’s percentage contribution to the team’s total – the highest in a completed innings for Bangladesh in T20Is. He got out when Bangladesh’s score was 108, at which stage his contribution to the team’s score was 74.07%. This is the highest contribution by a batsman when his wicket has fallen at a team total of 100 or more. The previous highest was Marlon Samuels’ 78 runs in West Indies’ total of 108 in the final of the 2012 World T20.7 Number of times Mustafizur Rahman has returned an economy of 5.0 or less in ten T20 internationals. He has bowled more than 20 balls in all these seven innings. His economy of 5.61 in T20Is is the fourth best among all bowlers who have bowled in ten or more innings.4.33 Mustafizur’s economy from the three overs that he bowled after the 13th – the best by any Bangladesh bowler who has bowled three of the last seven overs in a T20I. Overall, in this Asia Cup, Mustafizur has bowled eight overs after the 13th over and has taken one wicket for 52 runs at an economy of 6.50.0-4 Bangladesh’s record in T20Is against Sri Lanka before this match. Bangladesh’s win was only their fourth against a Full Member other than Zimbabwe, from 32 T20 internationals. Before this win, they had lost three consecutive T20Is. Their previous such win was against Pakistan last year.31.61 Sabbir’s batting average in T20 internationals. Among Bangladesh batsmen, only Anamul Haque – 355 runs at 32.27 – averages higher than him. Sabbir has made 411 runs at a strike rate of 121.23. Since his return to the No. 3 position beginning 2016, he has made 270 runs at an average of 45.00 and a strike rate of 135.00.82 Runs added by the stand between Sabbir and Shakib Al Hassan – the fourth highest when a team has lost three wickets for less than 30 runs. Eoin Morgan and Kevin Pietersen had added an unbroken 112 runs against Pakistan in 2010, which remains the highest such partnership. The stand between Sabbir and Shakib was also the second highest for Bangladesh’s fourth wicket in T20Is.84 for 3 The teams’ score at the end of the 13th over. While Bangladesh scored 63 runs in their final seven overs for the loss of three wickets, Sri Lanka lost their way in the chase, losing five wickets for just 40 runs. The last seven overs produced only two boundaries for Sri Lanka.4 Times Al-Amin Hossain has taken three or more wickets in a T20I. Among Bangladesh bowlers, only Shakib’s five such hauls are more than Hossain’s. Hossain took 3 for 34 in this match.4 Number of innings by Sri Lanka batsmen to face at least 20 balls in a T20I that have beenslower than Angelo Mathews’ 20-ball 12 in this match. The slowest such innings is also by Mathews: a 25-ball 9 against Pakistan in 2012. Mathews faced nine dots and could not manage a single boundary in this match.

After just over a month of constant rumours, speculation, and deals, transfer deadline day is finally here, but so far, Arsenal’s list of incomings is entirely blank.

Mikel Arteta’s side are still just about in the Premier League title race, flying in the Champions League and could even overturn their 2-0 deficit in the League Cup on Wednesday, but to give themselves the best chance of winning anything this year, they’ll surely need to make an addition to the squad before the window slams shut tonight.

Now, the North Londoners have been trying to strengthen their squad, with concrete links to players such as RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko and Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins, but to little success.

Fee

Fee

None

Josh Robinson (Wigan)

Undisc.

Marquinhos (Cruzeiro)

Loan

Fortunately, with just a day remaining, recent reports have strongly linked the club with one of the most exciting up-and-coming attackers in European football, a youngster who’d be the perfect replacement for the ageing Leandro Trossard.

Arsenal chasing in-demand star

According to a recent report from Sky Sports Germany reporter Florian Plettenberg, Arsenal are one of several clubs who remain incredibly keen on Bayern Munich’s Mathys Tel.

Plettenberg has revealed that, as things stand, no club has been able to reach an agreement with the German behemoths regarding the French talent and that while the Gunners are “in talks” with them, there will be “no panic sale.”

One of the major stumbling blocks for the Red Devils appears to have been the fact that Bayern wanted them to sign the 19-year-old on a permanent deal or on loan with an obligation to buy, which could potentially be an issue for the North Londoners as well, especially as the offer they accepted from Tottenham Hotspur last week stood at around £50m.

It could be a complicated and potentially costly transfer to get over the line before the end of the day, but given Tel’s immense ability and potential, it is one well worth fighting for, especially as the club need to be thinking about a Trossard replacement.

Why Tel would be a dream Trossard replacement

So, the first thing to clear up is just why Arsenal would want to sign a replacement for Leandro Trossard this month, especially as it was only last season that he racked up a tally of 19 goal involvements in 46 games.

Well, it comes down to two things. The first is that while he was exceptional last year, this season has been a different story altogether, and while still reasonably impressive, a tally of five goals and six assists in 35 games isn’t really enough for a side gunning for the title.

The second reason is that, at 30 years old, the Waterschei-born winger is far closer to the end of his career than the start, and while footballers of today can play longer than they did in the past, research carried out by The Athletic revealed that wingers peak at around 26 and experience an incredibly sharp decline in their ability to take on defenders when they reach 30.

Moreover, with reports coming out last month that little to no progress was being made on a new contract for the former Brighton & Hove Albion ace, it makes sense to start looking for a young and exciting long-term replacement, which in this case would be Tel.

Now, it is true that the Frenchman hasn’t had the best of campaigns this year, but that is almost entirely down to the fact that Vincent Kompany has barely played him, as he’s made just four starts across 14 appearances, totalling 458 minutes.

Appearances

41

Starts

10

Minutes

1406′

Goals

10

Assists

6

Goal Involvements per Match

0.39

Minutes per Goal Involvement

87.87′

However, when you look at how effective the Sarcelles-born dynamo was last season, the clamour from other sides to secure his signature becomes far easier to understand.

For example, in just 1406 minutes across 41 appearances, the “mind-blowing” talent, as dubbed by talent scout Jacek Kulig, scored ten goals and provided six assists, meaning he maintained an average of a goal involvement every 87.87 minutes, which is an awe-inspiring rate of return.

Moreover, considering that he produced those numbers despite being just 18 at the start of the campaign, it really does feel like the sky is the limit for the Bayern ace.

Ultimately, with Trossard being on the wrong side of 30 and his rate of return declining this season, it’s time Arsenal signed a proper long-term replacement for him, and based on his sensational form last season, Tel appears to be the perfect candidate.

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1 ByMatt Dawson Feb 2, 2025

The last few weeks have been a challenge for Mikel Arteta and Arsenal, having to replace the creativity of the injured Bukayo Saka within the final third.

The Englishman has scored five and registered ten assists in his 16 Premier League appearances, but after surgery on his hamstring, he’s set to be missing until at least March – massively denting the Gunners’ title ambitions.

Ethan Nwaneri has attempted to fill the void in recent outings, scoring in the draw with Brighton and Hove Albion on Saturday night – bagging his second top-flight goal of his professional career.

As for the likes of Gabriel Jesus, Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard they have often shared the attacking roles but have struggled to replicate the performance levels of the injured academy graduate.

Such form could see the hierarchy dip into the transfer market to try and bolster Arteta’s side to aid their title ambitions, with one player already on their radar after the opening of the transfer window this week.

Arsenal in the race to sign 18-goal forward in January

According to CaughtOffside, Arsenal are one of a number of English sides in the race to sign Eintracht Frankfurt forward Omar Marmoush before the end of the ongoing window.

However, Manchester City and Liverpool are said to hold the advantage at this stage, with Aston Villa, Newcastle and Chelsea also monitoring the Egyptian’s progress.

The 25-year-old is currently enjoying the best season of his professional career to date, scoring 18 times and registering 11 assists in just 24 matches – only behind Harry Kane in the Bundesliga goalscoring charts.

As a result of his recent form, the German side are demanding a fee in the region of €70m (£58m) to part ways with their star forward, but it remains to be seen if any side is willing to meet such a price tag.

However, given his form, it could be a potential bargain, leading to comparisons to one of Europe’s leading talents over the past couple of months.

Why Marmoush could be Arteta’s very own Mbappe

Real Madrid star Kylian Mbappé has cemented himself as one of the biggest stars in world football over the last couple of years after his impressive form within the attacking third.

The 26-year-old has notched 14 goals in his first year in Spain after joining the European giants on a free transfer from PSG over the summer, following his unheard-of goal record during his spell at the Parc des Princes.

Mbappé registered 235 goals in 264 appearances for the Parisians, whilst also managing a hat-trick in the World Cup final back in 2022, becoming only the second player in football history to manage such a feat.

Arsenal would undoubtedly love to have a player of Mbappé’s quality, but a move for Marmoush could allow them to sign a player of similar level, especially when delving into his underlying figures from 2024/25.

As a result of the Egyptian’s performances, he’s been dubbed as one of the most similar players in Europe’s top five leagues to the Real Madrid ace by FBref, with the Frankfurt talisman even outperforming the Frenchman in various areas since the start of the campaign.

Like Mbappe, the Egypt forward possesses plenty of pace and ability to beat his man. That said, Marmoush, who’s recently been dubbed as “one of Europe’s best forwards” by analyst David Segar, has managed more combined goals and assists than the French international – also averaging a better goal per shot on target rate – highlighting his clinical nature in the final third.

He’s also completed more take-ons and won more aerials per 90, offering that all-round centre-forward that Arteta and the Gunners have been craving over the last couple of seasons.

It may be a risky move splashing nearly £60m on a player who’s currently enjoying a purple patch, potentially running the risk of the attacker being unable to sustain his recent performance levels.

However, Marmoush has showcased that he’s able to better some of the very best talents in Europe, which could dramatically improve the club’s forward line in their pursuit of ending a two-decade wait for a league triumph.

With City currently ahead in the race for his signature, the Gunners hierarchy need to act swiftly to prevent missing out on the 25-year-old and subsequently improving one of their main rivals.

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2

By
Matt Dawson

Jan 5, 2025

يقترب عضو بارز في مجلس إدارة نادي برشلونة من الرحيل والانتقال إلى الدوري السعودي، وتحديدًا نادي النصر، حسبما ذكرت صحيفة “موندو ديبورتيفو” الإسبانية.

وبدأ برشلونة جولته الآسيوية الاستعدادية للموسم الجديد 2025/26، أمس الأحد، حيث فاز على فيسيل كوبي بثلاثة أهداف مقابل هدف.

ويستعد برشلونة لخوض الموسم الجديد المرتقب، الذي سينطلق في شهر أغسطس المقبل تحت قيادة المدرب هانز فليك.

من جهة أخرى، ذكرت صحيفة “موندو ديبورتيفو” الإسبانية أن رافا يوستي نائب رئيس برشلونة، غادر بعثة النادي في اليابان، حيث من المقرر عودته إلى المدينة الكتالونية يوم الإثنين.

اقرأ أيضًا | عقاب أم تمهيد لرحيل؟.. غموض حول لاعب برشلونة بسبب مباراة فيسيل كوبي

وأوضحت أن عودة رافا يوستي تحتمل معنيين، الأول دعم ديكو، المدير الرياضي لنادي برشلونة، في عمليات رحيل عدة لاعبين والتي يديرها من مكتبه في المدينة الرياضية.

وأشارت إلى أنه من ناحية أخرى، يقر النادي بأن عودة يوستي قد تكون مؤشرًا لاقتراب رحيله وانتقاله إلى النصر السعودي، الذي يرغب في تعيينه رئيسًا تنفيذيًا للنادي.

وأفادت أن عرض النصر بالغ الأهمية، من الناحية المالية والرياضية، ولن يعترض عليه رئيس برشلونة خوان لابورتا، نظرًا لعمق علاقته بـ يوستي، الذي يُعد صديق طفولته.

وأكدت أن قرار الرحيل والانتقال إلى النصر في يد يوستي وحده، الذي يشعر بالحيرة بين قوة العرض السعودي وولائه لـ لابورتا وبرشلونة.

ووفقًا للصحيفة نفسها، فإنه في حالة رحيل يوستي، فإن جوان سولير سيكون مرشحًا قويًا لخلافته في منصب نائب رئيس النادي.

Liverpool continued their strive for Premier League success in Arne Slot’s first season, with their 4-1 victory over Ipswich Town at Anfield over the weekend.

Goals from Dominik Szoboszlai, Cody Gakpo and Mohamed Salah made it 4-0 for Liverpool after 65 minutes, before Ipswich defender, Jacob Greaves, netted a consolation goal in the 90th minute to make it 4-1.

Currently sitting six points clear at the top of the table with one game in hand, Liverpool are firmly in the driving seat heading into the second half of the season.

However, a top-class January addition could further solidify their title hopes, and FSG (Fenway Sports Group) could look to provide Slot with that in the final week of the window.

Liverpool looking at midfield signing

According to reports from CaughtOffside, Liverpool are one of the clubs to have ‘made a move’ for Bayern Munich midfielder, Joshua Kimmich. The German is yet to agree a new deal with Bayern, opening the door to other clubs who are registering interest in him.

The reports state that Liverpool, Manchester City, Real Madrid, Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain are all keen on the 29-year-old. If he does not agree a new deal, teams could make a move on a potential free transfer or even look to pay a smaller fee for him to arrive this month.

Kimmich has made 29 appearances for the German giants so far this season, scoring one goal and providing eight assists.

How Kimmich could become Liverpool's answer to Rodri

For the past few seasons, Liverpool have been looking to make changes to their midfield department, with the likes of Fabinho, Jordan Henderson and Georginio Wijnaldum all leaving the club.

In order to combat that, they have made signings such as Alexis Mac Allister, Ryan Gravenberch and Szoboszlai, as well as Curtis Jones coming through the academy ranks.

However, whilst this midfield group has a variety of skills, their defensive acumen, experience at the highest level and ability to dictate the tempo of the game from deeper zones can be lacking at times. This has often been a key difference in recent years, as Manchester City have Rodri, who does all of these things at an exceptional level.

So, could Kimmich be the Anfield outfit’s answer to the great Spaniard? Let’s take a look.

Goals + Assists

0.32

0.48

Progressive Carries

1.92

2.88

Progressive Passes

10.6

12.4

Passes Attempted

113.0

114.7

Pass Completion %

89.0%

91.9%

Passes into Final Third

12.6

11.9

Key Passes

2.42

1.63

Tackles

1.62

2.10

Interceptions

0.67

0.73

Ball Recoveries

6.27

7.17

When comparing Kimmich to Rodri in 2023/24 when he was not injured, you can see how closely the German ranks in many metrics, which is no easy feat considering this was much of the campaign that won Rodri his Ballon d’Or award.

The ability to have a high volume of passes in a game, complete them with efficiency, progress play and even add some threat with key passes too, all whilst protecting the defence and leading in a central area of the pitch, makes them invaluable to their side.

José Mourinho has even praised Kimmich in the past as an “absolutely phenomenal” player, labelling the German as “intelligent” showing his ability to play both as a right-back and a defensive midfielder. This versatility could also come in useful, depending on the Trent Alexander-Arnold situation come the end of the season.

Kimmich would clearly bring that extra experience in the midfield, helping the likes of Gravenberch and Jones especially, who can provide the box-to-box legs in the middle, but could also use the hand on their shoulder, leading that midfield unit.

Liverpool can finally bin Nunez by signing one of the best CFs in the world

Liverpool are preparing to strengthen in the transfer market this summer.

ByAngus Sinclair Jan 21, 2025

Sri Lanka’s history is replete with several batsmen falling by the wayside after promising starts. In it are valuable lessons for two promising batsmen from the current crop

Andrew Fidel Fernando06-Mar-2017Upul Tharanga was once the future. He stood tall and tranquil at the crease, had shots through the offside so beautiful that entire stadiums bawled when he drove, and he had the Kumar Sangakkara stamp of approval.Eventually, though, oppositions began to study him. A technical flaw to the angled ball outside off stump was exposed. For entire series, Tharanga became like an usher at a film theatre, forever directing the ball to its proper place in the hands of slip. He was dropped when he went 14 innings without a fifty, and would not play Tests again for another seven years.There have been some valuable contributions in his stuttered second coming, but where – if talent was the only consideration – Tharanga should have about 100 Tests on his timesheet, and close to 10,000 runs to his name, he finds himself asked to open the batting again, and at 32, still needing to prove his worth.Cautionary tale number one.

****

Lahiru Thirimanne was once the future. He has the temperament of a monk, senior teammates said, and well, just look at that bent-kneed cover drive. There was an attractive 91 at an SCG Test. He floated through heartening ODI hundreds as well. Throughout, he had the backing of men like Aravinda de Silva.But then, eventually, oppositions began to study him. Questions were asked of his technique. That iron temperament was put to the Test, and through late 2015, and the first half of 2016, Thirimanne became a global leader in tortured innings and low scores. He now finds himself out of the team and as yet unable to make a case for reintegration into international cricket.Cautionary tale number two.

****

Kaushal Silva was once the future. No one had laboured so much to gain a Test place, and in an age where Sri Lanka batsmen were thought to play too many strokes, his stoicism was much regarded. He gritted his way to a good 95 in Dubai, and hit important twin fifties at Lord’s.Then opposition attacks came for him, and he went meekly with them into a long lull. Occasionally there would be another of those gutsy big scores, but these were infrequent, and his average was in retreat. At 30, he is now dropped from the Test team, not even an A team position thrown his way in compensation.Cautionary tale number three.

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Dinesh Chandimal was once the future. He didn’t quite have the classical sensibilities of other young batsmen, but here is a man who has found a homespun technique that works for him, you thought. He bashed his way to encouraging overseas fifties and threw his every atom into the sweep shot at home. Along the way, he played some transcendental innings, became T20 captain, and made the populist decision to forego the IPL to work on his batting at home.But then, of course: that familiar stagnation. He struggled with the bouncer in 2014, and was packed off to the Sri Lanka A team in the middle of a Test tour. He has been jerked around the batting order as well, and found himself often accused of surrendering his wicket without a fight.He may yet have an outstanding career, but what is clear is that despite his blinding talent, international batsmen his age have leapfrogged him. At 27, he could be part of the Kohli-Root-Williamson-Smith conversation, yet instead he has recently been told by the chief selector to go back to club cricket in order to rediscover form.Cautionary tale (sort of) number four.

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Two young batsmen in the Sri Lanka squad find themselves at the end of the first portion of this well-trod journey. At 22, Kusal Mendis has hit one of the great Sri Lankan innings, batted with rare freedom on away tours, and has been the primary driver of optimism for fans of Sri Lanka. At 25, Dhananjaya de Silva was the best batsman in a famous victory over Australia, and has tamed Mitchell Starc as well as anyone in international cricket has recently managed.Both have potential, but are coming off a tough series against South Africa, and in any case, have not found the consistency that will see them regarded among the world’s best.Their coaches can teach them plenty. They’ll learn from repeated exposure to the world’s best bowlers, from playing in the planet’s most vaunted venues, and from doing battle in matches that are intense as they come. For some lessons though, they need not look much further than their own dressing room. Having talent is fine, but to harness it: that is the thing.