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Barcelona legend Gerard Pique has singled out Marcus Rashford as the biggest surprise in La Liga so far this season following his move from Manchester United, though the former defender admitted that Real Madrid superstar Kylian Mbappe is currently operating "on another level" compared to the rest of the competition. The Frenchman has made a blistering start to the campaign in Spain, averaging a goal a game for Xabi Alonso's team.

• Mbappe and Rashford in fine form this season

  The current La Liga campaign has been defined by a fascinating battle between established superstars and fresh faces looking to make their mark. While Kylian Mbappe is now firmly entrenched as the face of Madrid following his move in 2024, the arrival of Rashford in Catalonia this summer has added a new dynamic to the title race.

  The England international joined Hansi Flick's side on a season-long loan from Manchester United in July, looking to revitalise a career that had stalled at Old Trafford. His impact has been immediate, with his pace and direct running providing Barcelona with a different dimension in attack as well as six goals – two in La Liga and four in the Champions League. It is a transformation that has caught the eye of Pique, who knows exactly what it takes to succeed in Catalonia.

  Speaking in an interview with , the former Barcelona captain was asked to identify the players who have impressed him most this term. Pique wasted no time in highlighting the English forward's seamless adaptation to Spanish football.

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  Barcelona legend hails English forward

  Asked who has surprised him most this season, Pique picked the 28-year-old Englishman, saying: "Rashford. I think he had a very good start, now let's see how he continues. He scored two goals in the match against Newcastle, he has contributed and helped a lot since the beginning."

  However, despite his allegiance to the Blaugrana, Pique could not ignore the elephant in the room. When discussing the absolute elite performers in the league, he conceded that Real Madrid's number nine sits alone at the top of the mountain. After all, the Frenchman won the league's top scorer prize on his debut season and has followed that up with a whopping 16 goals in as many La Liga games this term, despite Madrid struggling for consistency and falling behind Barcelona in the top-flight. He has also netted an incredible nine in just five Champions League matches.

  "Also Mbappe, he is on another level and not just in goals, but also in how he looks," Pique admitted. "I think he is sharper than ever."

  The former defender also tipped his cap to rivals Atletico Madrid, noting the contributions of their Argentine contingent. "Looking at other teams, in Atletico you have Giuliano Simeone, who is doing very well, Julian [Alvarez], who is a differential player," he added. "I think in La Liga there has not been any big surprise and that everything is being quite expected."

• Rashford's Spanish renaissance

  Pique’s comments validate what has been a rejuvenating few months for Rashford. There were significant doubts over whether the 28-year-old could adapt to the technical demands of La Liga, but he has answered his critics emphatically. Pique highlighted his pivotal Champions League performance earlier against Newcastle, in which he scored twice to seal a 2-1 win. He has also provided six assists in the domestic competition and a further one in Europe.

  For a player who looked lost at United under Ruben Amorim, Rashford has found a new lease of life under Flick. His versatility across the front line has been crucial for Barcelona, allowing them to rotate Lamine Yamal and Robert Lewandowski without a drop in quality.

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  Mbappe the benchmark

  While Rashford has been a pleasant surprise, Mbappe has been an inevitability. Now fully settled in his second season in Madrid, the Frenchman has evolved into the complete leader of the Los Blancos attack.

  Pique’s observation that he looks "sharper than ever" is a frightening prospect for defences across Europe. Having already lifted the Champions League in his debut season, Mbappe appears determined to chase down individual records this term. His dominance is such that even the staunchest Barcelona icons are forced to acknowledge his supremacy.

  For Rashford, the challenge is now consistency. As Pique noted, "let's see how he continues." With reports suggesting Barcelona have a purchase option in the region of €30 million for next summer, the Englishman is effectively playing for his long-term future. A strong second half of the season could seal a permanent exit from Old Trafford.

  Meanwhile, Mbappe and Real Madrid face a defining week with a Champions League clash against Manchester City. With the team suffering from a defensive injury crisis, the onus will once again be on their French superstar to provide the "differential" quality Pique so admires.

The New York Yankees are in a rut. After Saturday's 12-6 loss to the New York Mets the pinstripes have lost six straight games, including one sweep at the hands of the Toronto Blue Jays to lose their AL East lead. Sunday will bring an opportunity to snap the losing streak and avoid a Subway Series sweep.

After Saturday's loss reigning AL MVP Aaron Judge (who got beaned in the head by a teammate during the defeat) was asked by a reporter if the string of losses was having an impact on the locker room. He offered one blunt word in response: "No."

The Yankees started out the season strong but the last few weeks have been brutal for everybody. Judge has performed decently but has also obviously come back down to earth after a ridiculous start to the year. Through June 1 the MVP slugger was hitting .391 from the plate and mashed 21 home runs to go with 50 RBI. Since then, however, Judge has "only" hit 11 dingers and driven in 21 runs while batting .299. His production going from historic to merely very good has resulted in a much slimmer margin of error for New York and the consequences of that have been especially harsh lately.

The MLB season is long and it's important for locker rooms to stay steady throughout the peaks and valleys. Judge clearly believes his team is doing that right now despite the demoralizing stretch.

When Arne Slot spoke in his pre-match press conference ahead of Liverpool’s trip to Elland Road to face Leeds United, it was pretty sobering for the head coach to suggest that the focus is on securing a place in next year’s Champions League proper, and not battling to defend their hard-won Premier League title.

Slot’s right, of course, with Liverpool so far removed from last year’s indomitable success that talk of mounting a challenge against high-flying Arsenal would be scoffed at by even the most ardent supporters.

Among Liverpool’s biggest problems this season has been a struggle in the build-up, especially on the right side. Trent Alexander-Arnold’s absence is keenly felt, and sporting director Richard Hughes is looking to replace the former vice-captain’s creativity.

Liverpool looking to replace Alexander-Arnold

Liverpool have technically replaced Alexander-Arnold already, signing Jeremie Frimpong for £29.5m this summer. However, neither Frimpong or Conor Bradley boast the same playmaking ability as the 27-year-old, who plies his craft for Real Madrid after leaving Anfield at the end of his contract in June.

The £116m signing of Florian Wirtz was meant to help the passing of the creative torch, but Wirtz’s struggles have been well-documented this season, and, as analyst Raj Chohan puts it, “the build-up combination is horrible” on Liverpool’s right-hand side this season.

Those around him know Wirtz has world-class potential in the Premier League and could become a superstar playmaker, a poster boy. However, he doesn’t really operate down the right lane, and this is where Slot and Hughes need to fix Liverpool’s progressive passing.

Perhaps that’s why FSG are showing an interest in signing Bayern Munich winger Michael Olise, having shortlisted the France international this week, according to German outlet BILD.

Olise, 23, has only gone from strength to strength since swapping Crystal Palace for the Allianz Arena in 2024, and if Liverpool want to secure his signature, ostensibly as Mohamed Salah’s long-term replacement, they will need to pay over £100m.

BILD believe that Liverpool have placed Olise back onto their shortlist despite Bayern’s not-for-sale stance.

What Olise would bring to Liverpool

Alexander-Arnold’s influence at Liverpool cannot be understated. Quite simply, he is a one-of-a-kind type of player, and his departure to Santiago Bernabeu was always going to be more than just a blow to the Anfield side’s pride.

Olise might not be a right-back, but he would prove the perfect Salah replacement at right wing in that he would not try to mimic the Egyptian’s clinical output, and instead bring his own flavour to Merseyside.

At Bayern, the former Palace star has posted 29 goals and 34 assists across 76 matches. He is regarded as “one of the best players in the world” by teammate Serge Gnabry.

Physical and athletic, Olise is also near matchless when it comes to creating for his peers, setting up passing patterns and adding pressure in the final third with unplayable passing.

As per FBref, he ranks among the top 1% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for assists and shot-creating actions, the top 4% for progressive passes, the top 12% for progressive carries and the top 5% for successful take-ons per 90.

That is not to say he’s a one-trick pony, with fearsome ball-striking qualities that the Premier League’s many defenders and goalkeepers know only too well.

He has proven himself to be a superstar in the English game, and since levelling up in Germany, Olise has fostered the playmaking brilliance that would see him reinvent Slot’s right flank and rekindle the presence of Trent at Anfield.

Huge Gakpo upgrade: £70m "superstar" now keen to join Liverpool in January

Arne Slot’s Liverpool frontline is not quite right this season.

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By
Angus Sinclair

Dec 5, 2025

He didn’t get off to his usual quick start, yet ended up with an unbeaten 73 on a slow wicket to secure MI’s playoffs dream

Sidharth Monga22-May-20252:17

Aaron: Bowlers’ Plan B is Suryakumar’s Plan A

Suryakumar Yadav has a general cheery disposition towards life, but at the break between innings at the Wankhede Stadium on Wednesday, he sounded extra pleased with himself. This had been one of his anomalous knocks: he was barely a run-a-ball in the first 20 balls, got to fifty in 36, and ended up with a strike rate of 169.76 despite playing for as long as 43 balls.Yet Suryakumar knew he had taken Mumbai Indians (MI) to an above-par score on a slow pitch where the ball gripped for the spinners and the fast bowlers who bowled cutters into the pitch. Now imagine the level of adjustment needed. You think a night match at Wankhede, you think you need to score 200 at the very least if you lose the toss. Here, Suryakumar batted thinking 160 was par, and 180 came about only because the last two overs went for 48.At the break, Suryakumar said this was an innings he had been hoping for a long time. “That it’s a difficult situation, I go into bat and try to bat till the end. And get a score that is above par,” Suryakumar told the broadcast.Related

• Aaron: Santner showing his worth in Mumbai Indians colours

• Du Plessis: MI's counterpunch cost us in last two overs

• Suryakumar, Santner and Bumrah lead MI into playoffs

Now Suryakumar has had the most unbelievable run of 13 consecutive scores of 25 or more, which is now a world record, but that is not enough for him. He was waiting for an innings where he stood out. “It’s been 13 games now,” Suryakumar said later. “My wife told me a sweet story today. She said, ‘you have got all the awards except Man of the Match’. So this award is really special today. From the team’s point of view, this knock was important. Also this trophy [was important] for her.”Elite athletes want to win games, but they also want to do as much as they can on their own. So far Suryakumar hasn’t really had a shot at a solo showing. With their qualification for playoffs on the line, this game was as good a time as any. As he said, it didn’t come easy. He walked in at 48 for 2 in the last over of the powerplay. It became 58 for 3 soon, and the spinners handcuffed him and Tilak Varma soon after.It is rare to see Suryakumar get beaten four times in the first eight balls of spin he plays. He just couldn’t get the right length to attack. You wondered where the sweep shot was. It arrived against the ninth ball of spin, and even that a mis-cue. This was a slow pitch not conducive to dominating spin. Suryakumar would have to adjust his sights much lower and bide for his opportunity.Suryakumar Yadav unlocked deep pockets to write Mumbai Indians’ playoffs story•BCCINot a fan of taking it deep, Suryakumar was forced to do so here as Delhi Capitals (DC) kept bowling their best slower bowlers to try to get him out. He scored just 27 off 23 balls from Kuldeep Yadav, Vipraj Nigam and Mustafizur Rahman.Suryakumar said he knew the pitch was going to be slow so it wasn’t really a shock to his system, but even that par assessment of 160 looked in doubt when the last two overs began. They would need to score 30 off the last two to give themselves an even chance, that too provided there wasn’t any dew.When he finally got pace on ball, Suryakumar scored 28 off eight balls in those last two overs from Mukesh Kumar and Dushmantha Chameera. With a little help from Naman Dhir, he had taken MI to 180. He scored only 26 of his 73 runs behind square, which is a rare event for Suryakumar. The conditions and smart bowling forced him to look deeper into his drawer. The most complete T20 batter of this age showed the drawer has deep pockets.

The 2025 MLB All-Star Game came to an exhilirating end as the tie game came down to a swing-off between three hitters each from the National League and American League. Phillies outfielder Kyle Schwarber led the NL to the win, as he hit home runs on all three of his swings during the swing-off to earn the victory.

The ending was thrilling and a great way to cap off the game, but the primary complaint was that the swing-off did not feature all of the biggest stars of the All-Star Game. Since many of the starters of the game play a few innings and then leave the ballpark midgame to get home, the top stars were not available for the swing-off, which turned out to be an unexpected success for the game.

The participants for a potential swing-off are also submitted in the days prior to the All-Star Game, so managers Aaron Boone and Dave Roberts did not plan for players like Aaron Judge or Shohei Ohtani to get involved in the event of the swing-off.

MLB insider Jeff Passan called out the absence of these stars for the swing-off after the game on X.

Passan posted, "What is: Brent Rooker, Jonathan Aranda, Randy Arozarena vs. Pete Alonso, Kyle Schwarber, Kyle Stowers. What could have been: Aaron Judge, Cal Raleigh, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. vs. Shohei Ohtani, Pete Alonso, Kyle Schwarber."

Athletics All-Star Brent Rooker, who hit two home runs in the swing-off, replied to Passan on X, tweeting, "Am I not good enough for you Jeff."

Rooker soon clarified he was merely joking. He commented, "(Guys I like Jeff I’m not actually mad I would pick Aaron, Cal and Vladdy over me too)."

Passan also got in on the joke, commenting on Rooker's reply, "Own that loser."

Though the swing-off might have been more exciting had players like Judge, Ohtani, and Cal Raleigh been available to compete, the All-Star Game still featured an ending that reinvigorated excitement for the Midsummer Classic, even with Rooker leading the charge for the AL.

Bruno Fernandes has been warned off a move to Barcelona that would see him link up with Lamine Yamal and Pedri. The Manchester United captain continues to see a transfer in 2026 speculated on, with leading teams in Europe and Saudi Arabia said to be monitoring his situation. Pedro Mendes has told his fellow Portuguese why a switch to Camp Nou would be the wrong choice.

• Fernandes contract: When Man Utd deal expires

  Fernandes remains a talismanic presence at Old Trafford, with three more goal contributions being delivered during a 4-1 victory at Wolves. He is, however, 31 years of age and will see his current contract expire in 2027 – with United holding the option for a further 12-month extension.

  It has been suggested that the right offer could lure him away from Manchester after next summer’s World Cup – when he will be chasing down global glory alongside Cristiano Ronaldo. Fernandes has not entirely ruled out a fresh start being sought.

  Saudi Pro League sides are considered to be leading the chase, given the riches on offer in the Middle East, but a new challenge in European football may yet be found. Barcelona, who once prised Ilkay Gundogan away from Manchester City after seeing him pass the age of 30, are said to be one of Fernandes’ many suitors.

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  Barcelona transfer: Fernandes warned off move to Camp Nou

  Mendes – speaking with Boyle Sports, who offer the latest Football Betting – has said when asked if Fernandes should leave United and where his next landing spot could be: “I don't know, it's up to him, but I think Bruno at the moment is the key figure for Manchester United, right? So what else can you want? As a player at a team like United, if you are the main guy, why would you change just for a new challenge or a new chapter in your career? Fair enough, that's understandable.

  “But, he won't have at Barcelona what he has at United at the moment. In Barcelona he can be a top player, for sure, 100%. But in Barcelona they have Pedri, they have players like Raphinha and Lamine Yamal. Bruno won't be the top name at Barcelona. And at United, I think Bruno is that guy. He might be up for a new challenge, but what more can you ask for if you are the main guy at United.

  “Bruno Fernandes needs the Premier League trophy to be among the greatest ever. Bruno Fernandes has been unbelievable for the past three or four seasons. But you just need the Premier League trophy, that will put him among the greatest ever in the league.”

• Man Utd arrivals: Palhinha billed as a good fit

  With questions being asked of Fernandes’ future, and Casemiro seemingly ready to leave Old Trafford in 2026, Mendes – who represented Portsmouth and Tottenham in his playing days – added on who United could look to draft into their midfield engine room: “Joao Palhinha is the typical Premier League number six, that defensive midfielder who just sweeps up everything in front of the defenders. If you have a team that has a lot of possession, he's a little bit out of his game, from my point of view.

  “The players around him will shine more than him because, as you said, he just wins the ball, passes it away, tackles the ball, passes it. He's fantastic at doing that role. He was fantastic at Fulham.

  “In Bayern Munich, when you have 70% or 60% of ball possession most of the games, and you don't need to do that kind of job, because normally teams play counter-attack or don't have that type of possession against you, his strength is a little bit forgotten.

  “He has more of the ball and he needs to be more involved in the game, and to be fair, it's not his main strength. So probably that's why he struggled at Bayern and at Spurs at the moment. I like what I saw in some games this year from him, but it's different from Fulham.

  “Palhinha at Man Utd? Well, why not? But to be fair, I think Manuel Ugarte is more or less the same type of player as Palhinha. Palhinha is an option if they want to replace him. But why not? We are not sure what is going to happen to Casemiro, so I think it could work.”

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  Trading places: Could Palhinha arrive as Fernandes leaves?

  Palhinha is currently taking in a season-long loan at Tottenham from Bundesliga champions Bayern. A permanent move somewhere may be made next summer, with it possible that he could cross paths with Fernandes as a Portugal international colleague bids farewell to English football.

Manchester United are considering selling captain Bruno Fernandes amid interest from the Saudi Pro League with two major targets picked out to replace the club captain.

Man Utd identify two priority targets

Amorim stressed the importance of securing a much-needed Old Trafford win when Manchester United host “top team” Bournemouth on Monday, looking to continue a run of form which has seen United pick up seven points from three matches since the disappointment against Everton.

Captain Fernandes has been phenomenal in that run, scoring twice and providing three assists, but INEOS are now open to the Portugal star’s departure in order to fund new signings.

According to a recent report, Saudi Pro League clubs are set to offer Fernandes a way out of Old Trafford, with both Al Hilal and Al Ittihad considering a move in the region of £70m.

INEOS view the 31-year-old as the club’s most sellable asset and as someone worth cashing in on before his value decreases, with his contract set to expire in just over 18 months.

The Red Devils do hold an option to extend his stay by another year until June 2028, but they have identified two top targets which will require funds in Nottingham Forest star Elliot Anderson and Brighton and Hove Albion enforcer Carlos Baleba.

Both players could cost club record fees and INEOS are determined to make United financially secure while rebuilding Amorim’s squad.

Forest are set to demand ‘£100m-plus’ for Anderson while Baleba’s price is in the region of £74m.

Mainoo could be sold instead

Man Utd gem could be "the world's best", but he's becoming the new Mainoo

Manchester United have one star in their ranks who could suffer the same fate as Kobbie Mainoo.

By
Ethan Lamb

3 days ago

The other option on offer to INEOS is to cash in on their homegrown talent Kobbie Mainoo. While the 20 year-old’s value has suffered after falling out of favour this season, his status as an England international guarantees a good return which would go down as pure profit.

Chelsea are reportedly interested in a move for the young midfielder while there is also interest from Napoli in Serie A, where fellow United academy product Scott McTominay has thrived since joining in 2024.

Speaking in September, Amorim defended his decision to continually leave Mainoo out of his team: “I understand what you are saying. You love Kobbie… But that doesn’t mean I need to put Kobbie [in] when I feel that I shouldn’t put Kobbie [in], so it’s my decision.”

The New York Yankees will be without closing pitcher Luke Weaver for at least four to six weeks after he suffered a hamstring injury on Sunday while he was warming up for the game vs. the Los Angeles Dodgers, ESPN's Jeff Passan reported.

Weaver underwent an MRI on Monday, which determined that he would need to be placed on the injured list. A return timeline for Weaver will be figured out on Tuesday.

The closer was supposed to enter Sunday's game in the ninth inning vs. the Dodgers, but he "felt something" in his hamstring, so the Yankees brought in Tim Hill instead.

In 24 game appearances this season so far, Weaver has produced a 1.05 ERA through 25.2 innings pitched. He's thrown 24 strikeouts and walked seven batters, while he's had 11 hits and three runs scored on him.

Weaver isn't the only player the Yankees who ended up injured on Sunday. Left fielder Jasson Dominguez exited the game with a left thumb contusion after attempting to steal second base. His status is questionable at this time.

Ajax’s turbulent search for a new technical director has taken an interesting turn after a leaked photo revealed a secret meeting with Jordi Cruyff in Barcelona. The son of club icon Johan Cruyff spoke with Ajax chiefs Menno Geelen and Marijn Beuker as the Dutch giants accelerate plans to rebuild their collapsing football department.

• Cruyff meets Ajax top brass in Barcelona

  The race to find Ajax’s next technical director intensified this week after Geelen and Beuker were photographed holding talks with Cruyff at the Torre Melina a Gran Melia hotel in Barcelona. The meeting, initially intended to be discreet, became public when an observant Dutch resident living in Spain captured the photo of Cruyff and his manager with Ajax bosses, the image was shared by .

  Ajax more or less acknowledged that negotiations are underway. When approached, Geelen said: “It's true that we're working on important projects. We'll comment on that when there's news to report. That's not the case yet.” Cruyff also declined to go into details, insisting: “This isn't the time to say anything.”

  The secretive nature of the meeting highlights Ajax’s urgency as the delegation flew from Amsterdam early on Monday despite the club preparing for a Champions League match against Benfica the following evening. It signals that Cruyff is not only a leading candidate, but potentially the leading candidate to replace departing technical director Alex Kroes.

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• Kroes' exit and club crisis push Ajax toward a new era

  Ajax’s pursuit of Cruyff comes amid institutional chaos as Kroes, who was originally hired to stabilise the sporting department, announced earlier this month that he would step down after taking responsibility for the team’s alarming decline. Prior to this, he had been suspended following a Supervisory Board ruling that he purchased up to €190,000 worth of club shares one week before officially taking office.

  Although he later returned in a technical capacity, his decision to leave has forced Ajax to scramble for solutions. At the club’s annual stakeholders’ meeting, Geelen confirmed that recruiting a technical director takes priority over appointing a permanent manager.

  Ajax explored several options, reportedly including former sporting director Marc Overmars, but he dismissed the approach, calling his Amsterdam chapter “closed.”

  Cruyff, meanwhile, arrives with a notable resume, he previously held technical roles at AEK Larnaca, Maccabi Tel Aviv and Barca, where he assisted Xavi Hernandez during the club’s squad rebuild. Since early 2024, he has served as an advisor to the Indonesian FA. In the Dutch press however, he is now viewed as a serious contender to restore direction to a club drifting both on and off the pitch.

• The legacy weight

  Should Cruyff accept the role, he would inherit a challenge reminiscent of his father Johan's famous Velvet Revolution. In 2010, the elder Cruyff wrote that “Ajax was no longer his Ajax” and declared the situation “even worse than the period before Rinus Michels joined the club in 1965.” His intervention triggered a structural overhaul that led to seven Eredivisie titles, a Europa League final and a Champions League semi-final run.

  Ajax have since disintegrated in recent years and failed to arrest their decline this season. They brought back former player and coach John Heitinga to lead the team for a second time this season, though he was recently sacked. They are currently sixth in the Eredivisie following a shock defeat to Excelsior at the weekend and sit bottom of the Champions League with zero points, one goal scored and 14 conceded from four matches.

  Jordi would now be tasked with rescuing Ajax from a similarly bleak state. Like his father, Jordi is known to value the presence of club DNA, and many within Amsterdam believe he could help restore the familiar Ajax identity that has faded since Overmars' departure.

  Cruyff’s network also allows for modern solutions. While he respects Ajax traditions, he may not hesitate to appoint a foreign coach if required, “a Spanish coach from his network,” as Dutch reports put it, pointing to success stories such as Francesco Farioli in the Eredivisie.

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  Why Ajax are moving fast?

  This week’s Barcelona meeting shows that Ajax are not willing to wait until the January window to put the club back on track. With the team tumbling down the league and European results inconsistent, the management believes the new technical director must arrive before the winter break so he can immediately initiate structural reforms.

  Cruyff is seen as someone who understands both Ajax’s traditional principles and the demands of modern football. And. the fact that Geelen and Beuker travelled personally, despite the Champions League fixture against Benfica looming, underlines that the Amsterdam giants want a resolution quickly. If Cruyff is appointed, he will oversee managerial recruitment, squad planning, youth integration and long-term strategy.

  Ajax aim to make an appointment before the winter break, and Cruyff is firmly among the frontrunners, if not the favourite. The Supervisory Board will now evaluate the Barca discussions before deciding whether to proceed to the final negotiation phase.

There has now been a major injury update on West Ham United star Crysencio Summerville ahead of the Premier League fixture against Liverpool this Sunday.

West Ham had to make do without the winger for the trip to AFC Bournemouth at the weekend, with Nuno’s side taking a point at the Vitality Stadium, although they will be frustrated they were unable to take more from the game.

The Hammers raced into a 2-0 lead against the Cherries, courtesy of a Callum Wilson brace before half-time, but Bournemouth fought back to earn a point, with Marcus Tavernier and Enes Unal getting on the scoresheet.

With Leeds United falling to a 2-1 defeat at home against Aston Villa, the Irons remain outside the relegation zone on goal difference, but they will need all the help they can get in the coming weeks, as there are some tricky fixtures on the horizon.

Injury update on West Ham's Crysencio Summerville ahead of Liverpool

As reported by The Standard, Nuno has now been handed a boost heading into this weekend’s fixture against Liverpool, with Summerville expected to return to training this week, having seemingly made strides towards recovering from a calf strain.

The 24-year-old is set to be in contention for the game against Arne Slot’s side, which will be welcome news for West Ham, given that Niclas Fullkrug is out due to a thigh issue, and they are keen not to overuse Wilson, despite the striker bagging a brace last time out.

Former Leeds United U23 manager Andrew Taylor has waxed lyrical about the Dutchman in the past, saying: “Everything going forward he’s fantastic at, but he doesn’t just stop there, he does the defensive work as well, he works really hard.”

Since moving to the London Stadium, however, the Rotterdam-born winger’s progress has been hampered by a number of injuries, having spent large parts of the 2024-25 campaign on the sidelines due to a hamstring issue.

That said, the former Leeds man has exhibited some promising signs this season, having already registered two assists in the Premier League, albeit both came in the 3-0 win at Nottingham Forest at the end of August.

Summerville still retains the backing of Nuno, however, who said last month: “I think he can be really important. Against Brentford, he started really well and, in terms of distance, in terms of work rate, it was a good 90 minutes for him.

“So we expect, as time goes by, to elevate his fitness, because to produce all of the actions he has to be on his top level.

The West Ham boss will be hoping for a similar performance this weekend, with his side taking on Liverpool at a good time, given that they have lost six of their last seven Premier League games.

West Ham could bring in academy star if Crysencio Summerville isn't fit in time for Liverpool

Forget Guilherme: Nuno can fix Summerville blow with West Ham academy star

Nuno might already have the perfect solution to West Ham’s Summerville problem.

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By
Jack Salveson Holmes

Nov 25, 2025