Wolverhampton Wanderers have now submitted an offer for Real Madrid’s Gonzalo Garcia, with it being revealed the forward could be available for a bargain fee.
Wolves certainly need some inspiration from somewhere if they are to dig themselves out of trouble, given that they are currently sitting bottom of the table, having taken just two points from their opening 11 Premier League matches.
Not only do the Old Gold have the worst defensive record in the top flight, but they have also been extremely poor from an attacking point of view, having scored just seven goals, the fewest of any Premier League side.
In fact, not a single one of Rob Edwards’ players has scored more than one league goal, with Jorgen Strand Larsen failing to make the impact he did last season, so it would make sense for the new manager to pursue a new forward in the January transfer window.
Wolves make offer for Gonzalo Garcia
That is exactly what Wolves are planning to do, according to a report from Spain, which states they are one of several Premier League clubs to have made an offer of around €20m (£18m) for Real Madrid forward Garcia.
Sunderland and Aston Villa have also made moves for the Spaniard, who could seemingly be available for a bargain fee, given that cashing-in for £18m is regarded as an ‘attractive financial opportunity’ for the La Liga club.
The Old Gold want to get a deal done quickly, given that the 21-year-old’s value could increase as the season goes on, with some key figures at Real Madrid of the belief he could still have a future at the Bernabeu.
In truth, it would be surprising if the youngster was prepared to make the move to Molineux, given that Wolves are at serious risk of being relegated, but he could be a major coup if Fosun were able to get a deal done.
Journalist Zach Lowy clearly believes the Madrid starlet could be capable of playing for a club competing at the top level, having singled him out for praise courtesy of his impressive displays at the Club World Cup.
The centre-forward bagged four goals in six games out in the USA, while also providing one assist, but unsurprisingly, he has since been unable to displace the likes of Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Jr in the starting XI.
Consequently, it would make sense for Garcia to move to a new club this January, but Wolves will have to improve their league standing considerably to stand a chance of winning the race.
Wolves and Edwards keen to sign Premier League striker Wolves and Edwards keen to sign "aggressive" £90,000-p/w Premier League flop
Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola says star midfielder Rodri is "suffering" due to a troublesome hamstring injury. The 2024 Ballon d'Or winner picked up the issue in early October, just months on from returning from a long-term knee problem. And while the Spain international is "getting better", he is "struggling" with this newer setback.
Rodri wasn't getting carried away
When Rodri returned to the City team after nine months out with an anterior cruciate ligament injury earlier this year, he knew it would take time to return to the form that earned him the Golden Ball.
In late June, he said at the Club World Cup: "I feel very, very strong, to be honest. The process was long, but I was taking my time. The most important thing was to keep focused and be strong. Don't be sad or whatever. One day I'll come back and this day has finally come and I'm very excited to play again. I know it's still going to be months until I reach my level, but I'm so happy."
At the start of the new season, City did their best to ease Rodri back into action but his injury issues have reared their ugly head again, something Guardiola has bemoaned.
AdvertisementGetty Images SportRodri 'struggling' with new injury
Rodri sustained this hamstring injury against Brentford on October 5, a game he only lasted 22 minutes in. The 29-year-old has played just one minute since then, as he appeared as a late substitute against Bournemouth on November 2. And it seems he will have to be patient for a while yet.
Guardiola told reporters on Friday: "Do you know what it means playing without the best player in the world two seasons ago? Our main player, when we won the Treble and playing 70 games. [Then] during one year and a half [years] without him. Do you know what we miss? I want him back now…here. He is suffering, he is struggling because he wants to come back, but I want to protect him. I want to be sure right now that we minimise the risk. This is what we want. I want him desperately right now, in Madrid, or the next one but after that six more weeks he is out? No sense. When you have an injured ACL, your body is completely different."
Rodri on 'another level'
City currently sit five points behind Premier League leaders Arsenal and while they haven't been at their best, they are still title contenders. But it seems Guardiola thinks they would be in a much better position if Rodri had been available for much of this campaign.
He added: "Rodri is another level of the players. If Rodri came on for the last 20 minutes against Fulham, put him in the middle and do you know what is the effect? Just his presence, not even touching the ball? The other 10 players feel safe and they play better. What will you do, you're a football player or you are a journalist, over 18 months you cannot do your job. You want to write, you want inspiration and show how good you are and you cannot do it. How do you feel? It feels bad. Of course, he is strong and in some moments he is sad. I would not be happy if he is not sad or concerned. Ahead of us, we have many nightmare things to live. He has to be there. He will be there."
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(C)Getty imagesWhat comes next for Rodri's Man City?
While Rodri continues his injury rehab, his City side host high-flying Sunderland at the Etihad on Saturday afternoon. If results go their way this weekend, they could close the gap to Mikel Arteta's Arsenal to two points, should the Gunners lose at third-placed Aston Villa.
On newly-promoted Sunderland, Guardiola added: "They deserve to be where they are. Momentum can happen after a few games but after 14 fixtures in the Premier League with these opponents? To be in that position, they deserve it."
India ended day three in Delhi still in the lead by 97 runs
Sidharth Monga12-Oct-20253:56
What made Campbell and Hope stand out?
West Indies made it to the second new ball for the first time this year, they registered their highest partnership for the year – an unbroken 138 between John Campbell and Shai Hope, Campbell became their first half-centurion of the series with a career-best 87, Hope scored his first half-century in 31 innings, but for all that good work they still needed 97 runs to make India bat again in Delhi. Kuldeep Yadav conjured a fifth Test five-for on a docile pitch to allow India to enforce the follow-on, but the temptation to finish the match early only resulted in hard work for the bowlers: India have now taken four wickets in their last 75.2 overs.India were not in immediate danger of falling behind in the Test, but they will question if they had been complacent in enforcing the follow-on: when you do so midway into the third day, having bowled 81.5 overs already, there must be an element of expecting the opposition to roll over. India were then left riding two boats: trying to get the wicket but also preserving their bowlers, which meant Jasprit Bumrah didn’t bowl in the first 32 overs of the second innings.Seales fined for throw at Jaiswal
Jayden Seales has been fined 25% of his match fee for breaching Level 1 of the ICC’s code of conduct during the opening day of the ongoing second Test against India in Delhi. Seales was found to have breached Article 2.9 of the code of conduct, which relates to “throwing a ball (or any other item of cricket equipment) at or near a player in an inappropriate and/or dangerous manner during an international match”. In addition, one demerit point has been added to Seales’ disciplinary record, taking his total demerit points to two in a 24-month period. The incident in question took place in the 29th over of India’s first innings, when Seales fielded the ball on his follow-through and threw it at batter Yashaswi Jaiswal, hitting him on the pads. Seales contested the sanction proposed by match referee Andy Pycroft, saying he had been attempting a run out, so a formal hearing was required. Pycroft referred to replay clips showing the incident from different angles, and concluded that the throw was unnecessary and inappropriate.
Overall, though, eight wickets in a day on this Delhi pitch was not an ordinary effort. It was mainly down to Kuldeep, who overcame the lack of spite in the surface with work in the air and keeping the stumps in play. Four of his five wickets were either bowled or lbw, exposing both edges with drift and subtle changes in the degree and direction of turn.Kuldeep Yadav picked up his fifth Test match five-for•AFP/Getty Images
Kuldeep began with the off stump of Hope in the seventh over of the day. In the first Test, he beat Hope’s inside edge to bowl him, but this slow pitch needed something more. The drift from Kuldeep took the ball away from the original expected line, and then the ball didn’t turn as much as expected. Pretty soon, Tevin Imlach was beaten on the inside edge by a rare delivery that turned sharply. Justin Greaves contributed to his own dismissal with an ungainly reverse-sweep, which he missed by some distance. Kuldeep was on target again.At the other end, Bumrah first and then Mohammed Siraj had been looking to hit the front pad of the batters. Jomel Warrican was aware of that threat, but it cemented his feet, resulting in playing a full ball away from the body, playing it on to give a fast bowler a wicket for the first time in the match.Related
'Test match still on' – West Indies 'hope to make a game out of' India's follow-on gamble
Kuldeep's stump vision defies flat Delhi pitch
'Impact injury' keeps Sai Sudharsan off the field on the third day
Now, at 175 for 8, began West Indies’ resistance. Khary Pierre and Anderson Phillip batted together for 16.5 overs, taking West Indies to lunch and beyond. Bumrah had to come back for another spell to beat Pierre on the outside edge with reverse swing. Kuldeep had to work hard for his fifth wicket, including bowling with the new ball. He eventually got the fifth but not before the last wicket had batted nine overs together.If there had been any doubts about enforcing the follow-on, they must have only grown with these two partnerships. Having still decided to continue bowling, India opened with Siraj and Ravindra Jadeja. Bumrah, who had bowled eight overs already, would be the last bowler employed (discounting Yashasvi Jaiswal who was handed the final over of the day). The fields India used didn’t seem to suggest they believed there was enough in the pitch to produce wickets.Shai Hope didn’t hold back his shots•BCCI
It still seemed to be going all wrong for West Indies again when they lost the first two wickets for just 35 runs. Siraj got Tagenarine Chanderpaul on the pull for the second time in the series. Washington Sundar then produced the ball of the day, drifting it in from wide on the crease and then turning away to bowl Alick Athanaze, who has looked like West Indies’ best batter on this tour.Campbell and Hope then began to frustrate India. Campbell, who was out to a freak catch that just stuck in the short leg fielder’s arms in the first innings, arguably deserved some of the luck he enjoyed against Washington, who kept defeating him with his drift. On two occasions, Campbell was hit on the pad before the bat, but on both occasions the umpire’s call on the impact saved him from the lbw.With no zip in the pitch, the duo defended well and kept bringing out the big hit every now and then. Campbell showed particular intent against Jadeja and Kuldeep. The latter went for 36 in his first six overs. It was clear West Indies didn’t want to let Kuldeep settle. Campbell swept him for a six and lofted him down the ground for a four in his first over to bring up his fifty.Hope relied more on his touch play, the kind we are used to in ODIs, although he did get going with a slog-swept six off Washington. Errors in length began to creep in soon, fielding grew lethargic with bowlers misfielding off their own bowling, and India even conceded a no-ball for having too many fielders behind square on the leg side. Jaiswal ended the day with friendly legbreaks as West Indies won a session for the first time in the series.
Liverpool were comprehensively beaten by Manchester City on Sunday. That’s five defeats from six in the Premier League for Arne Slot’s side, and the crisis switch has been flicked back on.
As things stand, there are fears that the eighth-place Reds face an uphill battle to seal a top-four (or top-five, depending on UEFA coefficients), much less challenge against Arsenal and the resurgent Citizens for the throne they so spectacularly won last year.
This is a pale imitation of that title-winning team, and though Pep Guardiola tactically dismantled Slot and his men at the Etihad Stadium, Liverpool continue to come unstuck by their own self-destructive tendencies.
So sluggish and limp against City on Sunday. Liverpool’s press was non-existent, and neither has the stable framework of recent years been in sight since the summer.
But, right at the very epicentre of all this is Ibrahima Konate, who was targeted by the Sky Blues at the weekend and it worked out for them and then some as they sent Liverpool packing, having shipped three.
Why Konate is such a big problem for Liverpool
Against Manchester City, Konate took 88 touches of the ball, whereas captain Virgil van Dijk was in possession 58 times, data via Sofascore.
That tells the tale. Guardiola set his side up to put pressure on Liverpool’s France centre-back and he was unable to respond, having been at fault for the early penalty that Giorgi Mamardashvili saved and then again when Erling Haaland rose and scored soon after.
This is a defender whose form has gone beyond out of sorts. Konate is failing to do the basics, and he is now being preyed upon by opposition coaches. Sky Sports fan voice Lewis Anderson commented after the match that the 26-year-old “needs dropping like a hot stone”, given his consistent inconsistency this season.
But who to replace him? In spite of Liverpool’s thrilling transfer window success this summer, the lateness of their concerted effort to sign Marc Guehi from Crystal Palace ended with FSG empty-handed, for the Eagles played hardball after struggling to find a suitable replacement.
Konate is one of the biggest flashpoints within Slot’s squad right now, and he needs to be dropped. Options are slim, admittedly, but there’s one man who will fancy his chances of taking the powerful defender’s place in the starting line-up in the future, albeit not for a while as he recovers from injury.
The teen who can end Konate's Liverpool career
There was a real buzz around Anfield when sporting director Richard Hughes swept over to Italy and returned with one of the region’s most prodigious talents in Giovanni Leoni.
The 18-year-old joined for a £26m and had also been sought after by the likes of Manchester United and Newcastle United.
However, this fairytale move to Liverpool quickly devolved into a nightmare for the Italian centre-back, who ruptured his ACL on his debut against Southampton in September, the severity of which is so great that Slot said afterwards that he would be sidelined for around a year.
From a wider perspective, this has been a damaging blow for a Liverpool backline lacking depth and balance. Moreover, Konate’s abject performances have left him droppable, save for the threadbare defensive line that is now forcing Slot’s hand.
With Konate out of contract at the end of the season and attracting interest from heavyweights such as Bayern Munich and Real Madrid, Liverpool chiefs face a decision as they continue to probe in discussions to try and make a breakthrough, extending the £70k-per-week talent’s stay on Merseyside.
However, could Konate’s departure on a free transfer actually be a scenario that would not prove detrimental? After all, Van Dijk is sticking around for a while longer, and when Leoni returns, he could establish himself as the next big thing.
After all, he caught the eye against Saints before that bitter injury.
Minutes played
81′
Touches
102
Accurate passes
88/91 (97%)
Possession lost
3x
Recoveries
3
Tackles won
0/1
Interceptions
3
Clearances
6
Ground duels
1/2
Aerial duels
3/3
Hailed as a “Rolls-Royce” of a defender who can “be the leader of that defence” in spite of his youth by one content creator, Leoni’s season-ending injury on his senior debut for Liverpool can only be described as agonisingly unfair.
But it has happened, and nothing can change that. The defender’s road to recovery is long indeed, but there remains every expectation on Merseyside that he will bounce back and realise his potential.
Liverpool centre-back Giovanni Leoni
And, with the data analysts sure to be mulling over Konate’s future as the end of his contract edges ever nearer, we might even see that stance on the Les Bleus star slacken.
Crystal Palace’s Guehi remains a top target, and Leoni showed a glimpse of his quality in less than 90 minutes of football this season, proving he has what it takes to slip into his struggling senior peer’s seat.
Van Dijk must rally his Liverpool forces across the remainder of the campaign and ensure that this brutal dip in form does not fester and linger as a wider, more damaging issue.
However, this acclimatisation period of new signings struggling to bed into life under Slot’s wing will not go on forever, however interminable it seems right now.
But there’s no denying more is needed, and if Konate cannot bring himself together over the coming months, it’s hard to envisage Liverpool offering new and improved terms.
And given Leoni took to his Liverpool role like a duck to water before disaster struck, there’s every chance he will respond next season in a more stable tactical set-up, quickly vindicating the potential decision to let Konate leave when his contract expires this summer.
As bad as Salah: Liverpool flop who lost 100% duels must be on borrowed time
This Liverpool star who was as bad as Mo Salah against Manchester City must be on borrowed time in the starting XI.
Fast bowler Alzarri Joseph has been rested while allrounder Romario Shepherd is back in West Indies’ ODI squad for the upcoming three-match series at home against Pakistan. Alzarri, who had also been rested for the T20Is against Pakistan, will continue to have his workload being managed.Shepherd had last played ODI cricket in December 2024 and missed the ODI series against England and Ireland this year.Having been swept 3-0 by England in their most recent ODI series, West Indies, currently ranked tenth, are eyeing crucial points in their quest to secure direct qualification for the 2027 ODI World Cup.”Pakistan presents a different test and challenge as we continue our push for automatic qualification for the 2027 World Cup,” head coach Daren Sammy said in a statement. “The upcoming matches against teams like Pakistan, who are ranked higher, provide crucial opportunities to earn valuable ranking points to improve our standing ahead of the World Cup.”Related
Forde to miss Pakistan ODIs with dislocated shoulder
Pakistan and West Indies look to break out of their ODI funk
Fakhar ruled out of remainder of WI tour
Chase becomes first Full Member team batter to retire out in T20Is
In Alzarri’s absence, rookie left-arm seamer Jediah Blades has been picked in the squad. Blades, 23, has played just one ODI and four T20Is so far and is capable of swinging the new ball. The rest of the side has a familiar look.West Indies had recently lost the T20I series 2-1 to Pakistan but their ODI form at home is encouraging: they have won their last three series so far. The Brian Lara Cricket Academy in Trinidad will host all three matches against Pakistan on August 8, 10 and 12.
Lionel Messi is still refusing to confirm his 2026 World Cup plans, with the all-time great leaving Argentina and the rest of a global audience guessing on whether he will form part of a global title defence from the reigning champions next summer. The mercurial No.10 remains part of Lionel Scaloni’s squad for now, but says he does not “want to be a burden”.
MLS schedule causes concern for Messi
It is difficult to imagine how the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner could ever be anything but a positive presence for his country, but the 38-year-old is aware that plying his trade in MLS may leave him short on match sharpness heading into a summer tournament.
Messi is currently approaching the end of another domestic campaign in the United States, with Golden Boot-winning exploits allowing him to guide Inter Miami into Conference semi-finals of the MLS Cup play-offs.
AdvertisementGettyMessi's Argentina record: Appearances and goals
Ultimate glory there would see Messi end another memorable season on a high, with a new contract being committed to in South Florida. He is now tied to terms with the Herons through 2028. While having plenty of games at club level left in him, questions of Messi’s international future have been asked for some time.
He has taken in a final outing on home soil, having helped Argentina through World Cup qualification, and is expected to bow out after gracing FIFA’s flagship event in 2026. He has already earned 195 caps for his country, while scoring 114 goals.
Is Messi a burden? GOAT keeping Argentina guessing
Messi is yet to reveal whether he will make himself available to Argentina next summer, having helped them to the most prestigious of prizes at Qatar 2022, with MLS seasons getting underway in the spring. Many of those that he is due to come up against in the United States, Canada and Mexico will head to the World Cup on the back of a full domestic campaign.
With that in mind, Messi has told when asked again about his potential involvement. He said when having it put to him that having another World Cup fast approaching is “very exciting”: “Yes, obviously it is. It's a special World Cup. It's special to play with the national team, especially in major official competitions, and even more so considering what a World Cup means, especially after having won it.
“But as I was saying, I don't want to be a burden, so to speak. I want to feel physically fit, to be sure I can help and contribute to the team. Our season is different from the European one. We'll have a pre-season in between, with few matches leading up to the World Cup, and we'll see how things go day by day to see if I really feel physically fit enough to be where I'd like to be and be able to participate.
“But obviously, I'm aware that it's a World Cup, and it's special, and that the World Cup is the biggest competition there is. So, I'm excited, but I'm taking it one day at a time.”
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GettyLife after Messi: Argentina happy with squad depth
Argentina have started to plan for life after Messi, with injury-enforced absences for the veteran forward allowing others to stake a claim for an iconic playmaking post. Scaloni is happy with the depth that his squad now boasts.
He has said of eventually ending up in a position where a talismanic presence can no longer be called upon: “The team is now in a moment where it can play in the same way with Leo or without Leo, which used to be more complex in the past as we had to change some players. But now we don't have this necessity and the team works in the same way, that's good.”
Messi is currently with the Argentina squad as they prepare for a friendly date with Angola. With that camp being held in Alicante, the former Barcelona superstar has taken in a secret visit to Camp Nou – ahead of that stadium being reopened after an elaborate upgrade. He is delighted to have revisited familiar surroundings and admitted that he and his family hope to return to Catalunya on a permanent basis at some stage in the not-too-distant future.
Inter Miami star Luis Suarez has been suspended for Saturday's do-or-die playoff game against Nashville SC, robbing the Herons of their starting striker with their season on the line. The suspension comes following an Inter Miami appeal, but the decision was upheld, which means Miami will play Saturday's match without the Uruguayan star.
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Cause for suspension
The suspension is a result of an off-ball incident in the 71st minute of Inter Miami's 2-1 loss in Game 2 of their playoff series against Nashville. With just under 20 minutes left, Suarez kicked out at Nashville's Andy Najar and, while no foul was called on the play on the field, the league's disciplinary committee had handed Suarez a one-match ban for the incident.
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No stranger to suspensions
Suarez is, of course, no stranger to suspensions, particularly from his career in Europe, which has seen him banned multiple times for biting incidents. He also picked up a hefty punishment this summer, too, as the Uruguayan was suspended for six Leagues Cup matches and three MLS matches after spitting on Seattle Sounders security director Gene Ramirez following the Leagues Cup finale.
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Replacing the star striker
Since returning from his suspension, the 38-year-old Suarez has played every minute for Miami despite the wear-and-tear he's built up over a long career. He's scored 14 goals while providing 15 assists this season, which means Miami face a tough task in replacing him at the top of their attack.
When Suarez was suspended in September, Miami boss Javier Mascherano played Lionel Messi and Tadeo Allende in the attack. Miami got six points from those three matches, defeating D.C. United and the Seattle Sounders, while falling 3-0 to Charlotte FC at Bank of America Stadium.
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What comes next?
The Herons will play host to Nashville on Saturday with their season on the line. Messi and Co. were Supporters' Shield winners last season, but fell at the first hurdle in a three-game series loss to Atlanta United. They’ll aim to avoid the same fate on Saturday – and a trophyless end to the season.
Martin O’Neill signed off his second spell with Celtic in style with a 1-0 win over Dundee at Parkhead in the Scottish Premiership on Wednesday night.
The experienced interim won seven of his eight matches in charge of the club after Brendan Rodgers resigned at the end of October, and Wilfried Nancy will take on the role from Thursday.
Daizen Maeda scored the only goal of the game for O’Neill’s side as he bravely competed to head into the back of the net after Hyun-jun Yang’s effort was saved, which led to him wearing a bandage for the remainder of the night.
Ranking Celtic's best performers against Dundee
The Japan international was, of course, one of the top performers on the night for the Hoops because it was his goal that ultimately sealed all three points to send Celtic level on points with Hearts at the top of the table.
He was not the top performer on the night for the Scottish giants, though, as a couple of other players were ahead of him in that respect, because the striker also missed a ‘big chance’ and lost five of his six duels, per Sofascore.
Reo Hatate was one of those two players. The Japanese whiz created two ‘big chances’, including Yang’s initial shot before the goal, and won four of his seven duels, per Sofascore, in what was a masterful showing in the middle of the park.
1
Colby Donovan
2
Reo Hatate
3
Daizen Maeda
4
Hyun-jun Yang
5
Kasper Schmeichel
As you can see in the table above, Yang and goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel, who pulled off three saves and three run-outs to keep his clean sheet intact, were also among the top performers on the pitch.
However, we have ranked Colby Donovan as the best performer on the night for the Scottish giants, as he provided a reminder of his quality after a shaky game against Hibernian.
Why Colby Donovan is undroppable for Wilfried Nancy
On Sunday, the Scottish full-back lost two of his three ground duels, per Sofascore, and was subbed off at half-time after being booked for a late challenge on Jordan Obita.
After that disappointing showing at the weekend, Donovan may have known that he needed to respond with a big performance against Dundee to ensure that the new manager does not drop him for the game against Hearts on Sunday.
Now, the Scotland U21 international is surely the first completely undroppable player for Nancy at Parkhead, because he was the best performer in the last game before his first match in charge.
Donovan won three of his four ground duels and three of his three aerial duels, winning 87% of his total battles, per Sofascore, whilst Maeda, for example, lost five of his six duels and struggled on that side of the game after scoring his goal.
Sofascore rating
8.3
1st
Duels won
6
1st
Aerial duels won
3
1st
Aerial duel success rate
100%
1st
Tackles won
2
1st
Touches
91
4th
Successful crosses
3
1st
Key passes
2
2nd
As you can see in the table above, the academy graduate also added creativity in possession to go along with his outstanding defensive work, as only Reo Hatate (five) made more key passes on the night, whilst no one completed more crosses.
Donovan showed Nancy, who was unveiled before the game kicked off, that he is capable of delivering a quality performance at both ends of the pitch from the right-back position, which is why he should already be undroppable.
With Alistair Johnston still sidelined with a hamstring injury, the Scottish youngster should be the first name on the teamsheet ahead of the clash with Hearts on Sunday.
That is also influenced by Anthony Ralston’s disappointing form. Pundit Chris Sutton described his play as “really shaky” when he came off the bench against Hibernian, whilst he was also caught out twice by Mikel Gogorza in the Europa League clash with Midtjylland.
Given Ralston’s lack of form and Donovan’s impressive showing on Wednesday night, the 19-year-old defender will surely already be undroppable for Nancy in the short term.
Liverpool are probing the market for reinforcements after a poor start to the Premier League season and could now be ready to break their transfer record in the process.
Despite returning from the international break determined to arrest their slump in form, the Reds were on the end of a comprehensive defeat to Nottingham Forest that hammered home some of the frailties Arne Slot has been trying to address since the beginning of the campaign.
Nevertheless, David James is a firm believer that Liverpool can still have a solid season despite losing six of their last seven top-flight matches, claiming that the Champions League may be where they are most likely to earn success.
He told BBC Sport: “Liverpool do not recruit for one season, they recruit for the future. I believe with the players they signed they can be good, but I was one of those that expected them to be fine from the get-go.
“The test for Arne Slot as manager is whether he can turn this around. Not winning the title this season doesn’t make it a bad season. Comparatively it does compared with last season but he wasn’t expected to win it last season. He has already ticked that box if we are looking at the broader picture. The Champions League now becomes more important and winning it would justify everything this season.”
PSV Eindhoven visit Anfield in midweek as the Reds bid to move well into the top eight of the league phase, which would result in an automatic place in the last 16 if they were able to finish the job.
January and beyond will be pivotal for Liverpool as they look to build for the challenges ahead, and they could now be willing to shatter their transfer record to land a premium target.
Liverpool submit club record bid for Federico Valverde
According to reports in Spain, Liverpool have submitted an offer worth over £131 million for Real Madrid’s Federico Valverde. The Reds would also be willing to make the Uruguay international, who Toni Kroos called one of the ‘top three’ players in the world, their highest earner on over £500,000 per week.
Liverpool's record signings ranked
Willing to double his current wage at the Santiago Bernabéu, the Reds see Valverde as someone who could revolutionise their midfield after falling into a sticky patch under Slot. Simply put, he fits their tactical framework and England’s reigning champions are ready to convince him that Anfield is a place where he can thrive.
Internally, there is debate at Real Madrid over whether letting one of their high-profile stars leave the club would offer up the opportunity to invest elsewhere, as the size of the offer has caused discourse within Los Blancos’ higher ups, something that may give Liverpool a fighting chance of landing their man.
Federico Valverde at Real Madrid
Appearances
339
Goals
32
Assists
35
With any transfer more likely to occur in the summer, it now remains to be seen whether Valverde will become a statement addition on Merseyside.
Pollard smashed the fastest half-century of this CPL, off 17 balls, but it wasn’t enough
ESPNcricinfo staff07-Sep-2025
Dwaine Pretorius scoops away a full toss for six•CPL T20/Getty Images
Dwaine Pretorius’ late sixes trumped Kieron Pollard’s in a tense chase of 168 to start Guyana Amazon Warriors’ home stretch with a victory and boost their playoff chances. They are fourth now on the points table, just one point behind Antigua and Barbuda Falcons, but with three matches in hand compared to one for Falcons. Trinbago Knight Riders, second on the table and already through to the playoffs, were lifted to a competitive score single-handedly by Pollard’s unbeaten 54 off 18, but it didn’t prove to be enough on a night where batting got easier later on, according to Pretorius.Amazon Warriors were in a spot of bother once their set batters Shai Hope and Shimron Hetmyer were gone by the 16th over and they needed 38 to win off 18. Pretorius, fresh on the back of his 53 off 34 against Barbados Royals two days ago, ended the 18th over, from Andre Russell, with consecutive sixes to bring it down from 19 to 12, and further eased the nerves in the last over, of which they needed nine, with a hack over wide long-on off Pollard before they reached the target with a ball to spare.TKR got off to a sedate start after they were put in to bat. They kept attempting boundaries, but kept losing wickets in the process as Romario Shepherd rattled Alex Hales’ stumps and Moeen Ali did the same to Nicholas Pooran, leaving them on 40 for 3 at the end of the powerplay. Moeen and captain Imran Tahir slowed them down further with a spin strangle, conceding just 18 in the next four overs with just one boundary. Moeen finished with 4-0-11-1 before Darren Bravo broke the shackles but soon holed out off Tahir for 33 off 35.On 100 for 4 after 16, TKR got a massive late lift when Pollard faced 17 off the last 24 balls and smashed the fastest half-century of the season, off 17 balls, studded with his trademark swings across the line after going back and across. He started with consecutive fours against Pretorius and smashed back-to-back sixes off Shepherd before Keacy Carty retired out for 29 off 34 at the end of the 18th. Pollard took on Tahir too, with a six that travelled 103 metres back over the bowler. The innings ended with a sequence of 6, 6, 4 and 4 as Pollard tore into Shepherd for a 21-run over.Amazon Warriors’ start wasn’t very impressive either, as Akeal Hosein sent back Moeen and Keemo Paul in his first eight balls. Hope, however, broke free with 6, 6 and 4 off Russell before Hetmyer hammered Usman Tariq for three sixes in an over to place them on an impressive 66 for 2 after six overs. But Amazon Warriors, too, slowed down after the powerplay, with the introduction of Sunil Narine. He added to the hosts’ woes by having Hetmyer hole out for 49 and trapping Hope lbw for 53. But Pretorious held his nerve by being prepared for yorkers and variations, and putting a bunch of them away to the ropes to see Amzaon Warriors home.