Longtime Boston Red Sox first baseman and 1995 American League MVP Mo Vaughn used human growth hormone in an attempt to prolong his MLB career, he told Ken Rosenthal in a recent exclusive sit-down interview.

"I was trying to do everything I could," the now-57-year-old explained. "I knew I had a bad, degenerative knee. I was shooting HGH in my knee. Whatever I could do to help the process…"

Vaughn was one of 89 players listed in the infamous 2007 Mitchell Report—an independent investigation that shed light on the league's widespread use of anabolic steroids and human growth hormone. The report indicated that Vaughn made three separate payments to former MLB bat boy and clubhouse employee Kirk Radomski, a critical witness in the investigation, in exchange for HGH in 2001.

HGH was not banned by the MLB until 2005.

Vaughn played 12 seasons from 1991 to 2003 with the Red Sox ('91 to '98), the Anaheim Angels ('99 to '00), and the New York Mets ('02 to '03). He was named an American League All-Star three times ('95, '96', '98), and in his '95 AL MVP-winning season, he won the Silver Slugger Award and was the AL's RBI leader with 126.

Vaughn was inducted into the Red Sox Hall of Fame in 2008.

As the St. Louis Cardinals explore the trade market surrounding eight-time All-Star Nolan Arenado, the veteran third baseman has given the club some assistance in the form of a list of teams he'd be willing to approve a trade to.

Arenado, who has a full no-trade clause in his contract, reportedly would approve a deal to the Los Angeles Dodgers, Los Angeles Angels, San Diego Padres, Philadelphia Phillies, New York Mets or Boston Red Sox, a source told John Denton of MLB.com.

Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Arenado's agent Joel Wolfe said that the star third baseman doesn't have a geographical preference of where he'd like to play, but that the 33-year-old, who has never won a World Series, is clearly prioritizing a contending team as his next destination.

"A team that he thinks is going to win now and consistently for the remainder of his career," Wolfe told a throng of reporters. "… He wants a team that has the throttle down — not saying that the Cardinals don't — but one where he can jump right in and they're going to win right now. … He's good.

"Nolan's a unique individual, so it's hard to describe his headspace at any one moment, but he's good."

St. Louis, which has missed the playoffs in each of the last two seasons, has expressed a desire to get younger, and the club's president of baseball operations John Mozeliak acknowledged that a trade of Arenado, who is due to be paid $74 million over the next three seasons, would be a "big help" financially.

Arenado is a 10-time Gold Glove Award winner at third base, and remains an elite defender but has experienced a downturn in production at the plate, posting a .746 OPS across 296 games between 2023 and 2024, the worst mark in any two-year stretch in his decorated career. The Newport Beach, Ca. native is reportedly open to playing first base, at least on a part-time level, to help facilitate a trade to a contender.

It's not clear if Arenado's wish list includes just these six teams, or if there are any others he would be willing to play for. When asked about the number of teams his client would approve a trade to, Wolfe said, it's "bigger than you might think."

It would not be a surprise to see Arenado dealt at the Winter Meetings in Dallas, Tx., which began on December 9 and will span four days.

MatériaMais Notícias

Em reta final de preparação para 2024, o Flamengo realiza pré-temporada em Orlando, nos Estados Unidos. Assista no vídeo acima a atividade comandada pelo técnico Tite.

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CRONOGRAMA DE PRÉ-TEMPORADA DO FLAMENGO

O elenco rubro-negro se reapresentou no dia 8 de janeiro, no Ninho do Urubu, e realizou dez dias de treinamento no Brasil antes de viajar para a Flórida. Neste intervalo tempo, a equipe estreou com vitória no Campeonato Carioca.

Atuando com os titulares, o Fla não tomou conhecimento do Audax Rio na Arena Amazonas, em Manaus, e venceu por 4 a 0. Posteriormente, o grupo principal partiu para Orlando para dar continuidade a pré-temporada.

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O restante do elenco, por sua vez, permaneceu no Rio de Janeiro para a disputada do torneio estadual.

Nos Estados Unidos, o Flamengo disputou seu primeiro amistoso no domingo (21) contra o Philadelphia Union, da MLS, e venceu por 2 a 0. Neste sábado (27), o Rubro-Negro enfrenta o Orlando City antes de retornar ao Brasil.

Tudo sobre

FlamengoFutebol Nacionalpré-temporada

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) elections will be held on October 6, the board’s election commission announced on Sunday. The general members body, known as the councillors, will elect 23 of the 25 board directors, and the BCB president will be elected from that pool of 25 to serve a four-year term.The announcement was made less than an hour after former Bangladesh captain Tamim Iqbal accused BCB president Aminul Islam of “interference” in the election process.Tamim, who recently announced he was standing for election, held a press conference in Dhaka along with several other aspirants and former BCB directors. He said Aminul’s signed letter, dated September 18, instructing the country’s sports secretary that he has extended the deadline for nomination submission, was a unilateral decision taken by the board president.”The election commission is in charge since their appointment, which in this case was from September 6,” Tamim said. “The BCB president extended the deadline for nomination submission twice. The deadlines for submitting nominations were first set for September 17. He extended it to September 19, and then September 22. The second extension was signed off by the president himself, which is highly irregular. The BCB’s chief executive is supposed to send out these letters, but he didn’t issue the letter for the second extension. The president signed off the letter.”Tamim alleged the BCB’s constitution was violated when the board representatives from the country’s eight divisions and 64 districts were nominated by an ad-hoc committee, rather than seasoned sports organisers being nominated. “Typically, in districts and divisions, those involved in sports can nominate councillors through the district administration. This has been the practice for many years. But this time, an ad-hoc committee was formed and only its approval would be valid for nominations.”It isn’t mentioned in the BCB’s constitution. Moreover, we have seen people being removed from or added to the ad-hoc committee at will. If elections are conducted this way, it is no longer an election but a selection. Elections should be open and fair for everyone.”Tamim urged the authorities to respect the original councillors’ list. “I hope that those declared as councillors on September 17 remain unchanged. There should be no modifications. Cricket must remain for everyone – not for a specific person or group. I hope the election is impartial and free from interference.”According to the election schedule, the draft voter list will be published on September 22, followed by the final list on September 25.The election will have three categories. In the first, ten directors will be elected from the divisions and districts in the country. In the second category, 12 directors will be elected from the representatives of the Dhaka clubs. In the third category, one director will be elected from a pool of former cricketers, national captains, security forces, and councillors nominated by the National Sports Council. The Bangladesh government will also select two directors to sit on the board.

Celtic have roughly two weeks to decide what they want to do with the manager position at the club before they are back in Scottish Premiership action after the international break.

Martin O’Neill is currently in place as the interim manager of the Scottish giants and has won both of his league matches in charge of the club, including a 4-0 win over Kilmarnock on Sunday.

The experienced head coach did, however, lose 3-1 to FC Midtjylland in the Europa League and needed extra time to secure a 3-1 win over Rangers, who went down to ten men in the first half, in the semi-final of the League Cup.

It, therefore, remains to be seen whether or not it would be the right call to give O’Neill more time after the international break to take charge of the team, until a permanent successor to Brendan Rodgers can be found.

The Northern Irish boss won the Premiership title in his two full seasons back at the club, but the Hoops are currently seven points adrift of Hearts in the league table, and need someone to turn it around.

One manager who has been touted with a potential move to Glasgow to save the club’s season is Bodo/Glimt head coach Kjetil Knutsen, who is among the contenders for the job.

The latest on Kjetil Knutsen to Celtic

TEAMtalk have reported that the Hoops are preparing to make an approach to appoint the Norwegian head coach to be their long-term successor to Rodgers at Parkhead.

The outlet claimed that Knutsen is keen to take the next step in his career and that the prospect of European football and a decent budget in Glasgow matches his ambitions for his next job.

Journalist Graeme Bailey, though, recently claimed that Knutsen wants to finish the Champions League campaign with Bodo/Glimt, which could see their season run until the end of January.

This means that O’Neill would have to stay in place for another couple of months, at least, as the interim manager, which would also mean that he would be in charge for the rest of the league phase of the Europa League.

Celtic, therefore, have to weigh up whether or not landing Knutsen in the long-term is worth potentially not qualifying from the league phase of the Europa League, given that O’Neill lost his first European game fairly comprehensively.

2025

28

78

2024

30

71

2023

30

78

2022

30

86

2021

30

59

2020

30

103

2019

30

64

As you can see in the table above, Knutsen’s Bodo/Glimt side score plenty of goals and his style of play would be exciting for supporters to watch if it works in Scotland, which is one reason why the wait may be worth it.

He has also won the Eliteserien title in four of the last five full seasons, per Transfermarkt, which shows that he can win domestic titles on a consistent basis.

Celtic want to interview Championship manager

Knutsen is not the only manager in the club’s sights, though, and they are interested in a head coach who could come in as a dream alternative to the Norwegian.

Manager Focus

Who are the greatest coaches in the land? Football FanCast’s Manager Focus series aims to reveal all.

According to TEAMtalk, Celtic are also looking at Ipswich Town manager Kieran McKenna as a possible option to be their long-term successor to Rodgers.

The report claims that the Premiership champions want to interview the Northern Irish head coach, who is currently managing the Tractor Boys in the Championship.

It adds that he is the ‘domestic dream’ for the Hoops, whilst Knutsen is said to be their preferred foreign candidate, which suggests that McKenna and Knutsen are the two favourites for the job.

TEAMtalk also reveals that it would cost at least £5m in compensation to snap the former Manchester United youth coach up, but it remains to be seen whether or not that would be a stumbling block for the club from a financial perspective.

Why McKenna would be a dream alternative to Knutsen for Celtic

McKenna, who was described as “incredible” by Ipswich winger Wes Burns, would be the dream alternative to Knutsen for several reasons, not least because this latest report names him as the club’s ‘dream’ domestic target.

Unlike the Norwegian, who wants to stay at Bodo/Glimt well into January, and possibly beyond, the Tractor Boys head coach does not have a Champions League campaign that would mean he is not available in the here and now.

This means that Celtic would be able to bring him to the club immediately, rather than having to wait two months, and he would be in the dugout for the league phase of the Europa League, the final of the League Cup, and plenty of crucial Premiership matches in the title race.

McKenna, who got Neil Lennon’s backing in the clip above, would be a better option than Knutsen in the short-term because of that, whilst he also has experience in British football.

As good as Knutsen has been with Bodo/Glimt, he has never managed outside of his home country and it would be a risk to expect him to hit the ground running when he has no prior experience in British football.

25/26 Championship (14)

23

TBC

24/25 Premier League (38)

22

19th

23/24 Championship (46)

96

2nd

22/23 Championship (46)

98

2nd

21/22 League One (23)

41

11th

McKenna, as you can see in the table above, has plenty of experience in England across the top three divisions, taking Ipswich from League One up to the Premier League with back-to-back promotions.

Whilst they were relegated from the Premier League at the first time of asking, the Northern Irish boss has still progressed the Tractor Boys as a club, as they are currently fighting for promotion in the Championship, after he took them over as a midtable League One side in the 2021/22 campaign.

This shows that he can progress a club, whilst achieving success on the pitch, which is why he could be a good option for Celtic, despite having never won a league title in his career as a coach so far.

McKenna may not have the titles under his belt that Knutsen has, but the Ipswich boss has an impressive track record with Ipswich, knowledge of British football and markets, and would be available two months earlier, which is why he would be a dream alternative.

Celtic plot move to sign Stefan Ortega for just £500,000 in January

The Bhoys have a new stopper in their sights and could take advantage of his contract situation.

BySean Markus Clifford Nov 10, 2025

تشهد صفوف نادي الزمالك حالة مراجعة شاملة قبل انطلاق الميركاتو الشتوي، في ظل رغبة الإدارة الرياضية في تقييم الصفقات التي ضمها النادي خلال فترة الانتقالات الصيفية الماضية.

وبحسب ما علمه بطولات، يعكف المدير الرياضي جون إدوارد على دراسة موقف كل لاعب تم التعاقد معه مؤخرًا، قبل اتخاذ القرارات النهائية بشأن مستقبلهم.

اقرأ أيضًا | مدرب الزمالك يحسم الجدل بشأن غياب شيكو بانزا.. ويصرح: مواجهة زيسكو ستكون على روح محمد صبري

وتشير المصادر إلى أن 3 لاعبين فقط من الصفقات الجديدة ضمنوا الاستمرار داخل الفريق حتى نهاية الموسم، وهم خوان بيزيرا ومحمد إسماعيل، بالإضافة إلى استمرار عدي الدباغ بعد ظهوره بصورة مقبولة.

وفي المقابل، يبرز اسم شيكو بانزا كأقرب اللاعبين للرحيل في يناير المقبل، بعد أن أخفق في إقناع الجهاز الفني بمستواه، ولم يتمكن من تقديم الإضافة المنتظرة.

كما يواجه آدم كايد المصير ذاته، بعد فشله في الظهور بأداء مميز منذ انضمامه، وهو ما وضعه ضمن المرشحين لمغادرة القلعة البيضاء في الميركاتو الشتوي.

وتدرس إدارة الزمالك أيضًا إعارة عبد الحميد معالي خلال يناير، في ظل حاجته للحصول على دقائق مشاركة أكبر لتعزيز تطوره الفني في الفترة المقبلة.

ومن المنتظر حسم هذه الملفات خلال الأيام المقبلة، مع الاتجاه لاتخاذ قرارات قد تشهد تغييرات واضحة في قائمة الزمالك الشتوية.

Jewell, Came make half-centuries, but Olly Stone goes wicketless at start of loan spell

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay08-Sep-2025

Toby Roland-Jones led Middlesex’s fightback with his best Rothesay County Championship bowling figures of the season after promotion rivals Derbyshire had threatened to dominate with the bat on the opening day at Lord’s.Caleb Jewell and Harry Came both hit half-centuries as they forged a century partnership to give the visitors a strong platform at 124 for one before Roland-Jones struck back with four wickets in the space of 27 balls.The former Middlesex captain eventually finished with six for 77, while Ryan Higgins and Zafar Gohar shared the other four wickets evenly as Derbyshire, who began the day with a 24-point gap to second-placed Glamorgan, were bowled out for 283.In reply, Middlesex openers Sam Robson and Josh de Caires trimmed that deficit slightly prior to stumps, reaching 12 without loss.The Seaxes’ pace attack included two red-ball debutants in the shape of Olly Stone, signed on a short-term loan from Nottinghamshire, and 18-year-old Sebastian Morgan – yet there were slim pickings for either when the visitors won the toss and chose to bat on a benign surface.Higgins achieved the solitary breakthrough of the morning session, pinning Luis Reece in front of his stumps with a ball that nipped back down the slope, but Jewell and Came batted through to lunch largely untroubled.The Australian was quick to punish anything loose outside off stump, dispatching an early short ball from Roland-Jones to the cover fence before handing the same treatment to a Stone half-volley.Came settled in following an uncertain start, when Stone beat his outside edge a couple of times and began to take advantage of the short boundary on one side, keeping pace with his partner.It was Jewell who reached his half-century first, nudging a single from the opening ball of the afternoon session, while Came’s arrival at that landmark was more eye-catching as he pulled Stone into the Mound Stand for six.The pair extended their partnership to 105 before it was eventually broken by Higgins, returning for a second stint from the Nursery End and knocking back the left-hander’s off stump for 56.Derbyshire skipper Wayne Madsen, marking his 500th overall appearance in the county’s colours, was soon up and running with two quick fours off Higgins, but his side’s momentum was stemmed by a destructive spell from Roland-Jones.Came was first to go, caught behind off an inside edge for 64 and Brooke Guest was castled having misjudged the line before Roland-Jones got another delivery to rear back and trap former Middlesex man Martin Andersson leg before.Roland-Jones claimed the prize wicket of Madsen in identical fashion to leave Derbyshire apparently wilting at 177 for six, only for Anuj Dal and Zak Chappell to mount a recovery with their stand of 48.Dal eventually departed on the stroke of tea, succumbing to a thin edge off Gohar and the spinner also picked up the wicket of Chappell, but Ben Aitchison’s watchful 36 secured his side a batting bonus point.However, Roland-Jones wrapped up the innings by having both Aitchison and Jack Morley caught behind with the new ball and Middlesex successfully negotiated the day’s remaining seven overs without alarm.

It’s been a confusing month or so for Chelsea fans.

One week, the Blues are beating Liverpool or Tottenham Hotspur, and then the next, they’re losing to Sunderland or dropping points against Qarabağ.

However, while Enzo Maresca’s side are far from consistent at the moment, it is full of sensational talent.

In fact, there is at least one player who feels destined to become one of the best in the world, alongside Cole Palmer.

Chelsea's world-class stars

While it doesn’t feel like it at the moment, Chelsea are blessed with several players who could become some of the very best in the world in their position, if they aren’t already there.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

For example, while Moises Caicedo had a slow start to life in West London, he is now one of, if not the best six, in the Premier League.

The Ecuadorian is a monster when it comes to winning the ball back, has an underrated range of passing and can score his fair share of bangers.

Another star who is arguably the best in his position in the league is Reece James.

The Cobham gem is no longer suffering from injury after injury and, as a result, has been able to show the full extent of his exceptional ability on a consistent basis.

For example, in addition to being rock solid at the back, he is a genuine attacking threat due to both his impressive passing range and ball-striking ability.

Finally, while he’s out injured at the moment, Palmer is without doubt on his way to becoming one of the best players in the world.

He is the one who makes the Blues’ attack click, and in just 101 appearances for the club has already racked up a tally of 45 goals and 29 assists.

With all that said, there is another young Chelsea star who looks like he could be following in Palmer’s footsteps.

The Chelsea star on track to be one of the best in the world

While there are several exciting youngsters at Chelsea, like Jorrel Hato, Jamie Gittens, and even Alejandro Garnacho, the one who seems destined for the very top is, of course, Estevao.

The highly promising Brazilian gem was signed by Chelsea last year, but due to regulations surrounding players under 18, he was unable to join the club until this season.

However, it looks like that extra year in his homeland has done him the world of good, as so far this season, he has looked every bit the “future Ballon d’Or winner” respected analyst Ben Mattinson described him as.

Appearances

83

Minutes

5610′

Goals

27

Assists

15

Goal Involvements per Match

0.50

Minutes per Goal Involvement

133.57′

For example, he was arguably the Blues’ most exciting player in pre-season and injected some real life into the side when he came on in the season opener against Crystal Palace.

Then, when Palmer picked up an injury ahead of the West Ham game, Maresaca handed the youngster his first competitive start, and he looked incredible.

The Franca-born gem was running rings around the East Londoners and even picked up his first assist after a mazy run.

Amazingly, his first goal for the club came in that incredible 2-1 win over Liverpool last month.

He then quickly followed that up with a goal against Ajax in the Champions League and another against Wolverhampton Wanderers in the League Cup.

As if he hadn’t already made his mark on the team, he then scored his second UCL goal against Qarabağ.

In doing so, he became the first South American 18 or under to score in consecutive Champions League matches.

Ultimately, while it is still so early in his career, it certainly feels like Estevao is on the same trajectory as Palmer and will soon join him as one of the best players in the world.

Big-money Chelsea flop is fast becoming their new Danny Drinkwater

Chelsea have a new Danny Drinkwater on their books.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Nov 7, 2025

There is a lot to be delighted about for Arsenal fans at the moment.

In the Champions League, they have won all four of their games; in the League Cup, they’re through to the quarter-finals, and in the Premier League, they’re top of the table.

Moreover, they’re defensively out of this world, unstoppable at set-pieces and have once again introduced another world-class prospect to the squad in Max Dowman.

The 15-year-old looks destined for greatness, and now Hale End appears to be brewing another supreme talent for Arsenal, who could be Bukayo Saka 2.0.

Dowman's rapid rise

There is no getting away from the fact that, for Arsenal, this season is primarily about finally getting over the line in the Premier League.

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Football FanCast’s In the Pipeline series aims to uncover the very best youth players in world football.

However, one of the secondary stories has been that of Dowman’s rapid rise from 15-year-old academy gem to semi-regular first-teamer.

The Chelmsford-born gem was first introduced to the fans during pre-season, where his eye-catching performances led respected analyst Ben Mattinson to claim he was “humiliating Premier League players.”

The youngster was then given his first taste of competitive football against Leeds United, where he once again ran senior defenders ragged and won his side a penalty.

The next step was his first start in the League Cup against Brighton, a game in which he completed the most dribbles of anyone on the pitch and officially became the youngest player to start for Arsenal.

Then this week, he broke another record, becoming the youngest player to ever make an appearance in the Champions League, coming on in the 72nd minute and once again looking right at home.

After the match, Arteta was full of praise for the youngster, saying: “What he’s done on the pitch – he comes in, the first ball he takes is he takes people on, he starts to dribble and gets a foul. That’s personality, that’s courage – and you cannot teach that.”

It wasn’t just the Gunners’ boss who was impressed, though, as Slavia Prague’s David Zima went so far as to call him “a miracle player.”

In all, Dowman appears to be on track to reach the very top with Arsenal, and now there is another young talent making waves in the academy who could be the next Saka.

Arsenal's new Saka

There are more than a handful of exciting talents coming through Hale End at the moment, with Brando Bailey-Joseph being one of them.

The 17-year-old only signed scholarship terms with the club a few months ago, but due to his impressive performances, he put pen to paper on a professional deal last month.

There is a chance he could be a future Saka-esque player for the club, as, like the talismanic number seven, he has shown an ability to play on both sides of the attack.

In fact, like the Hale End icon, he has also played deeper, on both the right and left of the midfield.

Moreover, while he’s not as prolific as Dowman, he’s shown an ability to score and assist goals.

For example, in 13 appearances this season, totalling 901 minutes, he has put the ball in the back of the net four times and provided four assists for good measure.

In other words, the “explosive” attacker, as dubbed by Hale End expert Will Balsam, is currently averaging a goal involvement every 1.62 games, or every 112.62 minutes, which is seriously impressive for a winger.

Moreover, what makes him such a “menace” for opposition defenders is, per Balsam, his “quickness & sharp cuts” with the ball at his feet.

Finally, according to Mattinson, what makes the youngster such an exciting prospect is his “good ball manipulation” and the fact that he “releases shots quickly in and around the box.”

Ultimately, he has a long way to go to become the next Saka, but as things stand, Bailey-Joseph appears to have all the raw materials necessary to succeed.

Forget Merino: Arsenal star who's "like Wilshere" can fix Gyokeres blow

The incredible talent could be the perfect solution to Arsenal’s Gyokeres problem.

By
Jack Salveson Holmes

Nov 6, 2025

Liverpool look more and more unlikely by the game that they will retain the Premier League title.

Of course, collecting the top-flight trophy two seasons on the trot is a difficult feat even when you’re all guns blazing.

But, it’s definitely made more tricky when you assess how quickly the wheels are falling off Arne Slot’s title defence right now.

The Reds are already up to five defeats in league action this season, with newly promoted Sunderland only on two losses, in stark contrast.

Slot was also significantly backed in the summer, with the summer transfer business at Anfield no doubt catching the eye, when you consider a jaw-dropping £415m was splashed out by the Merseyside giants.

The likes of Alexander Isak and Milos Kerkez have really struggled to get going, having cost a substantial £165m alone to get through the door.

But, there is one high-profile name that is in very real danger of becoming Slot’s own Naby Keita. Yes, things really do look that bad at the moment.

The numbers behind Keita's Liverpool disaster

When Keita arrived at Anfield in 2018, there was a lot of fanfare surrounding his high-profile signing.

After all, Jurgen Klopp boldly announcde that the Guinean was the “best player in the league” in the Bundesliga when leaving behind RB Leipzig for a shot in England for a whopping a whopping £48m.

In Klopp’s defence, Keita had collected 16 goals and assists combined across all competitions for Leipzig during his swansong campaign and the former Reds number 8 did score some beautifully taken goals during his stint on Merseyside, as can be seen watching the entertaining highlight reel above.

But, with all the hype that had surrounded the capture at the time, it would have been Keita’s constant in-and-out presence in the treatment room that would have irritated Liverpool fans the most, with a staggering 122 games missed through injury for club and country across his five seasons in England.

In the end, he was let go at the expiry of his contract with Werder Bremen, with just 11 goals and seven assists to shout about.

Slot will pray he doesn’t have another Keita-like situation unfolding right now as Liverpool struggle for consistency, with another mega-money signing at risk of fading into the background.

Liverpool's Naby Keita repeat

The failed signing of Keita still stands as Liverpool’s eighth most expensive signing of all time.

Thankfully, above the hot-and-cold 30-year-old’s name in the rankings are the likes of Dominik Szoboszlai, Alisson, and Virgil Van Dijk, who are all figures Slot knows he can rely on.

Unfortunately, the same is yet to be applied to Florian Wirtz, who comes in as the Reds’ second most expensive capture at an astronomical £115m fee.

The German’s arrival from Bayer Leverkusen met with the same Keita-level hysteria, having been dubbed a “generational” talent by sports media professional Christian Nyari just last season.

With 57 goals and 65 assists under his belt for Leverkusen, it can be rationalised as to why Liverpool blew such a large chunk of their budget on Wirtz instantly coming good.

Indeed, Reds journalist Bence Boscak pleaded in the summer that Slot and Co needed to land his signature “whatever” the price may be.

Games played

16

Minutes played

1119 mins

Goals scored

0

Assists

3

Yet, much like they found out with Keita, blistering form in the Bundesliga doesn’t necessarily mean they will instantly hit the ground running on English shores, with Wirtz still yet to collect a single goal or assist in Premier League action.

Wirtz was particularly ineffective last time out as Liverpool were reminded of how far they’ve fallen in such a short space of time against Manchester City, with an unmemorable 39 touches of the ball seeing the German fail to amass one single key pass.

It’s even clearer from the graphic above how much the number 7 has been “struggling” – as journalist Mark Ogden has noted – in his new surroundings, with both his take-on success percentage rate and duels being won per ninety minutes success rate taking a significant hit.

Analyst Darnish Iqbal has even branded the deal as a “disaster”, with it not being a stretch to state that it is Liverpool’s biggest disappointment in the transfer window since Keita joined way back in 2018. Perhaps the Reds should avoid the Bundesliga for now?

Wirtz, hopefully, won’t fall victim to Keita’s same fate in leaving for cheap though, with glimmers of his quality here and there – as seen in the playmaker amassing five key passes against Real Madrid – meaning Liverpool will hold onto him for the time being, praying he hits his Leverkusen heights on a consistent basis down the line.

Not Wirtz or Isak: Liverpool's "nervous wreck" at risk of becoming Nunez 2.0

Liverpool have fallen by the wayside under Arne Slot’s leadership this season.

ByAngus Sinclair Nov 12, 2025