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Liverpool are now “seriously pursuing” a £34m defender, and advanced talks have already taken place, according to Sky Sports reporter Florian Plettenberg.

Liverpool searching for Trent replacement

Trent Alexander-Arnold’s time at Anfield isn’t ending the way he would’ve liked, having confirmed his decision to leave his boyhood club at the end of the season, with the right-back entering the field to a chorus of boos after being brought on as a substitute against Arsenal on Sunday.

Jamie Carragher has since criticised the reaction to Trent entering the field, encouraging supporters to sing other players’ names, rather than booing one of their own.

Conor Bradley, on the other hand, received a good reception on Sunday, but having made an error in the build-up to the Gunners’ first goal, Arne Slot could have some reservations about the Northern Irishman becoming the first-choice right-back immediately.

As such, Slot may choose to enter the transfer market to find a replacement for Trent, and Plettenberg has now taken to X to provide an update on Liverpool’s pursuit of Bayer Leverkusen defender Jeremie Frimpong.

The Sky Sports reporter states the Reds are now “seriously pursuing” Frimpong, with the right-back “planning to move this summer”, and he should be available for a relatively affordable fee, given that he has a release clause of around €35m – €40m (£29m – £34m) in his contract.

The 24-year-old is also described as “one of the top options” to replace Alexander-Arnold at the end of the season, underlining the Merseysiders’ level of interest, with advanced talks taking place.

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Posts 1 BySean Markus Clifford May 12, 2025 "Monster" Frimpong could be ideal Trent replacement

Trent has received criticism for his defending during his time at Anfield, but the England international has more than made up for it with his quality going forward, picking up three goals and seven assists in the Premier League this season.

Much like his potential predecessor, the Leverkusen star also excels on the front foot, ranking in the 93rd percentile for non-penalty goals per 90 over the past year, and the 89th percentile for assists, when compared to other full-backs.

Amid previous links to Manchester United, the Dutchman was also described as a “monster” in the attacking third by the United Stand’s Beth Tucker, which is underlined by his contributions going forward over the past three Bundesliga seasons.

Season

Bundesliga appearances

Goals

Assists

2022-23

34

8

7

2023-24

31

9

9

2024-25

33

5

6

A fee of just £29m – £34m could be a bargain for Frimpong, who could be the ideal replacement for Trent, given his attacking quality, although it would also be good to see academy graduate Bradley receive more game time next season.

Another Championship season has worryingly passed West Bromwich Albion by, meaning the Baggies have been outside the luxuries of Premier League football since relegation at the end of the 2020/21 campaign.

Many managers have come and gone during this testing period, with Carlos Corberan the closest to restoring West Brom back to their former top-flight glories when reaching the playoffs just last season, only for eventual promotion winners Southampton to get the better of the West Midlands side over two legs.

Now, West Brom are back in the daunting position of having to look for another new boss after parting ways with Tony Mowbray, with the next face to grace the Hawthorns helm perhaps the one that seals promotion finally.

West Brom's list of manager targets

It’s been nearly a month now since Mowbray was dismissed with the 61-year-old unfortunately unable to push the Baggies up into the playoffs on his return to the hot-seat.

Instead, he only managed to pick up five victories from his 17 games in charge, with these disappointing failures culminating in James Morrison having to take over the reins on an interim basis for the final few games of the league campaign.

There have even been reports that the ex-West Brom midfielder could be handed the vacancy on a permanent basis, but it’s far likelier that the Baggies will look elsewhere in trying to uncover the best possible Mowbray successor.

However, one option continuing to be linked with Albion is Ryan Mason. Five years younger than Morrison, he actually boasts more significant coaching experience at Tottenham Hotspur.

Yet, if West Brom can find a more experienced promotion winner over Mason, they should go full steam ahead. In fact, there’s a seven-time promotion expert who ticks all the right boxes.

West Brom could appoint "unbelievable" promotion expert

Instead of swooping in to steal coaches from Premier League outfits, West Brom could look to the lower reaches of the EFL to finally land a suitable Mowbray replacement.

With that in mind, Stockport County boss Dave Challinor could be their desired man. The current Hatters boss is a beloved figure at Edgeley Park for how much he has revolutionised the Greater Manchester side’s fortunes since joining in 2021 and is reportedly on the radar of Albion.

When he first took on the reins, Stockport were a sleeping giant marooned in the National League. But, with two promotions under his belt now – which included pipping mega-money Wrexham Town to the League Two title last year – the Hatters are on the cusp of a Championship return for the first time in over 20 years.

This will be music to the ears of West Brom as they aim to finally break out of the Championship, with Challinor already a recognised promotion expert in League Two and perhaps League One to come, meaning he could take to the next step-up swimmingly as well.

Challinor’s overall numbers as a manager

Stat

Challinor

Games managed

553

Wins

282

Draws

128

Losses

143

Goals scored

998

Promotions

7x

League titles

4x

Overall win percentage

50.9%

Sourced by Transfermarkt

Staggeringly, Challinor still has even more promotion wins to brag about than the two already mentioned with Stockport, with the table above illuminating his further five promotion successes as a lower league veteran, alongside his mammoth career tally of 282 victories.

This is where any approach for Mason could fall flat, with the Spurs coach clearly a well-regarded face in North London and one for the future. However, he has only overseen a meagre 13 games as a main manager.

Both the 49-year-old and Mason do have a connection, however, with neither figure having taken charge of a Championship game before.

But, if the “unbelievable” manager – as he’s been labelled previously by journalist Jordan Cronin – has proved anything across his distinguished time in various dug-outs to date, he often excels when a tough challenge is put in front of him.

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Posts ByKelan Sarson May 13, 2025

Liverpool have been busy in the transfer market over the past several weeks. Well, the transfer window hasn’t actually opened yet, but that’s a credit to Richard Hughes’ savvy negotiating.

Arne Slot created something special this season, but the Dutch coach is no fool, and knows the importance of strengthening whilst ahead. Liverpool have been crowned Premier League champions, and are now ringing the changes.

There’s been a concerted focus on strengthening the flanks, over these past weeks: Jeremie Frimpong has completed his medical, while discussions with Bournemouth for left-back Milos Kerkez are ongoing, as per Fabrizio Romano.

Liverpool enquire about new defender

Improving the defence is very much the order of the day for Slot and Co this summer but their efforts may not stop with the full-backs.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

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As per TEAMtalk, Liverpool have made initial enquiries to RB Leipzig as they consider a move for Castello Lukeba, with the left-footed defender earning Slot’s nod of approval.

Though Lukeba, 22, has a €90m (£74m) release clause in his contract, FSG would be hoping to bag him for a cheaper fee. However, while Slot is personally keen on a move, Real Madrid and Manchester United are both known admirers too.

Liverpool have already made it known they would be open to signing a centre-half this summer, having failed in their bid to sign Madrid-bound Dean Huijsen, but in Lukeba, they could score the perfect fallback.

Why Liverpool want Castello Lukeba

A defensive hybrid, Lukeba is a naturally central defender, though bears an athleticism and energy that has seen him weave out onto the left flank, which is an interesting proposition for Slot to chew on.

He’s powerful, yes, but not overbearing in the backline, playing his role consummately. Lukeba missed three months of the campaign with muscular difficulties, but featured prominently across the latter phase of the year.

Liverpool will be frustrated they missed out on Huijsen, who has been regarded as a “world-class” player in the making by analysts, but in Lukeba, the dream alternative has been identified.

Leipzig have fostered Lukeba, pulled him to the fore, but now he should take the next step in his career and join the Liverpool fold. After all, he’s got the balanced skill set to make Slot forget all about Huijsen.

League Stats 24/25 – Dean Huijsen vs Castello Lukeba

Stats (* per game)

Huijsen

Lukeba

Matches (starts)

32 (26)

23 (18)

Goals

3

0

Assists

2

0

Touches*

63.9

65.4

Pass completion

84%

87%

Key passes*

0.5

0.2

Dribbles*

0.1

0.9

Ball recoveries*

3.3

3.2

Tackles + interceptions*

2.7

2.0

Clearances*

6.1

3.0

Duels (won)*

3.6 (56%)

4.0 (65%)

Data via Sofascore

He might not be quite as attack-minded or silky on the ball as Huijsen, but Lukeba is still crisp and collected. Moreover, he’s a veritable machine when it comes to defensive duties, so commanding in the duel.

And that’s not to say Lukeba isn’t good on the ball. As per FBref, he ranks among the top 13% of centre-backs across Europe this season for passes attempted and the top 20% for progressive passes per 90.

With only four of his 23 Bundesliga outings coming from the flank, it’s clear he could play the role envisaged for Huijsen, especially given both are left-footers.

Analyst Ben Mattinson hailed the Frenchman’s “freak profile,” drawing positive awareness to the dynamic and powerful set of skills. He even went on to say that transferring to Anfield would be a “perfect move” for Lukeba, and given that Huijsen is now out of bounds, Slot must throw the kitchen sink at getting it done.

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Posts ByAngus Sinclair May 27, 2025

Southampton finally have a new manager in place and could now be set to firm up their transfer activity this summer amid their pursuit of a promising forward, per a report.

Southampton prepare for life under Will Still

Following months of speculation, Will Still has been installed as Saints’ new boss for the forthcoming season and will be tasked with leading the Championship side back to the top shelf of the English pyramid.

Making no secret of his desire to succeed, the former Lens boss has promised a big summer is on the way at St Mary’s to get his side back to where they belong, which in his opinion is the Premier League stage.

He stated: “There is huge potential here and we have a great opportunity to do something special. The project that has been laid out to me is very impressive and, all together, I believe we can build a clear identity and a very positive future for the team.

“I’m eager to get to work this summer and start building a close-knit group that can make everyone proud and ultimately get us back to where we belong; in the Premier League.”

Signing on for three years, Still has beaten the likes of Steven Gerrard, Danny Rohl and Tom Cleverley to the Southampton job, so it is fair to say there is a level of expectation on his shoulders to deliver promotion.

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Posts ByTom Cunningham May 5, 2025

Laying down the law as his side prepare to spend this summer, Saints have now set their eyes on an exciting striker from the continent who could be on the move for a bargain fee.

Southampton want to acquire £4m+ forward William Boving

According to Football Insider, Southampton are in the mix to sign Sturm Graz forward William Boving after playing a major role in helping the Austrian Bundesliga holders defend their crowd this term.

Labelled “talented” by Peter Christiansen, the 21-year-old has registered 11 goals and 10 assists in 42 appearances across all competitions this term. He is expected to feature for Denmark in their Under-21 EURO 2025 bid this summer.

William Boving’s excellent campaign at Sturm Graz – Austrian Bundesliga (Fotmob)

Shots

50

Shots on target

17

Completed dribbles

26

Chances created

40

Successful crosses

20

Touches in opposition box

82

Said to be available for around £4.2 million, he is also attracting interest from clubs in Germany, Spain and Italy ahead of the window. With his potential to develop not going unnoticed, Southampton have sent scouts to watch the star on a number of occasions this campaign as they seek firepower through the middle.

Furthermore, his versatility can also see Boving operate on the left flank or as a foil for the main striker, which may come in handy if Mateus Fernandes or Tyler Dibling leave the South Coast outfit by the time the window closes.

It’s set to be a busy summer transfer window at Celtic Park, as always seems to be the case.

Kieran Tierney has already secured his Celtic return, resulting in much excitement, but many more signings are set to follow.

Now, the Hoops are closing in on a “fearless” new winger reminiscent of a certain Liel Abada.

How Liel Abada is faring after leaving Celtic

Countless players have enjoyed longer Celtic careers, with many making many more appearances in green and white hoops, but Abada will always be remembered fondly by the supporters.

Just 20 years old at the time, Abada arrived from Maccabi Petah Tikva for a reported fee of £3.6m in the summer of 2021.

He netted the first goal of the Ange Postecoglou era in a Champions League qualifier against Midtjylland, scoring 29 times and registering 22 assists in 112 outings for the club, named PFA Scotland Young Player of the Year during his debut campaign.

A few of Abada’s goals are why he is so fondly remembered by fans, namely a stoppage-time winner against Dundee United, as well as goals during Old Firm demolition victories, adding the third in a 3-0 win in February 2022, before bagging a brace during a 4-0 hammering of Rangers later that year.

However, after being sidelined with a long-term injury and due to growing tension following the escalation of the Israel-Palestine conflict, Abada was sold to MLS side Charlotte FC for a reported fee of £10m in March last year, representing a tidy profit.

Since then, he’s been pretty impressive in America, scoring 13 goals in 46 games, also registering three assists.

Now, Celtic could be set to land their next goal-scoring winger.

Celtic set to sign a new wide-attacker

As has been widely reported, including by reports in Belgium, Celtic are now set to sign Benjamin Nygren from Nordsjælland for a reported £2m fee.

Nygren was also linked with Anderlecht but has allegedly chosen to head to Scotland in favour of heading elsewhere in Europe. As such, he is ‘expected to complete his move to the Premiership’.

Speaking to Swedish outlet Fotboll Skanalen earlier this month, Nygren admitted “it’s clear that there is a lot of interest. I have done extremely well this whole season… I will leave”.

The 23-year-old winger made his senior debut for hometown club IFK Göteborg, before spells with Genk and Heerenveen​​​​​​, joining current side Nordsjælland in January 2022, scoring an impressive 35 goals in 107 appearances for the Tigers.

His form at club level saw him earn a senior international debut earlier this year, featuring in all four of Sweden’s fixtures in 2025 to date, scoring against both Northern Ireland in Stockholm and Hungary at the Puskás Aréna just last week.

So, let’s assess why he’s so similar to Abada.

Nygren Danish Superligaen stats 2024/25

Statistics

Nygren

Superligaen rank

Goals

15

3rd

Assists

2

69th

Shots

82

3rd

Shots on target

40

1st

Shots on target %

48.8

10th

Big chances missed

14

3rd

Average SofaScore rating

7.42

4th

Statistics courtesy of FBref.com and SofaScore

As the table outlines, like the Israeli, Nygren is very much a goal-scoring wide-attacker, hence why he had more shots on target than anyone else in this season’s Superligaen, also ranked in the top three for goals, shots and big chances missed.

International teammate Alexander Isak described Nygren as “fearless” and full of “confidence”, adding that he thoroughly enjoyed playing alongside a winger who is able to “provide good crosses”.

Sakhu Mpofu of Total Football Analysis outlines how he is best as a right-winger who likes to ‘invert into the centre’, while he is also described as “versatile​​​​​​​” and ‘one of the most underrated” players in Denmark’s top-flight.

Thus, it is clear that Celtic are set to secure the services of a high-quality wide-attacker, with similar natural goal-scoring instincts to one of the previous incumbents of the right-wing position, Abada.

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Posts ByDan Emery Jun 14, 2025

USA pulled off a stunning victory over Pakistan in a game that went into a Super Over

ESPNcricinfo staff06-Jun-20241:19

Jaffer: Saurabh Netravalkar’s got a great story

0.1 Amir to Aaron Jones, FOUR runs Amir starts with the wide one but Jones is able to reach it. It was slow and into the pitch, slashed wide of third for four. Big advantage for USA!0.2 Amir to Aaron Jones, 2 runs Nails the on-pace yorker but Jones manages to skilfully drill the flick through midwicket. They scamper back for two as well0.3 Amir to Aaron Jones, 1 runPakistan, like they did at the death, go with the yorker plan. This is nailed. Pace-on again. Jones can’t do nothin with that. Jams it a foot or two in front but that allows a scampered single0.4 Amir to Harmeet Singh, 2 wide Amir misses his line (and length) and concedes a wide plus bye. Could have been worse but Harmeet missed the flick on the low full toss going down leg. Rizwan can’t collect cleanly, they run one0.4 Amir to Aaron Jones, 1 run Jones goes across to try and get inside the line. Gets a low full toss at the stumps, flicks it to deep square leg. Just a single0.5 Amir to Harmeet Singh, 2 wide Amir misses, Harmeet misses. Everyone’s disappointed but this is in USA’s favour. Low full toss swung down leg, went past the attempted flick. Another bye stolen0.5 Amir to Aaron Jones, 2 runs Into the pitch, wide too. Jones connects with the cut. Sweeper runs to the right, Amir yells as they return for the second on the throw (which was to the keeper’s end)0.6 Amir to Aaron Jones, 3 wide 5head leave from Jones. Buzzers too, USA are doing this with unforced errors. Jones cleared the front leg but saw the fullish ball, going away with the angle, to be outside the tramline and let it pass. The batters ran as Rizwan lobbed it high up, too far for Amir to collect but no one backing up either. They steal two byes!0.6 Amir to Aaron Jones, 1 run, OUT Amir looks for the yorker. It’s at the stumps and is clipped through square leg. Jones returns for the second, which is never on, and fails to make it. But he had to of course

****

0.1 Netravalkar to Iftikhar, no run Iftikhar gets across, and the bowler follows. Netravalkar goes fullish and angles it across, with the ball finishing wide of off. But Iftikhar was far too across as he attempted to loft, but missed. So wide not called0.2 Netravalkar to Iftikhar, FOUR runs Thumped between long-on and deep midwicket! Netravalkar bowled on a length on middle and off, but Iftikhar waited before pulling hard in the gap for four0.3 Netravalkar to Iftikhar, 1 wide This is a wide! This time Ifthikar doesn’t move much, and sees this yorker-length ball wide of off go past him. He leaves it alone, and it is given wide0.3 Netravalkar to Iftikhar, OUT Wow, superb catch! Sub fielder Milind Kumar takes a great catch! Placed at long-off, he took a few steps forward before going low and grabbing it barely above the ground. The final verdict will be given by the third umpire, though. He sees multiple replays, with the ball almost hinting to drop off his hands on impact. Now the TV umpire looks at it from a different angle. The ball is dipping and dying on to Milind, who uses both his hands to try and catch that. And after much ado, it is given out! This is what had happened earlier: Netravalkar had bowled a low full toss, which was angling across towards off, as Ifthikar launched down the ground. But the length seemed too full for him to fireIftikhar Ahmed c Kumar b Netravalkar 4 (3b 1×4 0x6)0.4 Netravalkar to Shadab, 1 wide And it is another wide. This is angled across, and lands on a yorker length wide of off. Shadab lets it go0.4 Netravalkar to Shadab, 4 leg byes Ohh, lucky four for Pakistan! Shadab got across the stumps to try and sweep this, but the ball dribbled off his toes between the keeper and short third0.5 Netravalkar to Shadab, 2 runs Ahh, well bowled! This is a nice yorker angling across towards middle and off, and Shadab is able to loft it only as far as between long-off and long-on. They pinch two0.6 Netravalkar to Shadab, 1 run USA win by five runs! The first upset of the 2024 T20 World Cup. The USA players make their presence feel by yelling their feelings out. Their dugout is up in celebration and ecstacy, even as the Pakistan dressing room is left wondering what would have been.

What a year this has been so far for Liverpool Football Club. Having wrapped up the Premier League title early, while their divisional rivals continued to work hard on the training pitch, the Reds were partying hard in Ibiza and Dubai. Not a bad life being a footballer, is it?

Since then, they’ve only sought to back up that league crown by strengthening significantly in the summer transfer window.

The market is only a few weeks old, yet Arne Slot and Co have wrapped up two signings in the shape of Jeremie Frimpong and Florian Wirtz. There’s more to come too.

Milos Kerkez is now reportedly due to arrive any day now from Bournemouth, while another Premier League defender, Marc Guehi, is earmarked as their next target.

Dare Liverpool fans dream of Alexander Isak too? The Newcastle forward remains a key target this summer.

But, while that happens in the background, there are more targets on Richard Hughes’ shortlist.

Liverpool eyeing one of the best young midfielders

It’s safe to say the Liverpool midfield has undergone something of a revamp over the last year or so.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

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After Fabinho and Jordan Henderson headed to Saudi, the Reds looked to add further bodies to their midfield but it hasn’t all been plain sailing in the transfer market, famously missing out on Romeo Lavia and Moises Caicedo to Chelsea.

They did sign Ryan Gravenberch and Alexis Mac Allister, however, two players who enjoyed fabulous seasons on their way to winning the title. Gravenberch was nominated for the Premier League’s Young Player of the Season award, while Mac Allister is up for the PFA’s Player of the Season.

Despite Wirtz having now joined the fold too, FSG still aren’t content with their options and in the future, could make a move for PSG’s Warren Zaire-Emery.

That’s according to journalist Graeme Bailey who revealed this weekend that Liverpool are eyeing up a move for the 19-year-old midfielder.

Speaking to Rousing the Kop, he said: “It looks like a few clubs are having a sniff around Zaire-Emery. Is he a generational talent Liverpool will try for if he suddenly becomes available? Possibly, they have done work on him before. That was primarily before Ryan Gravenberch’s rise.”

Why Zaire-Emery is so exciting

When Liverpool announced the signing of Wirtz this week, arriving in a move worth a British-record transfer fee of £116m, it wasn’t surprising.

After all, this move has been earmarked for several weeks now. However, it did send a statement to the rest of the Premier League.

Wirtz is no mug. In the words of former Leverkusen striker Patrick Helmes, the German is “probably the best midfielder in the world.”

High praise indeed and to back up those words, he scored 16 and registered 15 assists in 2024/25, phenomenal numbers.

Well, Zaire-Emery is certainly cut from a similar cloth. Wirtz made his Leverkusen debut at the tender age of 17 while PSG’s French sensation made his Ligue 1 bow for the Parisiens at 16. They’ve been around the block for a while and they’ve already impressed plenty.

The teenager’s agent, Jorge Mendes, has already described him as “one of the best midfielders in the world” while scout Jacek Kulig has suggested that he’s “one of the biggest talents of his generation in Europe.”

But, why all the hype? Well, as data analyst Ben Mattinson outlines, the 19-year-old is an “Mbappe at Monaco level of talent”, largely thanks to his blend of skills.

He’s “so secure on the ball,” states Mattinson. “He progresses the ball effectively from deeper zones, has good physicality and excellent body usage in duels” with a “quality passing range”.

You name it, Zaire-Emery has it. Traditionally a deeper-lying midfielder, the PSG star certainly possesses the tools to rival Gravenberch for a place in the midfield, and while less box-crashing than the Dutchman, he’d certainly provide an extra layer of class.

Youngest UCL debutants since 2000

Player

Club

Age

1. Youssoufa Moukoko

Dortmund

16 years, 18 days

2. Lamine Yamal

Barcelona

16 years, 2 months

3. Rayan Cherki

Lyon

16 years, 3 months

4. Alen Halilovic

Zagreb

16 years, 4 months, 6 days

5. Youri Tielemans

Anderlecht

16 years, 4 months, 25 days

6. Francesco Camarda

AC Milan

16 years, 7 months, 12 days

7. Warren Zaire-Emery

PSG

16 years, 7 months, 17 days

8. Charalampos Mavrias

Panathinaikos

16 years, 7 months, 29 days

Data via Transfermarkt.

To underline his complete skillset, he ranks inside the top 3% of midfielders in Europe’s top five leagues over the last year for pass completion percentage, the best 14% for progressive carries and the top 15% for ball recoveries.

Truthfully, there’s very little Zaire-Emery can’t do. Perhaps the only area would be his ability to score goals – finding the net three times in 2024/25 – but as a deep-lying player, he’s not really required to do that.

Either way, this would be a phenomenal capture for Liverpool. Like Wirtz, he’s one of the most exciting young talents in European football right now.

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Posts ByAngus Sinclair Jun 19, 2025

Looking to make a statement by doing what Nottingham Forest failed to do, Leeds United have reportedly joined the race to sign a USA international.

Leeds' transfer plan after Bijol

After welcoming Jaka Bijol from Udinese, it looks as though Leeds’ summer business is far from over. Their focus following the defender is reportedly transfixed on signing fresh midfield reinforcements and one of the biggest names mentioned on that front has been Douglas Luiz. The Juventus midfielder is set to leave Turin this summer and could be on his way back to the Premier League courtesy of those at Elland Road.

He’s not the 49ers’ only option, however. Reports have also mentioned the likes of Habib Diarra – going as far as to suggest that the Whites have already submitted an offer to sign the Strasbourg captain this summer. The interest should come as no surprise as Leeds step into the Premier League either, given the partnership that he would form with Ao Tanaka.

League stats 24/25 (via FBref)

Habib Diarra

Ao Tanaka

Minutes

2,352

3,584

Progressive Carries

61

38

Tackles Won

13

58

Ball Recoveries

90

217

When compared it is, as if often the case, Tanaka who stands out but Diarra has plenty to offer in his own right and his ability to progress play whilst carrying possession would hide one of the few weaknesses that the Leeds star has.

Even if they secure a deal to sign Diarra, however, Leeds still may not be done with their summer business. The 49ers are seemingly looking to make a statement this summer and create a squad capable of first avoiding Premier League relegation, then so much more.

With that target in mind, the American owners have now reportedly joined the race to sign a UCL-level star ahead of Leeds’ top-flight rivals.

Leeds join Timothy Weah race

According to The Guardian’s Ed Aarons, the 49ers and Leeds have now joined the race to sign Timothy Weah from Juventus this summer after he rejected the chance to join rivals Nottingham Forest.

Related Romano: 49ers "in negotiations" to seal "complicated" £20m+ Leeds transfer

He is ‘really appreciated’ at Elland Road.

Posts 1 ByCharlie Smith Jun 27, 2025

The American international was left out of Juventus’ squad to face Manchester City in the Club World Cup on Thursday alongside Samuel Mbangula after the Italian giants reached an agreement with Forest, before Weah burst their bubble in ruthless fashion. Now, Leeds, Everton and Bournemouth have set their sights on signing the winger.

Dubbed “one of the most versatile players in world football” by Sky Sports’ Dougie Critchley, Weah was used as a forward and on both flanks for Juventus last season. Despite that, he’s now on the move – potentially leaving Leeds to take full advantage.

In one swoop, Leeds could deal Forest a frustrating blow and land someone who’d quickly become a key member of Daniel Farke’s squad at Elland Road.

‘Think it probably would have been suited for the end of a World Cup rather in the middle,’ Clarke said

ESPNcricinfo staff19-Jun-20242:14

Clarke: Not the right time for Warner’s Sandpapergate comments

Former Australia captains Michael Clarke and Aaron Finch have questioned the timing of David Warner’s remarks about the impact of the 2018 ball-tampering scandal as he approaches the final weeks of his international career.Speaking to and in Antigua ahead of Australia’s Super Eight stage of the T20 World Cup, Warner said “coming back since 2018 I’ve probably…been the only one that’s ever copped a lot of flak” although accepted it was inevitable he would always be remembered for what happened.Related

Ponting: You want 'natural winners' like Warner at World Cups

Warner on sandpaper 'flak': 'Great to go out knowing I'm not going to cop it anymore'

Tim David 'working really hard' on his legspin

Warner will finish his international career with a sanction still hanging over him from events at Cape Town in being barred from any leadership role in Australian cricket. He abandoned his attempts to have that overturned in late 2022. Steven Smith, who was banned for a year and stripped of the captaincy, has since led Australia again as Pat Cummins’ understudy, while Cameron Bancroft received a nine-month ban.”I understand where Davey is coming from, I think parts of what he said are fair enough; I don’t think he’s got the timing right,” Clarke told ESPN’s . “I don’t think it’s fair to say he’s the only one whose copped it. I think Cameron Bancroft’s certainly copped it, and there’s still about is the reasoning he’s not in the Australian Test team because of what happened years ago. Steve Smith obviously copped it and lost the Australian captaincy.David Warner is aiming to sign off international cricket as a champion across all formats•Getty Images

“Davey has certainly copped it, there’s no doubt about it. I just think the timing is probably not right. Think it probably would have been suited for the end of a World Cup rather in the middle of a World Cup because there’s probably other players in the team who would prefer this not to be spoken about right now. But there’s parts of what he said that are correct.”Earlier this year, Cummins spoke directly to Bancroft to reassure him his lack of a recall to the Test side when Warner retired had nothing to do with events of 2018.Clarke acknowledged Warner’s view that the ball tampering will always be part of his story, but believed the opener would be recalled for his brilliance as a player. If Australia go on to win the T20 World Cup, he could be one of just four players – alongside Cummins, Travis Head and Mitchell Starc – to have played in three finals across the three formats, after the World Test Championship and ODI World Cup triumphs.”I think he will definitely be remembered for how great a cricketer he has been, and he’s been an amazing entertainer,” Clarke said. “Unfortunately for him, yes, it [ball tampering] probably will be spoken about…in 10, 20 years’ time. But I think how good a cricketer he is will be spoken about as well.”Finch, too, was surprised by Warner’s comments. “Like Pup [Clarke] said, purely for the timing…I thought that was a little bit odd,” he said.At the time of his Test retirement, against Pakistan in January, Warner’s close friend Usman Khawaja said some of the aggravating behaviour from him before he was banned came from team instructions.”He was getting told to play a certain way by the coaching staff and people around at certain points,” Khawaja said. “You’ve seen a very different David Warner since he’s come back in 2019. He’s done it his own way.”

He was preferred by the selectors over Hardik Pandya, who was the vice-captain of the 2024 T20 World Cup winning squad

ESPNcricinfo staff18-Jul-20241:32

‘Hardik will be massively disappointed’

Suryakumar Yadav has been confirmed as India’s new T20I captain, ahead of Hardik Pandya who was the vice-captain of the squad that won the 2024 T20 World Cup in the USA and West Indies in June.Suryakumar’s first assignment is the three T20Is in Sri Lanka on July 27, 28 and 30, which is also the first assignment of India’s new coach Gautam Gambhir. It’s also seen as the first step towards building for the next T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka in 2026. While Hardik is part of the T20I squad, Shubman Gill has been named vice-captain.Gill had captained India in the five-match T20I series against Zimbabwe that followed the T20 World Cup.The need for a new captain arose following Rohit Sharma’s retirement from T20Is after winning the World Cup. Though Hardik was Rohit’s deputy at the T20 World Cup and is a more experienced captain – he has led India in three ODIs and 16 T20Is, apart from leading Gujarat Titans and Mumbai Indians in the IPL – it is understood fitness concerns and workload management may have been factors in the decision taken by the selection panel led by Ajit Agarkar.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Hardik had suffered an ankle injury during the ODI World Cup last October-November and was out of action until the start of IPL 2024, when he returned to lead MI. Hardik has played in just 46 of the 79 T20Is India have played since the start of 2022.Suryakumar, meanwhile, has captained the Mumbai state team in the domestic circuit. More recently, he led India to a 4-1 win over Australia in a T20I series last November, followed by a 1-1 series draw in South Africa.Suryakumar was not named in the ODI squad for the Sri Lanka tour, while Hardik, too, is taking a break from 50-over internationals.