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With a medical now scheduled, Crystal Palace are reportedly set to get their summer transfer business underway by signing a Champions League-level free agent.

Crystal Palace awaiting Europa League verdict

It looked as though Crystal Palace could be in for arguably their most exciting summer ever after qualifying for the Europa League by defeating Manchester City in the FA Cup final. That joy has quickly turned into potential heartbreak, however, with John Textor’s involvement in the club throwing the Eagles’ European place into doubt.

UEFA has rules in place against owners holding stakes in multiple clubs in the same competition. This means that Textor’s share in both Lyon and Palace could see the South London club given the boot. As per the rules, they could also be refused a place in the Europa Conference League due to David Blitzer’s share in both Brondby and Crystal Palace.

It has sparked quite the debate and one that Premier League rivals Nottingham Forest have attempted to weigh in on by writing to UEFA about potentially taking Palace’s Europa League place. The Midlands club qualified for the Europa Conference League but would move up to the Europa League if Palace were to lose out.

Those at Selhurst Park are insisting that they are an entity which operates individually and Textor, himself, has reiterated just how little involvement he has at the club in the past, saying: “As proud as we are to have been a part of the resurgence of Crystal Palace, it remains true that Crystal Palace is an independent club, run by a man with a steady hand, who has achieved a level of sustainability that is incredibly uncommon in today’s Premier League.”

Crystal Palace now ahead of Leeds in race to sign £20m Championship ace

Crystal Palace are now leading the charge to sign an attacking midfielder from the EFL.

ByBrett Worthington Jun 12, 2025

Nonetheless, with or without European football, the Eagles have reportedly pushed on in pursuit of their summer targets and look likely to commence their business in the face of potential heartbreak.

Crystal Palace set to sign Walter Benitez

According to The Athletic’s Matt Woosnam, Crystal Palace are now set to sign Walter Benitez on a free transfer following the end of his contract at PSV Eindhoven this summer. The Argentina goalkeeper is reportedly set to undergo a medical at the South London club, who have managed to fend off late interest from Everton to get their business underway.

A veteran shot-stopper who was playing Champions League football just last season, Benitez is expected to provide backup for Dean Henderson and could even challenge the Palace No.1 for his starting place next season.

The Argentine’s arrival follows Matt Turner’s return to Nottingham Forest to end his loan spell at Selhurst Park. Opening a space for a new option to deputise Henderson, Palace have chosen experience rather than an up-and-coming option.

At 32 years old, meanwhile, Benitez is set to step into the Premier League for the first time and could even get the chance to feature in the Europa League if Palace win their ongoing battle.

It’s been coming. Liverpool have enjoyed the most incredible of campaigns, FSG hitting the jackpot with their appointment of Arne Slot, but in keeping with the yearly routine, the season has produced a bitter pill for the fanbase to swallow.

Last year, it was a tired Jurgen Klopp’s decision to step down after nearly nine illustrious years at the helm. 12 months earlier, Liverpool waved goodbye to Bobby Firmino, with the core of Anfield’s midfield all departing too.

Now, Trent Alexander-Arnold has decided to leave Liverpool at the end of his contract this summer, and while it hasn’t been set in stone, he will sign for Real Madrid on a free transfer.

Why Alexander-Arnold is leaving Liverpool

Alexander-Arnold’s Liverpool journey has been synonymous with the club’s ascension under Klopp’s wing. The German gaffer birthed Trent onto the senior stage, handing him his debut across every competition for the Reds.

He’s won it all, but the 26-year-old’s decision to leave Liverpool and the peak of their (and his) powers is something that many fans aren’t going to be able to accept.

FSG did everything in their power to keep him on the books, reportedly offered him a healthy upgrade on his £180k-per-week contract, showcased an ambitious plan led by Slot, whose tactical grasp Trent has been dazzled by.

In the end, he just wanted to leave.

We could pick at it all day but the truth is that Alexander-Arnold feels he has given two decades of his life to his football club and won the lot. He believes that this is the right time for a change, and Real Madrid usually get what they want.

Sky Sports have even suggested that playing in Los Blancos white is something of a lifelong ambition for the England international, whose sights have likely been set on a move for a few years now, in one way or another.

Sporting director Richard Hughes will take his time in working with Slot and deciding on the best route forward at right-back. For now, though, he is looking to sign another defender nice and swiftly.

Liverpool lining up new defender

The Premier League champions are gearing up for a big summer, and the perfect way to put Alexander-Arnold’s decision in the background would be to win the race for Dean Huijsen.

Bournemouth’s star centre-back has been one of the breakthrough stars of the season, thriving on the South Coast. He has a £50m release clause in his contract and is being pursued by all of England’s heaviest hitters.

Certain reports have suggested Chelsea have the edge but according to Fabrizio Romano, the race is very much on, and Liverpool are in need of a new up-and-coming defensive star.

Why Dean Huijsen could be a bigger talent than Trent

Huijsen hasn’t been in the Premier League for long, but he’s already being head-hunted by the best of the best and this is all down to his performances on the pitch.

How Juventus must regret their decision to sell the 20-year-old to Bournemouth in a £15m deal last summer, for he has featured prominently in a Cherries side chasing Europe, with journalist Henry Winter even noting that he “shackled [Alexander] Isak on ground and in the air” back in January.

Sofascore record that Huijsen has won 61% of his aerial battles in the Premier League this season, also averaging 2.7 tackles and interceptions per game, so it’s clear he’s able to produce the goods against the best of the best with consistency. One analyst has already declared that he’s going to be “world-class” in the coming years.

His latest showstopping game, a 2-1 win over Arsenal away from home, highlighted many of the qualities that have piqued the interest of so many clubs, notably scoring the equalising goal.

It was a statement display, not just the architect of the Emirates fall through his headed goal, but an all-round display that negated much of the Gunners’ attacking play.

A big-game player, dynamic as they come, Huijsen is already demonstrating an ability that could see him slot right into Liverpool’s starting line-up, fostering his talents over the coming years to eventually become an even bigger star than Alexander-Arnold.

With some suggesting that he has everything he needs to become “the ultimate modern-day centre back,” Huijsen could actually rise to an even higher level than Alexander-Arnold, should he make the move to Liverpool.

That’s not actually to detract from the Three Lions star’s skill set: Trent is a one-of-a-kind player, with a celestial range of passing that has been so important across a sustained period of success at Anfield.

But Huijsen, too, is showing himself to be a unique player. As per FBref, he ranks among the top 7% of defenders in the Premier League this season for goal contributions, the top 16% for progressive passes, the top 13% for progressive carries, the top 6% for shot-creating actions and the top 4% for blocks and clearances per 90.

It’s not difficult to see why Liverpool (and all the rest) have a vested interest in securing his services as he steps toward footballing maturity.

Surpassing Alexander-Arnold’s legacy would take quite an effort from a young Spaniard like Huijsen (born in the Netherlands), but the likes of Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah have already arrived as foreigners and established themselves as heroes for the ages.

Huijsen could repeat the trick, outstripping Alexander-Arnold in doing so.

Better than Rogers: Liverpool could see £65m bid accepted for 18-goal star

Liverpool are in the market for new forwards this summer.

By
Angus Sinclair

May 5, 2025

From afar, the intense battle for automatic promotion in the Championship is an enthralling spectacle to watch.

But, for those locked deep in it, there is nothing more nerve-wracking, with one minor misfire squandering your chances of an instant path up to the Premier League.

Chris Wilder’s Sheffield United have found out the hard way how cruel the tense promotion fight can be, with the one-time leaders now out of the top two after two humbling losses on the spin.

Time is still on their side to atone for these missteps, but Wilder will need to be more cutthroat with his team selections and drop underperformers, with Ben Brereton Diaz’s first-team spot on shaky ground.

Why Brereton Diaz needs to be dropped

The Chilean attacker won’t be deemed as a blunder in the transfer market, however, with Brereton Diaz boasting a mildly impressive three goals and three assists from 14 encounters since joining on loan in January.

But, to the dismay of the Blades faithful watching on alongside his manager, the usually potent forward was largely anonymous in the last two defeats against Oxford United and Millwall.

Minutes played

59

45

Goals scored

0

0

Assists

0

0

Shots

0

2

Touches

20

21

Accurate passes

7/10 (70%)

9/14

Possession lost

7x

6x

Looking at the table above, it’s clear that Brereton Diaz has been massively underperforming to the detriment of his promotion-chasing side, with only two shots registered in total across a combined 104 minutes versus the U’s and Alex Neil’s visitors.

Moreover, his wastefulness on the ball as a right winger has killed many an attacking opportunity, with possession given up a high seven times at the Kassam Stadium, despite only mustering up a weak 20 touches of the ball.

Wilder substituting off the Southampton loanee at the half-time interval versus Millwall could mean he’s willing to drop the 25-year-old completely for his side’s mammoth trip to Plymouth Argyle later on, therefore, which might potentially gift this exciting winger the chance to nail down a starting spot on the right subsequently.

How Wilder can replace Brereton Diaz

After all, if the Blades do decide to go all gung-ho on their travels to Devon, they could gain a lot of joy from a leaky, relegation-doomed side in the Pilgrims, considering Plymouth have given up a high 81 goals in league action.

Chalkboard

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

Jesurun Rak-Sakyi could be licking his lips at the prospect of a start at Home Park, consequently, with the Crystal Palace loanee gifting his side a lot more on the right flank last time out than the out-of-sorts Brereton Diaz.

Across his bright 45-minute stint on the Bramall Lane turf, Rak-Sakyi managed to tally up three more shots than his poor counterpart, on top of also twisting and turn Millwall shirts for fun with three successful dribbles, as per Sofascore.

Winning 100% of his ground duels too, the 22-year-old attacker would have been kicking himself that he didn’t add to his growing goal and assist tally for the club in the unfortunate 1-0 defeat, having picked up six strikes and two assists away from this second successive loss.

Hailed as a “remarkable” player by former Eagles boss Roy Hodgson, Rak-Sakyi would love to close out his memorable stint in South Yorkshire with a promotion on his fledgling CV.

With double the amount of strikes compared next to Brereton Diaz’s league output – on top of his promising cameo against Millwall – the time could be right to hand the entertaining youngster a start, as Wilder attempts to roll the dice subtly to get his team’s stuttering promotion push back on course.

Wilder must axe Sheffield United man earning more than Cooper & Campbell

Chris Wilder could soon ditch this Sheffield United high earner.

ByKelan Sarson Apr 8, 2025

Two of India’s best young players ticked off a few records in the second Test against West Indies in Delhi

Sampath Bandarupalli11-Oct-20255 Test hundreds for Shubman Gill in 2025, the most by a player in the year they first began captaining their country. Gill also equalled the Indian record for most Test hundreds as a captain in a calendar year, held by Virat Kohli with five tons each in 2017 and 2018.12 Innings for Gill to score five hundreds as Test captain. Only two players took less time to get to this mark – Alastair Cook (nine innings) and Sunil Gavaskar (10). In terms of matches, Gill took the same as Don Bradman (seven) to score five Test hundreds as captain, while Cook (five) and Gavaskar (six) got there quicker.ESPNcricinfo Ltd84.81 Gill’s average as captain, second only to Bradman’s (101.51) among those who have led their teams at least seven times in Test cricket. This Test against West Indies in Delhi is Gill’s seventh Test as captain.5 Number of 150-plus scores for Yashasvi Jaiswal in Test cricket. Only Bradman (8) had more 150-plus scores before turning 24.7 Hundreds for Jaiswal in his 26-match Test career, the joint-most by an opener before turning 24. Graeme Smith also had seven tons as an opener before his 24th birthday.Overall, only Bradman (12), Sachin Tendulkar (11) and Garry Sobers (nine) scored more than seven hundreds in Test cricket before turning 24.Yashasvi Jaiswal has turned five of his first seven hundreds into 150-plus scores•AFP/Getty Images2 Number of players before Jaiswal to convert five of their first seven Test hundreds into 150-plus scores – Bob Simpson and Brian Lara.3 Instances of India having a fifty-plus stand for each of the first five wickets in a Test innings. The previous two instances were against England in 1993 in Mumbai and against Australia in 2023 in Ahmedabad.518 for 5 India’s first-innings total in Delhi is the highest in Test cricket without a bye or leg bye. The previous highest such score was 513 by Bangladesh against Sri Lanka in Chattogram in 2018.ESPNcricinfo LtdIndia’s innings featured only two runs through extras – both being wides – the second-fewest in a Test total of 500-plus. Australia’s 549 for 7 against South Africa in 1950 featured only one extra run, a bye.318 Balls were bowled by West Indies’ pace bowlers in India’s first innings without taking a wicket. Only twice before had West Indies’ pacers gone wicketless in a Test innings despite bowling 300-plus balls – against New Zealand in 1972 at Georgetown (540 balls*) and against Pakistan in 2016 at Dubai (432 balls).*Sobers, who bowls spin and seam, bowled 42 wicketless overs in addition to the 540 balls at Georgetown

All the ODI records that were broken in Australia’s innings of 367 for 9 against Pakistan in Bengaluru

Sampath Bandarupalli20-Oct-2023259 – Partnership runs between David Warner and Mitchell Marsh, the second-highest opening stand in men’s ODI World Cups. The highest is 282 between Tillakaratne Dilshan and Upul Tharanga against Zimbabwe in 2011.ESPNcricinfo Ltd1 – The Warner-Marsh partnership is the first 200-plus runs stand against Pakistan at the men’s World Cup. The previous highest was the unbeaten 175-run opening stand between Brian Lara and Desmond Haynes in 1992.The 259-run stand is also the second-highest for Australia at World Cups, behind the 260 partnership between Warner and Steven Smith for the second wicket against Afghanistan in 2015.367 for 9 – Australia’s total in Bengaluru is now the highest by any team against Pakistan at men’s ODI World Cups. Sri Lanka’s 344 for 9 earlier in the tournament in Hyderabad was the previous highest. It is also the second-highest ODI total for Australia against Pakistan, behind the 369 for 7 in the 2017 Adelaide ODI.4 – Consecutive ODI hundreds for Warner against Pakistan. He is only the second batter with four straight ODI tons against an opponent, joining Virat Kohli, who did it against West Indies.5 – Hundreds by Warner in ODI World Cups, the joint-most for Australia, alongside Ricky Ponting. Only two batters have scored more than five hundreds at men’s ODI World Cups – Rohit Sharma (7) and Sachin Tendulkar (6).3 – Number of 150-plus scores by Warner at ODI World Cups. No other batter has more than one. He scored 178 against Afghanistan in 2015 and 166 against Bangladesh in 2019. Warner now has seven 150-plus scores in ODIs, only one behind Rohit’s eight.ESPNcricinfo Ltd19 – Sixes by Australia on Friday are the joint-most they have hit in an ODI innings. They also struck 19 sixes against India in 2013 during an ODI at the same ground.These 19 sixes are the most that Pakistan have conceded in an ODI innings and also the joint-second by any team in a men’s ODI World Cup game, only behind England’s 25 sixes against Afghanistan in 2019.18 – Total sixes struck by the Australian openers – nine each by Warner and Marsh. These are the most sixes hit by opening batters in an ODI innings, surpassing the 16 by India (all 16 by Rohit) against Australia in 2013 and West Indies (all 16 by Chris Gayle) against Zimbabwe in 2015.1 – Warner’s 163 is the highest individual score against Pakistan at men’s ODI World Cups. The previous highest was Andrew Symonds’ 143* in the 2003 edition in Johannesburg. Warner is also the first batter with two hundreds at World Cups against Pakistan, as his first (107) came in 2019.2 – Batters with a century on their birthday at men’s ODI World Cups, including Marsh, who turned 32 on Friday with his 121. Ross Taylor was the first to score a World Cup hundred on his birthday – 131* against Pakistan in 2011 when he turned 27.

The second-most overs faced, the second-best lead and other dizzying records

Sampath Bandarupalli04-Jan-2022176.2 – The number of overs Bangladesh batted in their first innings at the Bay Oval. These are the second-most they’ve batted in a Test innings, behind the 196 overs they batted out against Sri Lanka in Galle, 2013. This is also only the second instance of Bangladesh batting 150-plus overs in a Test innings outside Asia – 152.0 overs against New Zealand in Wellington in 2017.ESPNcricinfo Ltd2009 – The last time a visiting team batted for more than the 176.2 overs in a Test innings in New Zealand. Pakistan battled out 193.2 overs during their second dig to draw the series at the McLean Park.ESPNcricinfo Ltd130 – Bangladesh’s first-innings lead in this match, the highest New Zealand had conceded in a home Test since the start of 2017. England’s lead of 101 at the Seddon Park in 2019 was the only instance of a visiting team claiming a 100-run first-inning lead across the 22 home Tests against New Zealand in this period.1 – Only once before have Bangladesh bagged a higher first-innings lead than the 130 they did here, in an away Test. That was the 192-run first-innings lead they pocketed against Zimbabwe in Harare last year. It is also the second-highest first-innings lead for Bangladesh when batting second in a Test, behind the 295-run lead against Zimbabwe in 2020.8 – Each of Bangladesh’s top eight batters faced 50-plus deliveries in their first innings against New Zealand. It is the first instance for Bangladesh in Test cricket where their top eight batters survived 50 or more balls in the same innings.ESPNcricinfo Ltd4 – The number of times Bangladesh have posted scores of 400 or more in an innings in New Zealand. All of them have come since the start of 2010. No visiting team has had more such totals in New Zealand in this period. Australia also had four 400-plus total in New Zealand since 2010, including three totals over 500.890 – The number of balls bowled by New Zealand’s pacers in the first innings. These are the most by a team’s pacers while taking all ten wickets in a Test innings since 2000. The 890 balls they bowled were also the most by a team’s quicks in a Test innings since 2007.

The Blue Jays’ 11–4 blowout win over the Dodgers in Game 1 of the 2025 World Series on Friday night turned into a laugher. Game 2 was anything but.

In a pitcher’s duel between Toronto veteran Kevin Gausman and Los Angeles ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto, the Dodgers separated themselves with two big blasts by Will Smith and Max Muncy in the seventh inning. It was enough for Los Angeles to ride Yamamoto’s right arm the rest of the way for a 5–1 win to even up the World Series at one game apiece.

The World Series now shifts to Los Angeles for Game 3. But before it does, let’s take a look at what we learned from Game 2:

An October legend in the making

A star is born.

The last time Yamamoto took the hill in a playoff game, he allowed just one run in a complete game to lead the Dodgers to a 5–1 win over the Brewers in Game 2 of the NLCS. He did it again Saturday night on baseball’s biggest stage.

Yamamoto allowed just one run on four hits over nine innings with eight strikeouts against the Blue Jays in Game 2. He’s the first pitcher to log back-to-back complete games in the postseason since Curt Schilling did it for the Diamondbacks in 2001.

He’s also the first pitcher to log a complete game in the World Series since Royals righthander Johnny Cueto in 2015.

Yamamoto found himself in trouble early, allowing at least one baserunner in the first three innings, and the Blue Jays got one run across on a sacrifice fly in the third. But he was lights out the rest of the evening, retiring 20 straight batters from the third inning to when Daulton Varsho popped out to end the game.

In two career World Series starts, Yamamoto has surrendered just two total runs on five hits with 12 strikeouts in 15 1/3 innings—adding up to a 1.17 ERA.

Gettin’ jiggy wit it

Entering Game 2, Dodgers catcher Will Smith had nine hits in this postseason run, but all nine were singles. He added another base knock in the first inning off Gausman—one that brought in the first run of the game—but Smith saved the biggest swing of the Dodgers’ postseason run for the seventh.

With one out in the inning, Smith squared up a 3–2 fastball and sent it 404 feet into the upper deck in left field for a 2–1 lead.

Smith’s timely hitting calmed concerns about the Dodgers’ offense. There’s not much to complain about Los Angeles’s 9–2 record this postseason, but it’s been on the backs of an elite pitching staff. The Dodgers are batting just .230 with runners in scoring position this postseason, and most of that damage was done in a two-game sweep over the Reds in the wild-card round.

The Dodgers’ offense woke up in Game 2. Bad news for Toronto.

Lights weren’t too bright for Gausman

Thirteen seasons and 373 career appearances in the big leagues later, 34-year-old Kevin Gausman toed the rubber in a World Series game for the first time Saturday night.

Gausman, in his fourth campaign with the Blue Jays, saw Toronto’s previous two playoff runs in 2022 and ‘23 end with a sweep in the wild-card round, and last year was a 74–88 dud—seasons he called “heartbreaking” and a “punch in the face,” according to Fox Sports reporter Ken Rosenthal. Well, on Saturday night, Gausman punched back.

The veteran surrendered one run in the first inning on Will Smith’s RBI single before locking in and dominating for much of the night. Gausman didn’t allow a single baserunner until Smith and Max Muncy went yard in the seventh, retiring 17 consecutive batters in that span. In all, Gausman allowed three earned runs on four hits with six strikeouts and no walks in 6 2/3 innings—his longest career postseason appearance.

Sunderland fans had waited a decade for this moment, as their beloved Black Cats finally faced off against their arch-rivals Newcastle United at the Stadium of Light in the Premier League.

The match didn’t disappoint, either, from a Sunderland perspective, as Regis Le Bris’ men secured the bragging rights when Nick Woltemade unexpectedly headed back Aaron Ramsdale, just as the second half got underway.

A real sickener for the Toon proved to be the fortuitous match-winner for the hosts, as the lofty German striker wanted the ground to swallow him up, after his connection from an inviting Sunderland delivery beat the ex-Arsenal goalkeeper.

While the ex-Stuttgart forward’s embarrassing lapse of judgment stole the headlines come the full-time whistle, many of Le Bris’ first teamers also stood out throughout, as Granit Xhaka cut an assured figure again, all across the 1-0 win.

Xhaka's performance in numbers

Come the end of the match, Sky Sports’ Micah Richards would rightly hail the Black Cats captain as an “absolute warrior”, as the ever-present midfield battler barely put a foot wrong again.

He did give away possession 16 times, but the Swiss would constantly recover and retrieve the ball, with all 100% of his tackles successfully won.

Le Bris would have known it was vital that Sunderland won the midfield battle to get the better of Eddie Howe’s visitors, as the likes of Sandro Tonali won no tackles, up against a far stronger Xhaka.

Moreover, the tenacious number 34 has the know-how of how to win these sorts of crunch affairs, having become well accustomed to the North London Derby at the Emirates, with Xhaka subsequently standing out from minute one. He would amass the most touches of any player in the first half at 50 touches, alongside calmly spraying the ball about at 43 passes.

Visibly cut at the full-time whistle, too, having given his all, it must be hard for Sunderland fans not to just constantly wax lyrical about their Swiss warrior. Yet, he wasn’t the only star showered with praise at the end.

Sunderland star was the "standout player"

Sunderland looked in control of the game from the minute Woltemade placed an effort past his own ‘keeper, as the rock-solid Black Cats defence stood firm once more this season, against a tired Magpies attack.

In particular, Reinildo shone down the left flank for Le Bris all match long, with Sky Sports’ Dougie Critchley hailing him as Sunderland’s “standout player” in a lively first 45 minutes. Fellow journalist Andy Sixsmith also went out of his way to praise the ex-Atletico Madrid full-back by stating that he didn’t give a ropey Anthony Elanga a “sniff” when he was on the Stadium of Light turf.

Minutes played

90

Goals scored

0

Assists

0

Touches

48

Accurate passes

27/32 (84%)

Successful dribbles

1/1

Tackles won

2/2

Interceptions

1

Clearances

4

Blocked shots

1

Ball recoveries

7

Total duels won

6/8

Away from completely nullifying the former Nottingham Forest attacker, Reinildo would also play with the same energy and determination that Xhaka displayed in spades, with the Brazilian even coming off at the end with the same amount of tackles won as the high-octane number 34.

He would even better Xhaka in terms of duels won, having won six compared to the ex-Arsenal man’s five, while also managing to complete all 100% of his dribbles as a force willing to push his side up the pitch, away from thwarting Newcastle forwards throughout.

Having arrived on a free transfer in the summer, Reinildo will surely now be seen as an unbelievable diamond that has been unearthed, with all 100% of his duels won against Liverpool, too, away at Anfield.

The celebrations at the end of the 1-0 victory will live long in the memory at Sunderland, as both Reinildo and Xhaka rightly jumped for joy, as their combined efforts ensured a tight three points were clinched.

Now sitting even prettier in seventh spot, five spots above their sworn enemy from Tyneside, it really was an all-round perfect day for Le Bris’ hosts, as Reinildo rubber-stamped why he should be the Frenchman’s starting left-back week in week out.

Not O’Nien: Sunderland have their new Kevin Ball in £110k-per-week star

Regis Le Bris now has Sunderland’s new Kevin Ball at his disposal ahead of the feisty Tyne-Wear Derby.

ByKelan Sarson 2 days ago

With the pressure growing on Arne Slot, Xabi Alonso has reportedly made his mind up on taking the Liverpool job if it becomes available at the same time that he potentially leaves Real Madrid.

For the first time in Slot’s Liverpool career, serious questions are being asked about his tenure. Last season’s Premier League title win has provided him with plenty of credit but, as Jamie Carragher pointed out on Monday Night Football, not everyone is still convinced that he’s still the man for the job.

After eight defeats in 11 games, the Dutchman simply has to turn things around. The Reds backed him by breaking their transfer record twice in the summer and spending over £400m, but are yet to see that investment pay off.

The most concerning aspect of Liverpool’s recent run is that nothing has changed. Slot has persisted with the same system, which only provided false dawns against Real Madrid and Aston Villa.

Now, with Alonso also under pressure at Madrid, Liverpool could be presented with a tempting opportunity to make a sensational change.

Xabi Alonso makes Liverpool decision

According to Football365, Alonso is now ready to take the Liverpool job if Real Madrid decide to sack him. The Spaniard has been put under increasing pressure by reports that Vinicius Junior has decided against signing a new deal whilst the manager is in charge.

As Real Madrid are forced to decide between their star man and their new manager, it’s Liverpool who could take full advantage.

For many, the big question has centred around who would replace Slot if Liverpool decided to sack the Dutchman. In Alonso, they’d have the perfect answer.

The Reds were interested in a reunion with the Spaniard before they hired Slot and could now get what they initially wanted over a year later.

Forget Leoni: 19-year-old academy star could end Konate's Liverpool career

Liverpool’s French centre-back has been abject in Slot’s system this season.

ByAngus Sinclair Nov 24, 2025

Although a lot of pieces will need to fall into place, there’s little doubt that Alonso would be welcomed with open arms at Anfield.

"I'm told" – Romano shares what Slot thinks about his own Liverpool future

Nottingham Forest have now made contact to sign Everton’s James Garner, amid a new update on the midfielder’s future at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.

Forest are looking to bolster their options in the engine room, amid widespread interest in Elliot Anderson, with Chelsea recently joining the race for the Englishman, who has managed to impress once again this season, despite his side sitting 19th in the Premier League table.

Anderson has also emerged as a regular starter for England, most recently putting in a solid showing as the Three Lions cruised past Serbia 2-0, completing 77 passes, while also winning seven duels, the joint-highest number of any player.

The Tricky Trees played a blinder by signing the 23-year-old from Newcastle United back in 2024, and they have now made an approach for another English midfielder…

Nottingham Forest make contact to sign James Garner

According to a report from Football Insider, Nottingham Forest have made contact over a deal for Everton midfielder Garner, who is out of contract at the end of the season, meaning his future at the Hill Dickinson Stadium is in doubt.

Forest have registered their interest in signing the 24-year-old, but there could be competition for his signature from Aston Villa, who have also made a move, while former club Newcastle United remain in the race.

The Merseysiders retain the option to extend the Englishman’s contract by an additional year, so they do not need to panic just yet, but they will be eager to tie him down soon, given that interest from elsewhere is now growing.

Sean Dyche knows the central midfielder well from their time working together on Merseyside, with the former Everton manager saying: “Jimmy Garner was terrific, he’s learning and improving. He’s just a good kid. He’s got that nice little edge about him that he’s a bit of a nark now and again, I like it.

“I think you need that as a footballer. The demands he places upon himself is very pleasing as he works very hard in training and I think he’s getting the rewards with his improvement.”

The Birkenhead-born midfielder has also performed well from a defensive point of view over the past year, even outperforming Anderson on some key metrics.

Average per 90 (past year)

James Garner

Elliot Anderson

Interceptions

1.35

1.02

Blocks

1.39

1.37

Clearances

2.24

2.01

Garner has been a key player for Everton this season, starting every match in the Premier League, which suggests he would be able to hit the ground running at Forest, so Dyche’s side should undoubtedly try and get a deal done this January.

Elliot Anderson makes decision on joining Man Utd Elliot Anderson makes Man Utd decision as INEOS ready £60m bid

Nottingham Forest midfielder Elliot Anderson could be set for a major move in January.

1 ByJames O'Reilly Nov 5, 2025