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Liverpool have “concrete” interest in an “exceptional” England international and are planning an approach for him, according to a new transfer update.

Diaz out and Isak in at Liverpool?

The Reds haven’t had a summer this exciting in many years, with so much incoming and outgoing business happening since the end of last season. Luis Diaz’s time as a Liverpool player is now set to reach its conclusion, with the Colombian winger closing in on a move to Bayern Munich, following three-and-a-half years at Anfield.

Meanwhile, the Premier League champions are continuing their pursuit of Newcastle United striker Alexander Isak, in what could be a remarkable signing, just weeks after Florian Wirtz joined as the most expensive addition in the history of British football.

If Liverpool were able to sign Isak on top of Hugo Ekitike, with Diaz and Darwin Nunez making way, it could prove to be outstanding business, with all due respect to the two South Americans. A new centre-back will also be needed, though, and a key update has dropped regarding their search for one.

Liverpool planning approach for "exceptional" ace

According to a new update from Football Insider, Liverpool have “concrete” interest in Crystal Palace captain Marc Guehi, as has seemingly been the case for some time now.

Similarly to Isak, the 24-year-old has “informed” the Eagles that he is “not planning to sign an extension” this summer, with the Reds now “expected to make a fresh approach to Palace in the coming weeks”.

With Jarell Quansah leaving for Bayer Leverkusen earlier this summer, Guehi stands out as the ideal choice to come in and bolster Liverpool’s defensive options. In fact, he would be an upgrade on the young Englishman.

The Palace skipper has grown so much as a player in the past year or two, standing out as arguably England’s best player at Euro 2024, with former Three Lions goalkeeper Joe Hart showering him with praise.

“Huge shoutout to Marc Guehi. I thought he was exceptional. He really stepped in and was really calm on the ball. I thought Guehi allowed John Stones to play his game. The more Marc plays, the better that [centre-back] partnership will get.”

This feels like the right time for Guehi to leave Palace and kick on at one of the biggest clubs in Europe, and while Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate will make it hard for him to be a regular starter, plenty of minutes should still come his way.

Liverpool now in contact to sign £17m forward who Man Utd are in talks for

The Red Devils could be hijacked by those at Anfield.

ByCharlie Smith Jul 27, 2025

The £50,000-a-week defender’s price tag is one drawback, especially as Liverpool have already paid huge money on signings this summer, but if FSG make the funds available, the Reds should view him as a fantastic option.

Aston Villa only have a limited time to raise funds in their battle to avoid PSR sanctions, with the footballing financial deadline for 2024/2025 looming on June 30.

£120k-a-week Aston Villa outfielder has now opened talks to join elite club

He could leave with Emiliano Martinez.

1 ByEmilio Galantini Jun 21, 2025

Unai Emery’s side can only register a loss of around £15 million for the year just gone, according to a recent report by The Athletic, with Premier League clubs only permitted losses of around £105m over a rolling three-year period.

Villa are forecast to be over this limit as things stand, prompting NSWE to explore the possibility of selling their women’s team in a bid to comply with PSR and swerve breaches.

Emery falling just short of qualifying for the Champions League at the end of 24/25 cost them dearly both on and off the field, and there is every possibility that Villa could look to secure a big-name exit in the next two days to raise funds.

Their marquee sales of Jhon Duran and Moussa Diaby to Saudi Arabia have really helped in this regard, but they could require at least one more as the PSR deadline looms.

Atletico Madrid held talks with Lucas Digne over a switch to La Liga recently, according to Football Insider, and the 52-cap Frenchman, with just one year remaining on his £120,000-per-week contract, could be a prime contender for the exit door.

Emiliano Martínez, Youri Tielemans and Amadou Onana are other players named as potential candidates to leave, while clubs are expressing a serious interest in Villa sensation Morgan Rogers as well.

The clock is ticking for Villa to agree a significant departure, and they could be handed a chance to make some money off Kosta Nedeljkovic’s talks to join RB Leipzig permanently (Sky Germany).

However, according to journalist Wayne Veysey, Villa have also alerted representatives to their stance over selling star striker Ollie Watkins.

Aston Villa tell agents they're ready to sell Ollie Watkins

Emery’s side rejected a low-ball £40 million bid from Arsenal for Watkins in January, but the Gunners haven’t followed that up with any formal approach so far this summer.

Writing for Football Insider, Veysey states Villa have told “senior agents” that they’re ready to sell Watkins by Monday, but they’re yet to find a buyer for the talismanic forward, who bagged 17 goals and 14 assists in all competitions last term.

The 29-year-old, who’ll turn 30 in December, also became the club’s all-time top Premier League goalscorer at the back end of 24/25, surpassing Gabriel Agbonlahor, but Villa have apparently made it clear they’re willing to do a deal.

Emery may not be a fan of this decision, or supporters for that matter, considering they already let Duran go earlier this year – and it would be an almighty task to replace Watkins’ influence up front.

“He deserves it completely because he is a hard worker,” said Emery about Watkins, after the ex-Brentford star broke Agbonlahor’s Premier League goalscoring record for Villa.

“He is committed with Aston Villa. His courage has been fantastic and to achieve it is very fantastic. I am so, so grateful to have a player like him.”

Leicestershire No. 8 rewrites the record-books in once-in-a-lifetime onslaught in Hove

ECB Reporters Network26-Jun-2024

Louis Kimber smashed 191 runs in the first session alone•Leicestershire CCC

Louis Kimber said he would try to savour the glory of his extraordinary 243 from 127 balls for Leicestershire in Hove, despite falling agonisingly short of what would have been a victory for the ages against Sussex.Set an unlikely 464 to win, Leicestershire were floundering at 144 for 6 when Kimber began his innings in the third over of the final day, and it soon became 175 for 7 when Wiaan Mulder became James Coles’ second victim of the morning.But, with Ben Cox proving an excellent sidekick, Kimber set about transforming Leicestershire’s outlook with a sensational counterattack that featured a Championship-record 21 sixes, and a remarkable 191 runs in the morning session alone.Despite boasting an average of less than 25, Kimber brought up his second first-class hundred from 62 balls in the midst of another record-breaking display – a 43-run over off the England seamer Ollie Robinson, featuring two sixes and six fours, as well as three no-balls, as Robinson frequently overstepped amid the onslaught.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Extraordinarily, he needed just 28 more balls to reach his double-hundred, the second-fastest in first-class history, but with partners running out, he was unable to pick off the final 18 runs needed to seal an unforgettable run-chase.”You don’t get many days like that in your career, it was unbelievable really,” Kimber told the ECB Reporters’ Network. “It’s just a shame we couldn’t get over the line but personally, you have to enjoy days like that. It was good fun.”I just tried to be positive and see what happened. I got a bit of luck here and there but you need that. Most of the lads have told me to remember it because days like this don’t come around too often.”My phone has been buzzing and the records I have broken are pretty cool. All the Sussex players congratulated me and told me I didn’t deserve to be on the losing side. They were very gracious and over four days probably deserved to win.”I can’t remember hitting the ball as cleanly as I did today before. I got into a kind of weird zone when I wasn’t thinking too much except trying to hit the ball where I wanted to. It was an amazing feeling. There wasn’t too much running going on, I was just trying to hit the ball as far as I could.”We lost two wickets after lunch but Josh Hull is pretty under-rated as a batter at No. 11. I was trying to hit the ball I was out to for a single and then try and win it with the smaller boundary on the leg side. It didn’t quite come off.”There is a sense of frustration personally, because I have felt good all season and been in pretty decent touch without posting a decent score, so this was probably due. You still have to apply yourself and take the positive option and I did that today. I guess expectations will increase when you do something as noticeable as this but we’ll see what happens.”Kimber’s 243 was also the highest score by a batter at No. 8 (or lower) in County Championship history, and only the third double-century from that position, following Dominic Cork’s 200 not out against Durham in 2000, and 200 from Graham Wagg against Surrey in 2015.”I have batted at No. 3 for most of this season and really enjoyed the challenge but for this game I went down to seven to help the balance of the team and then came in at eight because we’d had a nightwatchman. I want to bat as high as I can but whatever I’m needed to do I will do to try and win us games of cricket.”Louis Kimber’s 243 was also the highest score by a batter at No. 8 (or lower) in County Championship history•Leicestershire CCC

Sussex’s head coach Paul Farbrace might have had a sense of déjà vu after watching Leicestershire rack up 483 in pursuit of 499 in the corresponding fixture at Hove last season. Though he praised his team for holding their nerve amid Kimber’s onslaught, he admitted that “between 12 and 1 we completely lost our heads”.”We had some pretty ordinary plans and executed them even worse,” Farbrace said. “But at lunch they still needed 89 and we won from a worse situation against them last year. The plan was to go short and try and bounce Louis. Ollie Robinson struck him on the gloves a couple of times then he nicked off and it went between keeper and slip. He just kept going so fair play to him.”From their point of view, they had gone from a situation where you’re not expected to win to being favourites. Fair play to Louis Kimber, he just kept striking the ball and about ten minutes before we took the last wicket, I thought we could be angry about our game but sometimes you have to say well played to someone who played brilliantly and had a day out he will never forget.”He hit 21 sixes but it felt like 41 and I’m not surprised at the records he has broken, it was an exceptional innings, but our session after lunch when we took the last three wickets was top class.”

Manchester United are in the market to sign a new centre-forward to lead the line for Ruben Amorim in the 2025/26 campaign, and that could spell trouble for Rasmus Hojlund at Old Trafford.

The latest on Rasmus Hojlund's future at Man Utd

According to the print edition of La Gazzetta dello Sport, as relayed by FCInterNews, Italian giants Inter want to sign the Denmark international to replace Mehdi Taremi this summer.

The Serie A side, who finished second in the league and were finalists in the Champions League, have ‘accelerated’ a move to snap up the former Atalanta attacker from the Red Devils.

La Gazzetta dello Sport adds that Hojlund has made it clear that he likes the idea of playing for Inter next season, but it remains to be seen whether or not he will really push for the transfer.

The outlet claims that Inter are pushing to sign him on loan with an obligation to make it permanent next summer, whilst Manchester United would prefer an instant sale to boost their coffers.

Hojlund is said to be valued at around £38m by the Premier League giants, which is more than Inter are willing to spend on a new striker at this time, and the two clubs are in talks over a deal that would work for all parties.

His exit from Old Trafford would pave the way for a new centre-forward to arrive in Manchester, though, and the club are already reportedly eyeing his replacement.

Man Utd in positive talks to sign Bundesliga striker

According to Foot Mercato, Manchester United are interested in a deal to sign former France U21 international Hugo Ekitike from Bundesliga outfit Eintracht Frankfurt.

The report claims that the Red Devils are progressing in positive talks to bring the former PSG marksman over to England during the summer transfer window, as they look to improve their options at the top end of the pitch.

It states that the Premier League side are accelerating a deal for the 22-year-old centre-forward, after making positive contact with his representatives to discuss a move to Old Trafford.

Foot Mercato adds that United have also contacted Frankfurt to discuss a potential fee for Ekitike, who scored 22 goals in all competitions during the 2024/25 campaign, and that all parties are feeling positive at this moment in time.

The outlet, however, also reveals that Liverpool and Chelsea are also interested in signing the French attacker and could provide competition for his signature.

This may be why the Red Devils are ‘accelerating’ a swoop for the young marksman, amid talks with the player and Frankfurt, as they look to win the race for his services.

Analyst Ben Mattinson described him as “one of the best strikers out there” in March, and his statistics in the 2024/25 campaign suggest that he would be a big upgrade on what United currently have at their disposal.

Appearances

32

33

Shots on target per game

0.4

1.5

Goals

4

15

Goals per game

0.1

0.5

Big chances created

4

12

Assists

0

8

As you can see in the table above, Ekitike vastly outperformed Hojlund at league level as both a scorer and a creator of goals in the number nine position, producing 27 goals and ‘big chances’ created combined, in comparison to the Dane’s eight.

This is why this fresh report detailing United’s pursuit of the Frankfurt star should come as good news to Amorim, who could have a huge upgrade for his attack if the transfer goes through this summer.

Man Utd set to prioritise deal for £65m star if Tottenham sign Mbeumo

The Red Devils have a backup plan.

1 ByTom Cunningham Jun 15, 2025

Manchester United are believed to be in contact about the signing of another exciting player this summer, according to a fresh transfer claim.

Man Utd set to sign Kana-Biyik as INEOS plot youth overhaul

The Red Devils won 3-0 away to Athletic Bilbao on Thursday evening, allowing them to start dreaming of a place in the Europa League final, and some intriguing transfer business was reported at the same time.

At the same time as the game was going on, renowned journalist Fabrizio Romano took to X to report that United have agreed a deal to sign Le Havre attacking sensation Enzo Kana-Biyik on a five-year deal.

At 18, Kana-Biyik is still clearly a raw talent, but it is a further sign that Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS are targeting young players with huge potential this summer, as well as focusing on signing star men who can come in and be an immediate hit.

Winning the Europa League will only help United bring in the right players, ensuring qualification for the Champions League in the process, and now a new update has emerged alongside Kana-Biyik.

Man Utd make contact to sign La Liga 2 gem Christian Kofane

According to reports in Spain [via Sport Witness], Manchester United are among the clubs in contact to sign Christian Kofane from Albacete Balompie this summer. The striker has a £4.2m release clause in his contract that can be triggered this year.

The update claims that “half of Europe” have been in touch about signing the 18-year-old, with fellow Premier League clubs Newcastle United and Aston Villa mentioned, as well as Atletico Madrid, Real Madrid, Barcelona, Villarreal, Real Betis, Lille and Monaco.

Kofane may not yet be a household name, but he is a teenage star who could grow into a special player over time, having already scored six goals in 15 appearances for Albacete at senior level.

97% passing: 8/10 Man Utd star is now as undroppable as Bruno & Casemiro

Man Utd romped to a superb 3-0 win on the road on Thursday evening in the Europa League…

ByRobbie Walls May 2, 2025

Meanwhile, Under-23 scout Antonio Mango has hailed the “pace”, “technical skills” and “movement” that the Cameroonian has in his locker, showing that he is an attacker with many key attributes.

As is the case with Kana-Biyik, Kofane isn’t the immediate solution for United, and could be loaned out given he has only thrived in the second tier in Spain so far, but the level of interest in him shows what a mouthwatering prospect he is.

As interest continues to arrive over Eberechi Eze’s signature, Crystal Palace have reportedly turned their attention towards a talented attacking midfielder who could replace their star man.

Man Utd interested in Eze

Among the clubs interested in Eze are Manchester United. The Red Devils are desperate for reinforcements this summer, and as Ruben Amorim searches for the perfect attacking midfielder to slot straight into his 3-4-2-1 system, Eze could be an ideal choice.

The Crystal Palace star has once again been vital for Oliver Glasner’s side, who find themselves in an FA Cup semi-final and pushing for a top-half finish.

Glasner is certainly well aware of Eze’s importance too, albeit in a “strange season”, having told reporters after Crystal Palace thrashed Fulham 3-0 in their FA Cup quarter-final tie: “I think Ebere has had a strange season, he hasn’t had many goals in the Premier League and he has been unlucky, but he keeps going, he’s also struggled with strange injuries.

“The goal against Latvia and his first for England means a lot for him. He always has the confidence, we know he’s an amazing finisher to cut inside on his right foot with an amazing finish. We need this quality, he helped us today massively.”

Mateta swap deal: Crystal Palace could now get chance to sign £70m+ striker

He desperately needs a move.

2 ByTom Cunningham Apr 4, 2025

It’s the type of quality that has attracted those at Old Trafford, who will reportedly have to splash out as much as £60m if they are to lure the England international away from Selhurst Park this summer.

Palace, of course, have eventually managed to cope without Michael Olise following his departure to Bayern Munich last summer. Now, they’ve reportedly set their sights on a player who could replace Eze in the event of his exit this time around.

Crystal Palace racing to sign Sem Steijn

Already preparing for the worst, the Eagles have reportedly set their sights on replacing their star man. According to The Boot Room, Crystal Palace are now battling to sign Sem Steijn from FC Twente this summer, having already sent their scouts to watch the talented attacking midfielder in action in recent months.

The 23-year-old has got better and better in recent seasons, culminating in an incredibly impressive campaign and his best yet in the Netherlands. Scoring 26 goals and assisting a further six goals in all competitions prior to this weekend, it should come as no surprise to see the likes of Jacek Kulig sending praise the Dutchman’s way.

The football talent scout rightfully described Steijn’s season as “amazing” following a campaign which has attracted the interest of Palace, West Ham United and Wolverhampton Wanderers, among others.

If Eze does depart this summer, the impressive Dutchman should sit top of Crystal Palace’s list of potential replacements.

Test cricket, when your front men are scoring runs, is bliss. And that is what India will be searching for in Mumbai

Alagappan Muthu29-Oct-20241:16

Manjrekar: India will hope Rohit, Kohli fire in Australia

This is an anomaly, and it is at the heart of everything that has gone down in this series. A visiting batter is the top-scorer. There really aren’t very many times that has happened in Test cricket played in India.Keeping to events in this century, there was Alastair Cook’s merciless grind in 2012-13. Steven Smith’s extraordinary skill in 2016-17. Hashim Amla’s wristy goodness in 2009-10, dismissed just once while scoring 490 runs. Andy Flower’s sweep-shot masterclass in 2000-01. Matthew Hayden’s sweep-shot masterclass in 2000-01. This is not an exhaustive list, but it does highlight a very useful point. Only one of these five performances went on to help their team win the series.India’s batters found ways to match most of the others. Cheteshwar Pujara was hot on Smith’s heels. Rahul Dravid was only 108 runs off Flower despite playing one fewer innings. And VVS Laxman made 2000-01 all about himself with just one trip to the crease. A significant part of their dominance at home came down to their ability to pile on some serious runs, the kind that simply overwhelmed oppositions. England, in 2016-17, began three of the five Tests with first-innings totals of 400 or more. They drew one and lost two – by an innings.Related

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Often enough, these runs came from their top four – from players with an enormous amount of experience, and the stubbornness that comes with it. This time, however, India’s closest representative to Rachin Ravindra on top of the leaderboard is a man who hadn’t played any international cricket prior to this year.Sarfaraz Khan’s biggest contribution, though – his 150, which forms a lion’s share of his total 170 runs – did come from higher up in the batting line-up. In fact, he braved the challenge of walking out earlier than he normally does in first-class cricket, and came good. That innings is doing a lot of legwork in carrying the average of the top four batters for India up to 31.75. Take that away, and in 15 innings, they have contributed 358 runs at an average of 23.87, including three ducks.New Zealand’s Nos. 1-4, meanwhile, are averaging 49, and even if you take Ravindra’s century out, it stands a healthy 37 because Devon Conway has two half-centuries; Tom Latham, in Pune, produced some of the most high-quality defensive batting seen in the second innings in India in the modern era; and Will Young, who came in to replace Kane Williamson, perhaps the only irreplaceable player in the team, has offered solidity. Among India’s top four, only Yashasvi Jaiswal has faced more balls than Young’s 222. Among his own top four, only Latham has faced fewer (210).Test cricket, when your front men are scoring runs, is bliss. And that is what India will be searching for in Mumbai. Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, who have home bases here, left Pune early. It was understandable. There was nothing more for them there. Just unhealthy reminders of what they had lost: 18 straight series wins, a run unlike any other in the history of the game, and a run to which they had been significant contributors.India need the Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli of old now•BCCIKohli, in particular, has produced absolute gems in dire batting conditions. He made 248 runs in Visakhapatnam from eight years ago, but 81 of those stand separate – as an example of just how devastating his focus is. The ball that turned big couldn’t beat him. The ball that went straight couldn’t catch him off guard. The ball that kept low was whipped to the boundary. There was a 44 against Australia in Delhi just last year, when he was in control of roughly nine out of 10 balls in conditions where the others could only dream of such a thing. His judgment of length was scary quick, and the decisions that they led to elevated batting into art. In this series, he has been bowled to a Mitchell Santner full toss and caught off a non-turning Glenn Phillips offbreak. It has continued a worrying trend in both his and his team-mates’ batting against spin.Rohit has been a lightning rod for India’s defeats. His comments at the post-match press conference in Pune – particularly where he tried to defend the options that he and his team chose – have not gone down well. On social media, people have likened him to Erik Ten Hag, the Manchester United manager who had a habit of telling the media that he was happy with his team’s performance even after losses and pointing to past victories to explain their progress. Ten Hag was sacked on Monday. Rohit’s situation is slightly more secure, but it hasn’t escaped notice that he has led India to four losses in 15 home Tests. His predecessor lost two in 31.Reducing a player to just their numbers can be a bit unforgiving. Worse, it tends to paint an incomplete picture. In this case, it ignores how well Rohit led the team against England earlier this year when they went 0-1 down, and lost first-choice picks to injury and other complications. All of a sudden, there was a whole bunch of new(ish) faces in the team, and nearly all of them had a hand in turning that series scoreline to read 4-1. One of them, Jaiswal, is shaping up to be a world-beater. Rohit lifted his own performance levels as well, scoring two centuries and a fifty. India need that Rohit and that Kohli now. They need their two best batters to regain their old aura.

Alan, Miller and Vish look back at England’s unprecedented 3-0 whitewash success on their tour of Pakistan

ESPNcricinfo staff20-Dec-2022England handed Pakistan their first-ever home whitewashing in Tests after clinching a 3-0 series scoreline in Karachi. It was another strong all-round performance from the tourists, with Harry Brook and 18-year-old debutant Rehan Ahmed stealing the headlines. On this week’s Switch Hit, Alan Gardner is joined by Andrew Miller and our England man in Pakistan, Vithushan Ehantharajah, to chat teenage legspin, Ben Stokes’ leadership and the challenge ahead (ssshhh! Don’t mention the Ashes).