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Arsenal equalled a 105-year-old record after extending their remarkable defensive run with another shut-out win over Slavia Prague in the Champions League on Tuesday. Bukayo Saka opened the scoring from the penalty spot before Mikel Merino, who was covering for the injured Viktor Gyokeres upfront, added a brace to give Arsenal a comfortable 3-0 win in the Czech Republic.

Arsenal equal century-old record

This was Arsenal's eighth consecutive victory across all competitions without conceding a goal this season, a joint record for an English top-division side along with Preston in 1889 and Liverpool in 1920. The record-equalling dream run of victories started with a 2-0 win over Olympiacos in the Champions League on October 1, after which they beat teams like West Ham, Fulham, Crystal Palace, Atletico Madrid and Burnley. 

The last time Mikel Arteta's side conceded a goal was against Newcastle United in the Premier League on September 28, although the Gunners still clinched the clash 2-1. Overall, they are on a 10-match winning streak across all competitions. 

AdvertisementGetty ImagesDowman creates history

Arsenal wonderkid Max Downman became the youngest player ever to appear in a Champions League match, at just 15 years and 308 days, when he came on as a 72nd-minute substitute in place of Jurrien Timber. In the process, the teenager shattered the record previously held by Borussia Dortmund’s Youssoufa Moukoko, who was 16 years and 18 days when he made his debut in 2020.

It was indeed a dream come true moment for the youngster, who was playing, only weeks ago, in the UEFA Youth League, where he dazzled for Gunners' Under-19s against Atletico Madrid, providing two assists in a narrow defeat. Dowman has been training with the senior side under Arteta since the start of the season and made his debut for the club in their 5-0 win over Leeds United in the Premier League. 

Arsenal hailed for squad depth

The Premier League leaders have been hailed for their squad depth in the current campaign, as CBS Sports Golazo analyst Geoff Shreeves told GOAL: "Remember when Liverpool flew out the traps and they signed Wirtz? And there was the talk of getting Isak? And the amount of people who said 'Let's not bother. Just give them the trophy.' Arsenal started to falter a little bit, so it's all over. So no, I wouldn't say Arsenal win it. They've got a great chance. Would I say it's definitely going to happen? Not in a million years, because that's the beauty of the Premier League. 

"Look at the Premier League table right now. Look at Bournemouth, look at Sunderland. It's fantastic. I think we're in for a vintage Premier League this season. Last season, you have to admire what Arne Slot did at Liverpool. But they won it pretty much at a canter, and the bottom three were gone quite early. I said at the start of the season, I think we're seeing much greater competition at the top spot, and I think we'll we'll have far more teams involved in the relegation scrap. At the moment, that's looking fairly prescient. It's a rare example of me actually being right."

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Getty ImagesWhen will Gyokeres return?

Amid the stunning run of form, Arteta remains concerned over star forward Gyokeres' condition as he missed the Champions League tie on Tuesday. The Sweden international sustained a hamstring injury during the Premier League win over Burnley last weekend, leaving the Arsenal boss fearful that he may be out for an extended period of time. The Spanish coach told reporters ahead of the European clash: "I am concerned because he hasn't had many muscular issues and he needed to leave the pitch and he was feeling something. That's obviously never a good sign, especially for a player that is very, very explosive. So we are digging in a little bit more to understand where we are in terms of the injury and we'll announce the moment we know."

A fresh report from BBC has claimed that Gyokeres will undergo further tests this week and Arsenal fear he could be out for up to two weeks. This means that the striker will miss the club's upcoming league clash against Sunderland and will also rest during the international break, but is expected to return ahead of the north London derby against Tottenham on November 23.

Whilst game-week one gave us a taster, game-week two truly signalled the start of the drama in the Champions League. We saw VAR controversy, upset players and a timely reminder as to why Paris Saint-Germain are European champions even with a weakened line-up.

The French giants gradually picked Barcelona apart and eventually found their reward to make it two from two on Europe’s top stage. The same can’t be said for Liverpool and Manchester City, however, who failed to pick up where they left off. That said, out of Pep Guardiola and Arne Slot, it is the latter who will be most frustrated after suffering back-to-back defeats in all competitions.

So, in a week full of many twists and turns, who stands out as our biggest winners and losers in the Champions League?

Winners: Dier rattles Man City and Hojlund sparks Man Utd regret

Winner: Rasmus Hojlund (Napoli)

It’s a familiar story for Manchester United, isn’t it? Whilst the Red Devils watch on from outside of European qualification and a long way away from even considering Champions League football, their former players continue to thrive elsewhere. Last season, it was Scott McTominay. Now, it is Marcus Rashford and Rasmus Hojlund.

The Napoli forward has already scored three goals in five games for the Italian giants – seven fewer than last season’s end total – and rounded off a fine evening in the Champions League with a brace against Ruben Amorim’s former side, Sporting Club.

What truly rubs salt in the Man United wounds is the fact that Hojlund, Anthony Elanga and Marcel Sabitzer – all former players – picked up the Man of the Match award for their current clubs in the Champions League this week while the Red Devils continue to struggle.

Winner: Goncalo Ramos (PSG)

Trying to get into that PSG frontline may well be the toughest task in European football. It now even includes a Ballon d’Or winner in Ousmane Dembele. But that’s not stopping Goncalo Ramos from knocking on the door of Luis Enrique’s frontline, desperately fighting for his place.

The Portugal international was at it again in the Champions League. After 19-year-old Senny Mayulu earned a starting place over him before scoring PSG’s equaliser against Barcelona, it was up to Ramos to emerge from the bench to find the winning goal and make a claim for his place once again.

Netting his third goal of the season and his second in as many Champions League games, Ramos continues to be one of the most underrated forwards in European football.

Winner: Eric Dier (AS Monaco)

A Bundesliga winner, versatile defender and now among Bernardo Silva’s football foes, Eric Dier is putting together quite the CV these days. The former Tottenham Hotspur star was accused of diving by the Man City midfielder to earn Monaco’s late penalty, which he converted to draw his side level, but insisted that there was contact in his post-match reaction.

After stealing a point from what seemed a certain defeat, both Monaco and Dier should be delighted with their latest Champions League outing. As for Man City, it’s yet another slip from what has become an increasingly-vulnerable side in the last 12 months.

Losers: Flick's high-line exposed and VAR steals headlines again

Loser: Hansi Flick (Barcelona)

A high-line is a game of risk and reward. Ask Jurgen Klopp and he’ll say that it played a crucial part in Liverpool’s best-ever Premier League side. Guardiola will also provide a similar answer from a Man City perspective. But Barcelona aren’t enjoying the same dominance.

Once again, Hansi Flick’s backline were left exposed in the Champions League. It arguably handed Inter Milan a route to the final last season in a thrilling semi-final and it has just provided PSG with an early scalp in their first defence. The Spanish giants are unlikely to change and former star Thierry Henry didn’t hold back with his verdict.

The former Barcelona star said: “You cannot play in the Champions League with that high-line, I’m sorry. When you play against good teams, you’re gonna get exposed and that’s exactly what happened. Any well-timed run, you go through on goal.”

Loser: Ibrahima Konate (Liverpool)

An exasperating, dramatic start to Liverpool’s season has quickly turned concerning. Suddenly, the late winners have stopped coming and their defensive vulnerability has remained, with Ibrahima Konate’s performances playing a large part in that. The Frenchman was suspect in a 2-1 defeat against Crystal Palace last weekend and struggled once again as Galatasaray shocked the Reds.

With the Frenchman’s contract coming to an end in less than 12 months and Real Madrid sniffing around, to say that his dip in form is poorly-timed would be an understatement.

Add on the fact that Arne Slot only has three senior centre-backs at his disposal and it’s clear that Konate must rediscover his best as soon as possible.

Loser: VAR

At risk of sounding like a broken record, it was another poor week for VAR in the Champions League. Galatasaray’s penalty, which was awarded after Baris Alper Yilmaz hit the deck following contentious contact from Dominik Szoboszlai, stood out as questionable on Tuesday night before Monaco’s late penalty against Man City caused more controversy.

Reports are also circulating that the VAR team chose the wrong frame to look at Ramos’ winning goal against Barcelona. New images show just how tight the call actually was in a moment that could have ended very differently.

Many believed that VAR’s introduction would eradicate refereeing mistakes or at least guide the headlines away from the referees. Years on, however, it is doing anything but.

أعلن اتحاد الكرة رسميًا، عن موقف نبيل عماد دونجا لاعب فريق الزمالك، من المشاركة في بطولة كأس السوبر المصري الذي من المقرر أن يقام في دولة الإمارات.

يذكر أن بطولة كأس السوبر المصري ستبدأ من يوم 6 نوفمبر 2025 في الإمارات، بمشاركة الأهلي والزمالك وبيراميدز وسيراميكا كليوباترا. 

طالع.. خاص وعاجل | اتحاد الكرة يحسم مصير مشاركة دونجا مع الزمالك في السوبر المصري بيان اتحاد الكرة حول موقف دونجا من السوبر المصري 

وجاء بيان اتحاد الكرة على النحو التالي: 

أرسلت إدارة المسابقات بالاتحاد المصري لكرة القدم، خطابات إلى الأندية الأربعة المشاركة في بطولة السوبر المصري بالإمارات “الأهلي، والزمالك، وبيراميدز، وسيراميكا كليوباترا” لإخطارهم بأسماء اللاعبين الصادر بحقهم عقوبة الإيقاف في بطولة السوبر المصري حيث لا يحق لهم المشاركة في النسخة المقبلة.

تضمنت قائمة الإيقافات، اسم اللاعب نبيل عماد علي المهدي “دونجا” لاعب الزمالك فقط حيث تم إيقافه 4 مباريات في بطولة السوبر بناء على تقرير مراقب مباراة فريقه أمام بيراميدز في البطولة الأخيرة.

Some squad numbers carry more weight than others at football clubs. Celtic are no different, particularly when it comes to the number seven shirt.

Henrik Larsson was, of course, famous for wearing the number seven shirt during his illustrious career in Scotland, scoring 227 goals in 301 matches for the club in all competitions, per Transfermarkt.

The club’s current number seven is Jota. He is now in his second spell at Parkhead and has produced 33 goals and 28 assists in 99 appearances for Celtic, per Transfermarkt, which shows that the forward is doing the number justice.

Another squad number that was made iconic by the player who donned it is the number eight jersey, because of what Scott Brown achieved at the club.

Why Scott Brown made number eight iconic

Whilst other players have worn it before, Bobby Lennox, and since, Kyogo Furuhashi, the number eight shirt is an iconic part of modern Celtic history because of what the former Scotland international did on the pitch.

Brown played a staggering 618 times for the Hoops in all competitions, per Transfermarkt, and produced 46 goals and 63 assists from a central midfield position.

The former Celtic captain led his side to ten Scottish Premiership titles, seven League Cup victories, and six SFA Cup trophies in his time in Glasgow, which shows that his spell in the team was an incredibly successful period in the club’s history.

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He was a brilliant all-round central midfielder, deserving of the number eight shirt, and Brendan Rodgers may have the club’s next iconic number eight in the making, but it is not the player currently occupying it.

The Celtic star who is a number eight in the making

Summer signing Benjamin Nygren currently wears the number eight shirt. However, it is 2024 summer signing Arne Engels who could be Celtic’s long-term number eight.

The Belgium international, who currently wears number 27, joined the Hoops from Augsburg in a club-record £11m deal last year, and has had a difficult start to the current campaign, starting two of the club’s four Premiership games, per Sofascore.

It is easy to forget, though, that Engels is only 21. He is three years younger than Nygren and the same age that Brown was when he signed from Hibernian in 2007.

The 21-year-old maestro has produced ten goals and 14 assists in 59 appearances in all competitions for Celtic to date, per Transfermarkt, which shows that he can carry a threat at the top end of the pitch.

His work out of possession can also be underrated because of his inconsistency and the fact that the Hoops are so dominant in the Premiership that he does not always get to show it off, as he did in the Champions League last term.

24/25 Champions League

Arne Engels per 90

Percentile rank vs midfielders

xAG

0.25

Top 7%

Assists

0.37

Top 6%

Shot-creating actions

3.11

Top 29%

Key passes

2.24

Top 6%

Percentage of dribblers tackled

71.4%

Top 9%

Tackles made

2.49

Top 28%

Passes blocked

1.12

Top 27%

Stats via FBref

As you can see in the table above, Engels delivered well-rounded performances in the Champions League for the Scottish giants last season, excelling among his positional peers in key metrics on and off the ball.

These statistics show that he does have the potential to be a brilliant all-round central midfielder who can impact games at both ends of the pitch, with tackles, blocks, key passes, goals, and assists.

However, it is down to Engels to develop and show consistency in his performances to prove that he deserves to be the long-term successor to the number eight shirt at Parkhead, over Nygren, who is more attack-minded and three years older.

If the Belgian star can do that, then he can begin to live up to the legacy that Brown left behind with that number.

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Ipswich Town have had a torrid start to life in the Championship following last season’s Premier League relegation. Kieran McKenna’s side currently sit 18th in the Championship and were knocked out of the first round of the League Cup following the loss of a number of star players.

Omari Hutchinson and Liam Delap both secured their Premier League futures with moves to Nottingham Forest and Chelsea, respectively. So far this window, Ipswich have actually made a profit of over £50 million.

They have brought in some players such as Kasey McAteer and Azor Matusiwa on permanent deals, Ashley Young on a free transfer and Chuba Akpom on loan. However, these signings are yet to bring McKenna’s side a win.

While there is still time left in the transfer window, Ipswich are pushing to bring in another signing to help reinforce them defensively.

Ipswich close to finalising Furlong

Ipswich Town are close to signing a deal with West Bromwich Albion for Darnell Furlong. The deal for the defender will initially cost the Tractor Boys £3.5 million.

The agreement also includes a unique clause that means Ipswich will be required to pay West Brom a further £500,000 if they secure promotion. However, given their start to the season, this clause currently looks unlikely to be achieved. West Brom are set to make an impressive profit on Furlong as he only cost them just over £1.4 million when he joined from QPR back in 2019.

Ipswich have recently worked with Furlongs agency, New Era Global Sports Management Limited, as they represent Corbin Mthunzi, who joined their academy from Brighton in April.

"One of the best full-backs of the Championship"

With Furlong, Ipswich will have a capable defender on their hands who ranked highly among his peers in the second tier last season. In the 2024/25 campaign, Furlong ranked in the top 3% of players for both aerial duels and ground duels won.

A unique area in which Furlong shines is winning fouls. Furlong won 72 free kicks last season, putting him in the top 3% of similar players. These fouls were often won in his own defensive third and are the result of his nous when dealing with pressing opposition players.

These achievements are part of the reason that Furlong has left positive impressions on coaches he’s worked with in the past. Valencia boss Carlos Corberen, who managed Furlong for two years as West Brom boss, was full of praise for the full-back when he was his manager:

Based on these defensive stats and his former manager’s praise for him, Ipswich might be about to recruit the catalyst that can kick-start their season and get them climbing up the table.

Southampton have now opened talks to sign an “unbelievable” winger, who could be brought in as a replacement for Tyler Dibling, according to a report.

Saints looking to sign replacement for Dibling amid Everton links

Following the Saints’ relegation from the Premier League, Dibling has been expected to leave the club, and Everton have emerged as one of the most interested parties, with David Moyes’ side having multiple approaches knocked back.

It has been widely reported the 19-year-old is training away from the rest of the squad, amid interest from the Toffees, and reporter Sami Mokbel has recently suggested the youngster could be heading for the exit door this summer.

Mokbel said: “The information varies depending on who you speak to. If you speak to people closer to Everton, they will tell you that the deal has reached an impasse and Southampton are asking for far too much.

“If you speak to those closer to the South Coast, there is a realisation there that maybe Tyler Dibling’s time is coming to an end.”

Amid the major doubts surrounding the starlet’s future at St. Mary’s, Will Still’s side have now set their sights on a replacement, and a report from Football Insider has revealed they have opened talks over a deal for West Bromwich Albion star Tom Fellows.

Fellows has been lined up as a direct replacement for Dibling, who has been the subject of a £40m offer from Everton, and a deal may be relatively inexpensive, with reports from elsewhere revealing the Baggies could look to hold out for just £10m.

Southampton "interested" in £400k+ defender who's been likened to Van Dijk

The Saints have joined the race for a “dominant” centre-back.

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"Unbelievable" Fellows could be perfect replacement for Dibling

Losing one of their prized assets will, of course, be a bitter pill to swallow for the Saints, should Dibling complete a move elsewhere, but there are plenty of signs the West Brom winger could be the perfect replacement.

Most notably, the Solihull-born winger chalked up some very impressive attacking numbers in the 2024-25 campaign, picking up four goals and 14 assists in the Championship alone, leading to some very high praise from teammate Karlan Grant.

Grant said: “He’s an unbelievable young player. As soon as he does that step-over, I know the ball’s going to be arriving at the back stick and there’s going to be chances.

At just 22-years-old, Fellows could still have plenty of room to develop even further, but he is already a top winger at Championship level, and West Brom’s potential asking price of just £10m means the forward could be an absolute bargain.

A combined bowling effort followed a powerful cameo of 35 off 17 from Shamim Hossain

Mohammad Isam18-Dec-2024

Bangladesh defended their modest score of 129 to clinch the T20I series with a 2-0 lead, beating West Indies by 27 runs in the second game at the Arnos Vale Ground in St Vincent. It was Bangladesh’s lowest total winning a game while batting first against West Indies. It was a combined effort from their quicks and spinners who took advantage of a pitch that offered a lot to the bowlers throughout the game.Bangladesh were stretched to their total by Shamim Hossain’s late blast, hitting an unbeaten 35 off 17 balls. The bowlers responded superbly thereafter, with Taskin Ahmed taking three wickets while Mahedi Hasan, Rishad Hossain and Tanzim Hasan all taking two each.Bangladesh’s only concern was Soumya Sarkar suffering a finger injury when he dropped a catch in the slips in the seventh over of the chase. Otherwise, Bangladesh were all over West Indies, having reduced them to 42 for 6 in the ninth over.Taskin, Mahedi make the early strikesTaskin Ahmed provided the first breakthrough in the third over when he had Brandon King caught behind for 8, with a beautiful delivery outside off. Four balls later, Taskin had Andre Fletcher caught behind too, for his second consecutive duck in the series. This one was wider but Fletcher got beaten by pace, under-edging to wicketkeeper Litton Das.Mahedi, who took career-best figures of 4 for 13 in the first T20I, then got into the act. He trapped Johnson Charles lbw in the fourth over, as the hosts slipped to 28 for 3. In his next over, Mahedi got Nicholas Pooran caught at slip where Soumya Sarkar didn’t have to move as Pooran’s probe at a length ball took the outer edge went to him softly.Chase holds fort after Powell but…Bangladesh might have felt Rovman Powell as a major threat after his exploits in the first match, nearly taking the hosts over the line. Powell, however, fell cheaply this time, when Mehidy Hasan Miraz took a diving catch in front of point, off Hasan Mamhud. When Tanzim Hasan had Romario Shepherd glove to slip off a short ball, West Indies were 42 for 6 and there was almost no coming back from there.Roston Chase was their only remaining specialist batter after that. He batted conservatively until the 16th over when he slammed Mahmud for consecutive sixes. Akeal Hosein gave Chase good support at the other end, also hitting Rishad for a straight six, but the asking rate was still nearly 12 an over in the death overs.The three sixes gave West Indies some hope but Rishad fought back in the same over to remove Chase, who missed a big slog. The young legspinner removed Gudakesh Motie next ball when the left-hand batter holed out to long-off. Alzarri Joseph then handed a return catch to Tanzim in the following over before Hosein clipped a slower delivery from Taskin straight to backward point as Bangladesh started their celebrations.West Indies boss the powerplayThe assistance for the spinners from the pitch was evident from the start. Hosein removed Litton again early in the Bangladesh innings, this time getting him stumped for 3. Litton’s dismal form continues, while Hosein continued his powerplay dominance. Chase followed up with Tanzid Hasan’s wicket, hitting his off stump with a ripper of a delivery.Mehidy and Soumya got Bangladesh out of that mire, batting sensibly till the ninth over. That’s when Soumya was run out when he responded to a Mehidy call for a single to short third. Mehidy fell in the next over, hitting Joseph to deep square leg, for 26, after striking three fours and a six in his 25-ball stay.Shamim’s flourish lifts BangladeshMotie then got into the Bangladesh middle order, cleaning up both Rishad and Mahedi by the 15th over. Jaker Ali tried to resurrect the innings somewhat, with his 20-ball 21, but when he fell in the 17th over with the score 88 for 7, there were chances that the visitors could be bowled out for under 100.Shamim, however, had the final say in the death overs, hitting a couple of sixes and as many fours. Both his sixes came off the local boy Obed McCoy, hitting him over fine leg and midwicket. He ensured Bangladesh finished on a score just above 120, which was considered to be par for the course given the type of pitch.

Florian Wirtz says there were many voices giving him advice before he stepped up to score his decisive free-kick as Germany beat Northern Ireland.

• Wirtz scores free-kick against Northern Ireland
• Dismissed opinions from the sidelines
• Says it was simply good

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Under immense pressure following their disastrous performance against Slovakia, the German national team desperately needed a win from Sunday's World Cup qualifying clash. With his side 2-1 up in the second half, Wirtz had the chance to put the game beyond doubt when he stepped up for a free-kick outside the visitors' box. The Liverpool player was met with a chorus of advice from his team-mates, but their words fell on deaf ears as he had already decided on the perfect approach.

Advertisement

• WHAT WIRTZ & NAGELSMANN SAID

  Asked what captain Joshua Kimmich and his team-mates were telling him before his effort, Wirtz said to : "Honestly, I don't know. There were too many comments from the sidelines – various ideas. I knew I wanted to try it because the position was simply good. So I did it."

• AFP
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Germany took an early lead through Nick Woltemade, but were pinned back later in the first half when their opponents pulled level. In desperate need of a win, coach Julian Nagelsmann was relieved to see Wirtz wrap up the three points.

  "He practices it often enough," he told . "He felt good – actually, even against Slovakia. He didn't shoot then. Unfortunately, he won't always score like that, but it was a superb goal—a good topspin free kick."

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  WHAT NEXT FOR GERMANY?

  Germany are level on points with Northern Ireland but remain three behind Slovakia, who beat Luxembourg 1-0. Germany will be in action again in October against Luxembourg and Northern Ireland.

Manchester City have been making waves so far during the summer transfer window as Pep Guardiola attempts to win back the Premier League title.

Indeed, no fewer than four players have moved to City, and there is scope for plenty more in the coming weeks.

Kyle Walker has left, as has Kevin De Bruyne, with Guardiola streamlining his squad.

With the Englishman departing, City have targeted a swoop for a Serie A player who could add something extra to the right side of their defence.

Man City ready to close in on Serie A star

Tijjani Reijnders, Rayan Ait-Nouri and Rayan Cherki have all arrived at the Etihad ahead of the 2025/26 season. Despite City exiting the Club World Cup earlier than anticipated, the three players could be vital for the club next season.

Now, according to reports in Spain, City could be set to close in on a deal to sign Inter Milan star Denzel Dumfries, with the Etihad side ready to accelerate their move for the rampaging talent.

He has a release clause worth £21.5m, as per the report, but this expires on July 15 and it looks as though Guardiola is keen to activate it before the deadline.

The right side of the defence is a position which needs to be strengthened massively and Dumfries could be an excellent signing.

He could turn out to be Guardiola’s very own Bryan Mbeumo, who has been heavily linked with a move to rivals Manchester United this summer.

Why Manchester City must sign Denzel Dumfries

United’s attack could look very different should they secure a deal for Mbeumo in the coming weeks.

Off the right flank last season, he registered 28 goal contributions in the Premier League – 20 goals and eight assists – proving he would be an excellent signing for Ruben Amorim.

Dumfries could turn out to be Guardiola’s own version of the Brentford forward. Despite not playing in quite such an advanced position, the Dutchman did record similar statistics to Mbeumo throughout last season, with FBref noting the pair to be similar players among wingers across Europe’s top five leagues.

Indeed, according to FBref, the pair performed similarly when it came to shots per 90 (1.74 vs 2.08), shot-creating actions (2.53 vs 3.8) and goal-creating actions (0.18 vs 0.53) in their respective domestic leagues.

Denzel Dumfries’ stats in Serie A last season

Goals

7

Assists

2

Big chances created

6

Total duels won per game

3.9

Tackles per game

0.9

Balls recovered per game

2.2

Via Sofascore

Both players are superb at bursting forward down the right flank in order to either get a shot away or to create chances in the final third, with Dumfries notably registering 17 goals and assists in all competitions last term as an advanced wing-back.

Journalist Alan Rzepa described Dumfries as a “monster” all the way back in 2021, but fast-forward four years, nothing has changed.

In Serie A last term, he scored seven goals and grabbed two assists. Given that City’s full-backs scored just eight goals between them all season, adding someone like Dumfries would be an excellent move.

For a fee of £21.5m, Guardiola could well be signing his very own Mbeumo-esque figure on the cheap. Someone capable of shining in the Premier League with his attacking talents on the right flank.

If it all works out, Dumfries might just quietly be the signing of the summer for City.

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There was a point during the overtures of the summer transfer window that Liverpool were clear ahead of any hopefuls in the race for Eintracht Frankfurt striker Hugo Ekitike.

Liverpool are considered frontrunners in the race to sign the French forward, but Chelsea and Manchester United are also locked in negotiations with the Bundesliga club and the player’s representatives.

It’s an open race, and one which the Anfield side will be frustrated that they cannot advance in, given Darwin Nunez still sits firmly in Arne Slot’s squad. The Uruguayan striker is expected to leave the club this summer but, despite interest from Serie A and the Saudi Pro League, real progress has not yet happened.

Luckily, not much should change on the Ekitike front just yet, with his employers standing firm on their €100m (£85m) price tag – a valuation they don’t seem keen to meet.

Since Nunez is all but set to go, it would be wise for the Reds to search for alternatives, and Viktor Gyokeres is a name that has been bandied about.

Liverpool's interest in Viktor Gyokeres

Newcastle United qualified for the Champions League and does have the capacity to double down on their staggering £150m valuation of Alexander Isak.

Thus, alternatives like Ekitike and Sporting’s Gyokeres have been mapped out, and the latter is certainly an attractive option, given he has scored 97 goals across 102 appearances for the Portuguese club.

Arsenal and Manchester United have both shown more concrete interest than Liverpool in recent weeks, even if the Reds are keen, with the Gunners sure to be emboldened by the striker’s intimation that he would rather move to the Emirates than Old Trafford.

There’s no doubt that Gyokeres would prove an upgrade on Nunez, whose natural talent hasn’t been enough to make things click in England’s top flight, but the former is 27 and Sporting chiefs want his €100m (£85m) release clause met, which would put him in the same park as Ekitike.

Liverpool reportedly made contact with the Sweden international back in May, though there are concerns that his ridiculous rate of scoring would struggle to translate into Premier League life, and that’s why Liverpool have made contact with an exciting upgrade.

Liverpool open talks for Nunez replacement

As per the latest from TEAMtalk, Liverpool believe they have found a way to offload Nunez and solve their quest for a number nine at the same time.

Indeed, that’s by offering the 25-year-old, along with Federico Chiesa, to Napoli in return for Victor Osimhen, with talks having already happened regarding a potential swap deal.

Osimhen, 26, has just completed a successful loan spell with Galatasaray after a divorce from the Naples side, and his summer transfer is a given.

Valued at £60m, the Nigerian goalscorer is more affordable than the other forwards we’ve mentioned, and if Nunez, Chiesa or both are included in the package, he would be cheaper still.

Why Liverpool should sign Victor Osimhen

Frugality has been something that dissenters have targeted FSG with for a while, but who can say Liverpool’s owners have been anything but ambitious in the market thus far this month?

Even so, there’s a lot going on in the Anfield offices, and the coffers aren’t inexhaustible. Osimhen represents an affordable deal for an elite-level marksman.

Ekitike has a high ceiling, but the Frenchman isn’t as refined as Napoli’s man right now, and perhaps Osimhen is also more accomplished than Gyokeres, who has yet to prove himself at age 27 in one of Europe’s top five leagues.

Indeed, the rangy centre-forward has been hailed for his “world-class” finishing by Sky Sports’ Dougie Critchley, and that’s something Liverpool have been lacking at the front of the ship to be sure.

24/25 – Galatasaray

41

37

8

23/24 – Napoli

32

17

4

22/23 – Napoli

39

31

5

21/22 – Napoli

32

18

6

20/21 – Napoli

30

10

3

But goalscoring isn’t Osimhen’s sole forte. Powerful, robust and more dynamic than he might seem at a glance, the £83k-per-week striker likes to drive forward with the ball at his feet and make things happen for his teammates.

Make no mistake, Gyokeres is a high-level finisher and complete in his forward play, but Liverpool would be gambling in bringing him to the Premier League over someone more proven in Osimhen. The Premier League champions, after all, need the best of the best.

As per FBref, he ranked among the top 4% of forwards across Europe last season for shot-creating actions, the top 18% for progressive carries and the top 16% for ball recoveries per 90.

This shows that he’s mobile and efficient in utilising his athleticism, not just standing as a target man in spite of his prowess in the box.

Silky and stylish and all the rest, Osimhen would be a credit to Liverpool’s first team, bringing a fiery personality and a winning mentality.

Gyokeres is a physical force of a player himself, but he simply hasn’t achieved the same heights as Osimhen despite being a year his junior, and given that he would cost more, Liverpool will need to consider their options carefully, lest they make the wrong choice and hinder their chances of defending their Premier League title with Slot at the helm and indeed struggle to conquer trophies on tournamental fronts.

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4 ByAngus Sinclair Jun 17, 2025