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Na noite desta terça-feira, o Grêmio volta aos gramados da Série B e mede forças contra o Operário-PR, na Arena.

– VEJA A TABELA DA SÉRIE B

O Tricolor está no G-4 do torneio nacional e busca pontos importantes para garantir o seu acesso o quanto antes.

Para o duelo fora de casa, o técnico Roger Machado vai com o que tem de melhor, mas ainda tem dúvidas na escalação.

Na lateral-esquerda, Nicolas é dúvida e, caso não jogue, Diogo Barbosa ganha uma oportunidade. No meio-campo, o treinador vai definir entre Campaz e Bitello.

Confira a provável escalação:Brenno; Rodrigo Ferreira, Geromel, Bruno Alves e Nicolas (Diogo Barbosa); Lucas Leiva, Villasanti e Campaz (Bitello); Biel, Guilherme e Diego Souza.

RelacionadasSantosÂngelo brilha, Santos marca nos acréscimos e vence o Coritiba pelo BrasileirãoSantos08/08/2022CruzeiroTécnico do Londrina, Adilson Batista marcou época no Cruzeiro; relembre as passagensCruzeiro08/08/2022Futebol NacionalEm grande fase, Marcelo Carné é o goleiro com mais defesas difíceis na Série B do Campeonato BrasileiroFutebol Nacional08/08/2022

Celtic supporters are rather enjoying this season, albeit Sunday’s derby defeat for Brendan Rodgers’s men has rather seen them come crashing back down to earth.

Kicking off a humongous 16 points clear of fierce rivals Rangers, the vast majority of those inside Parkhead were ready to party.

Well, there certainly wasn’t a party mood come half-time, given that goals from Nicolas Raskin and then Mohamed Diomandé had given Rangers a shock 2-0 lead.

However, after the break, quick-fire goals from Daizen Maeda and then Reo Hatate got Celtic back on level terms, threatening a full-scale comeback, only for some calamitous defending to allow Hamza Igamane to snatch a famous victory for the visitors.

In the context of the title race, given that there isn’t one, this defeat matters very little, but it’s still a damaging day for Rodgers, so does he and the Celtic hierarchy regret selling an under-utilised star who could’ve made all the difference?

Why Callum McGregor's Old Firm absence was important

Ahead of Sunday’s Glasgow derby, it came to light that Celtic captain Callum McGregor was a doubt due to a ‘calf injury’ suffered during the Scottish Cup victory over Hibernian a week earlier.

McGregor himself admitted he’d been doing “individual work with the physios”, unable to take part in full training, but was optimistic he’d be fit to feature.

Well, perhaps he was fibbing all along because, when the team news was released at 11:15am on Sunday, McGregor’s name was nowhere to be seen, with Rodgers revealing that his calf had “just tightened up” during training the day before, adding he “didn’t want to take a risk”.

After the match, Rodgers said, during his Sky Sports interview with Luke Shanley, that there’s “no doubt” his team missed McGregor, struggling to cope without his “tactical balance”, forced to “shift a couple of things around” in an attempt to fill his void.

Kieran Devlin of the Athletic believes that McGregor’s ‘leadership’ and ‘quality’ mean he is Celtic’s ‘most important player’, and this assertion was certainly supported by how the Scottish Premiership champions played in his absence.

Of course, replacing a player of his stature is never going to be easy, but did the Celts sell their most natural McGregor deputy for just £830,000?

Celtic's ideal McGregor deputy now starring elsewhere

Tomoki Iwata arrived at Celtic in January 2023, initially on loan but with an obligation to buy of just £838,000, thereby reuniting with Ange Postecoglou, who’d been his boss at Yokohama F. Marinos.

Due to Postecoglou’s previous work in the J League, this was part of Celtic’s Japanese influx at the time; Kyōgo Furuhashi, Daizen Maeda, Reo Hatate and Yosuke Ideguchi were already at Parkhead, while Yūki Kobayashi joined at the same time as Iwata.

Upon his arrival in Glasgow, writer and analyst Stewart Ross described Iwata as ‘quality’ in possession, while Postecoglou labeled him “really committed… with some great attributes”, adding he was “very deserving” to have been named J League player of the season for 2022.

However, Iwata was given very limited opportunities, 24 of his 42 appearances coming as a substitute, totaling fewer than 2,000 minutes, unable to establish himself as a regular under either Postecoglou or Rodgers, largely due to McGregor’s undroppable status.

Thus, few eyebrows were raised, nor questions asked when, last summer, the 27-year-old was sold to Birmingham City for around £830,000, the club thereby essentially making their money back, albeit his performances in the English Midlands may have changed a few minds.

His current manager Chris Davies praised the midfielder for being “intelligent”, adding that “he’s quick across the ground and… sees the game really well”, with the Japan international a key cog in the Blues side currently 12 points clear at the top of EFL League One, having made 36 appearances across all competitions so far.

Meantime, fan pundit Mike Gibbs told Football League World that Iwata’s performances have been ‘absolutely outstanding’, going one further by exclaiming that he has been the Blues’ ‘best player’.

Iwata then garnered wider public attention with this astonishing long-range rocket against Newcastle in the FA Cup, described by Rob Smyth of the Guardian as a ‘monstrous’ strike.

So, let’s assess how Iwata and McGregor compare this season.

As the table outlines, stylistically, McGregor and Iwata are very similar, with the Japanese international actually coming out on top when it comes to interceptions and tackles, on a per-90 basis.

So, while selling Iwata, who Transfermarkt believe has almost doubled in value this season, may not be a season-defining mistake, he certainly would’ve improved Celtic’s chances of a victory in Sunday’s Old Firm.

Worse than Schlupp: 4/10 dud had his worst game in a Celtic shirt

The Celtic defender was even worse than Crystal Palace loanee Jeffrey Schlupp.

By
Dan Emery

Mar 17, 2025

La Liga president Javier Tebas has publicly criticised Real Madrid head Florentino Perez, accusing him of trying to 'fire' him.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Tebas blasts Madrid president Perez
• Duo do not share a cordial relationship
• La Liga chief accused Perez of trying to 'fire' him

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The saga involving the war of words between La Liga head honcho Tebas and Madrid president Perez has seen the arrival of its latest chapter, as the former accused the latter of trying to 'fire' him from his post as the league's president.

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• WHAT JAVIER TEBAS SAID

  Speaking on , Tebas spoke about his strained dynamic with Los Blancos, saying: "With Real Madrid as a club, as it should be, beyond the problem we have with sports broadcasts, we can continue to do well."

  Then, he explained why him and Perez don't look each other in the eye: "And with Florentino Perez, there is currently no relationship because we maintain two very different positions regarding the organisation of professional football. Florentino maintains a Super League-like, elitist and oligarchic idea in terms of decisions, and we are not on that path. The Real Madrid president keeps saying at every meal that he's going to fire me, that the CSD (Spanish National Council) agrees to oust me… well, they won't agree with the management model when I have the vast majority of the rest of the clubs and Florentino doesn't want it."

• AFP
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Tebas and Madrid, especially their president Perez, have had a history of conflicts. The chief of La Liga has time and again protested his staunch disapproval of Perez's obsession and personal project, the European Super League. The club's constant public criticism of referees has also drawn the ire of Tebas.

  "Real Madrid are a crying club," said Tebas in February after the club released a long video criticising the referees via their main channel, Real Madrid TV. The war of words has not been limited between just Perez and Tebas, with ex-head coach Carlo Ancelotti hitting back at the latter in one of the press conferences earlier last season.

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• AFP
  

  WHAT NEXT FOR REAL MADRID?

  The 15-time European champions will return to action next week in the revamped Club World Cup, which begins on Saturday. Xabi Alonso's men, though, will play their first game of the tournament on June 18 against Al-Hilal.

خاض نجم فريق مانشستر سيتي، عمر مرموش، مباراة اليوم ضد نظيره يوفنتوس، في إطار منافسات بطولة كأس العالم للأندية، نسخة 2025.

وتلاقى الفريقان في إطار منافسات الجولة الثالثة والأخيرة من دور مجموعات البطولة، لحساب المجموعة السابعة.

وحسم مانشستر سيتي ويوفنتوس تأهلهما بالفعل إلى دور الـ16، منذ الجولة الماضية، وتنافسا مساء الخميس على بطاقتي الصدارة والوصافة.

وتمكن مانشستر سيتي من تحقيق الصدارة بعدما فاز على يوفنتوس بخمسة أهداف مقابل هدفين.

وشارك عمر مرموش في تلك المباراة كأساسي رفقة مانشستر سيتي، حيث لم يلعب سوى الشوط الأول فقط. ملخص لمسات عمر مرموش في مباراة مانشستر سيتي ويوفنتوس

ولم ينشط عمر مرموش كثيرًا في الشوط الأول، مع كثافة دفاعية من جانب يوفنتوس، خاصة بعدما تقدم مانشستر سيتي بهدف في الدقيقة التاسعة عن طريق دوكو، ورد الفريق الإيطالي سريعًا بهدف التعادل في الدقيقة 11.

وحاول مرموش شن هجمة على مرمى يوفنتوس، حيث سدد كرة من داخل منطقة الجزاء، ولكنها كانت سهلة ووصلت إلى يد حارس المرمى.

وكاد مرموش أن يسجل الهدف الثالث لصالح كتيبة بيب جوارديولا، قبل نهاية الشوط الأول، وتحديدًا في الدقيقة الثالثة من الوقت المحتسب بدلَا من الضائع.

وسدد مرموش كرة صاروخية، من خارج منطقة الجزاء، حيث كادت أن تسكن شباك يوفنتوس لولا براعة الحارس الذي تصدى له، وحافظ على فارق الهدف بين الفريقين.

وقرر المدرب بيب جوارديولا استبدال عمر مرموش بين شوطي المباراة، حيث دفع بزميله إيرلينج هالاند، في محاولة لاختبار أكبر عدد ممكن من اللاعبين في تلك البطولة.

Ahead of the 2025 Gold Cup, GOAL revisits the last U.S. men's national team to win the tournament

The current edition of U.S. men's national team looks considerably different from the one just four years ago. From the coach to the players, there has been drastic change within the program.

Only three of the 26 players from the 2021 Gold Cup-winning team remain on the 2025 roster for the tournament: Matt Turner, Walker Zimmerman and Miles Robinson. The USMNT have won the Gold Cup seven times, but the most recent was that trophy lift in 2021, as the Gregg Berhalter-coached team stunned Mexico, 1-0, in the final.

And those winning memories remain vivid, and special, for those remaining U.S. players.

"For me, winning that Gold Cup in 2021, I'm not really sure I was in a period where I could process exactly the gravity of what we achieved," Turner said this week. "If you look at that, that team and the Mexico team that we beat in the final, the Qatar team that we beat in the semifinal, we just really enjoyed it. I think looking back at that team, the joy that we played with – the passion, the energy, the way we started games, I think all of that kind of stuff are things that I look back upon and think that we could bring towards the future.

"From there, I've grown a lot. I'm pretty sure that Gold Cup is essentially what launched me to get my move to Arsenal. And I'm now fighting my way through Europe, and trying to make it work over there right now. Since then, I've been through a lot. I've had two kids, I've moved to three different teams, so I've had a lot of change. But yeah, it's definitely an experience I hold near and dear to my heart."

The 2025 Gold Cup starts next week, the final continental tournament ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup that will be hosted by the U.S., Mexico, and Canada. Mexico, Gold Cup champions in 2023 and winners of the 2025 Nations League, will look to remain to the top, but they'll be competing with a red-hot Canada side and a USMNT squad with a chip on their shoulder.

Beyond Zimmerman, Robinson and Turner, a number of names from that squad have dropped out of the player pool. It was an entirely different group, and a team that pulled off an upset with a relatively young roster.

GOAL revisits the 2021 squad and what happened with them in the years since.

Getty ImagesGoalkeepers

Brad Guzan: Currently the starter for Atlanta United, Guzan, 40, is still going strong as one of MLS's most reliable goalkeepers. He has not been called up to the USMNT since his Gold Cup win.

Sean Johnson: Currently plays for Toronto FC, where he's been since January 2023. Previously, he played for NYCFC from 2016 onward, and with the Chicago Fire before that. He last appeared on a roster for the USMNT in the 2022 FIFA World Cup, where he served as a backup.

Matt Turner: Currently the USMNT's No. 1, Turner is on the books of Nottingham Forest, but spent the 2024-25 season on loan at Crystal Palace. It is expected that he will leave this summer. Turner has said he is keeping his options open.

AdvertisementGettyDefenders

George Bello: He currently plays for Austrian first division side LASK, and has not appeared on a USMNT roster since spring 2022 when he replaced an injured Sergino Dest in camp. A former Homegrown with Atlanta United, he has not had an impact on the national team since moving to Europe.

Reggie Cannon: He had a whirlwind career in Portugal with Boavista, which included a legal saga, but has now returned to MLS with the Colorado Rapids. His last call-up with the U.S. was in 2022, when he came off the bench in a 2-0 loss to Japan in an international friendly.

Shaq Moore: He was named to the 60-man shortlist for the 2025 Gold Cup roster, but was not selected. He currently plays for FC Dallas and was a part of Mauricio Pochettino's January Camp, as well as the U.S. team at Copa America 2024.

Donovan Pines: He has not appeared for the U.S. since the 2021 Gold Cup, when he received his first call-up. He currently plays for Barnsley in League One in England.

Miles Robinson: He is on Pochettino's roster for the 2025 Gold Cup and currently plays for MLS side FC Cincinnati, where he has become one of the best defenders in the league.

James Sands: He is on loan at German Bundesliga side FC St. Pauli from MLS outfit NYCFC, but is currently sidelined with a lower-leg injury. He was a part of the 2023 Gold Cup roster, but has not been called up since.

Sam Vines: He had a stint in Europe following the 2021 Gold Cup, but is back with the Colorado Rapids in MLS, where he's become a regular. He hasn't appeared for the USMNT since September 2022. He was not selected for the 2022 World Cup.

Walker Zimmerman: He was selected as an overage member for the USMNT at the 2024 Paris Olympics, and is back with the senior team for this month's Gold Cup. The captain and stalwart for Nashville SC, the 32-year-old has amassed 43 senior caps for the U.S. and was a member of the 2022 World Cup team.

Getty ImagesMidfielders

Kellyn Acosta: He amassed 58 appearances for the senior U.S. roster and now plays for the Chicago Fire in MLS. He has not been called up since the 2023 Gold Cup.

Gianluca Busio: He was a member of the roster for the 2024 Paris Olympics, and plays in Italy with Venezia – who were relegated to Serie B this season. He has not appeared for the senior USMNT since the 2023 Gold Cup.

Sebastian Lletget: He was last called up in 2021, with the Gold Cup his last major tournament for the USMNT. He currently plays for FC Dallas.

Cristian Roldan: He was a member of the 2022 FIFA World Cup roster and is currently a club stalwart with the Seattle Sounders. Roldan has consistently been a top midfielder in MLS over the past five years.

Eryk Williamson: He currently on the roster for Charlotte FC, and has become a rotation player with the Eastern Conference side. Facing a career plagued by injury, he was last called up in January 2023.

Jackson Yueill: He last appeared at the 2023 Gold Cup, and has been a consistently good player in MLS – but has never made it extensively with the senior team.

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GettyForwards

Paul Arriola: He transferred to the Seattle Sounders ahead of the 2025 MLS season, but sustained an ACL tear early in the 2025 season. He last appeared for the USMNT in September 2022, but did not make the World Cup roster.

Daryl Dike: He currently plays for English Championship side West Brom, and in recent years, has sustained back-to-back Achilles injuries. He has not appeared for the U.S. since the 2023 Gold Cup, but remains an option in the player pool now that he is back to health.

Nicholas Gioacchini: He has not appeared for the USMNT since the 2021 Gold Cup and currently plays as a winger for Greek Super League club Asteras Tripolis

Matthew Hoppe: He has not appeared for the USMNT since 2021, and after bouncing around Europe and MLS, he now plays for Danish Superliga club Sønderjyske.

Jonathan Lewis: He played for Barnsley in League One in England during the 2024/25 season, but was released at the end of the campaign, making him a free agent. Lewis has not appeared for the USMNT since the 2021 Gold Cup.

Gyasi Zardes: He earned 68 caps for the USMNT, but is currently a free agent. He played for MLS side Austin FC in 2024 and last appeared for the U.S. in 2021.

Fifties for Shan Masood and Dawid Malan enable hosts to build daunting lead

ECB Reporters Network11-Jun-2023

Matthew Fisher delivered a timely demonstration of his international potential on a day of Yorkshire domination against Derbyshire in the LV=Insurance County Championship match at Chesterfield.Fisher, who played a Test match in the Caribbean 15 months ago and could come into Ashes reckoning if England’s fast bowlers pick up injuries, returned career-best figures of 5 for 30 to skittle Derbyshire for 111.Ben Coad took 3 for 28 after Derbyshire had been put in and only some resistance from the lower order spared the home side complete humiliation after they had slumped to 26 for 6.Yorkshire skipper Shan Masood heaped further misery on his former county with 67, his highest score of the season, and Dawid Malan made an unbeaten 76 before rain ended play early with the visitors 272 for 5, 161 ahead.Masood’s decision to bowl first on a green-tinged pitch was immediately justified by Fisher and Coad who were relentless in their line of attack. The pair gave Derbyshire no respite as they probed away around off stump to blow away the top order in the space of nine overs.Haider Ali was trapped in front as he moved across to work Coad through midwicket before Brooke Guest was tempted into driving at Fisher and was caught behind.Yorkshire got the big wicket of Wayne Madsen in the fifth over when Coad found some late movement to clip the off stump and Fisher got one to lift at Harry Came to reduce the home side to 15 for 4. Fisher struck again in his next over when Matt Lamb edged to second slip where Lyth juggled the ball before George Hill completed the catch and when Luis Reece played around a full length ball from Coad, the innings was in ruins.Yorkshire made their first mistake when Jonny Tattersall dropped Alex Thomson on 2 diving in front of first slip and that allowed Derbyshire to pass 50 before the next wicket fell.Jordan Thompson appeared to injure an ankle bowling his first ball but hobbled back to his mark and in the same over, pinned Leus du Plooy lbw for 28. Thompson then held a sharp return catch when Thomson got a leading edge and the score was still under three figures when Mark Watt was caught behind pushing at Fisher.Ben Aitchison and Suranga Lakmal at least took the score past 100 but when Fisher bowled Aitchison, Derbyshire had been dismissed in less than 32 overs.Although the pitch was two-paced, it was a poor batting display and Yorkshire quickly put the surface into perspective to take a firm grip on the game. Adam Lyth and Finlay Bean put on 61 in 11 overs before Bean was well caught at first slip cutting Reece and Lyth looked set for a big score until he edged a drive at Aitchison.Masood showed the timing and placement that brought him back-to-back double hundreds last season as he stroked three consecutive fours off Aitchison. Malan drove Lakmal for successive boundaries before Masood straight drove Thomson for his eighth four to reach 50 off 46 balls.At tea, Yorkshire were already 72 in front with Masood well set on 57 but Watt removed him in a fine spell of left-arm spin from the Lake End. Masood for once failed to get to the pitch and drove back a return catch before Hill tried to disrupt Watt’s rhythm and was well caught by Haider running back at long off.Malan and Tattersall took the visitors to a batting point before the latter was caught and bowled off a leading edge by Reece but when rain arrived shortly after 6pm, Yorkshire were already in a strong position.

Nottingham Forest have now stepped up their interest in a £20m transfer target by making contact over a summer deal.

Marinakis ready to splash the cash for Nottingham Forest this summer

It promises to be an exciting end to the season on the pitch for Nuno Espirito Santo’s side, who are on course to qualify for the Champions League in the manager’s first full season in charge.

Currently third in the Premier League table, Forest are currently six points clear of Manchester City who sit fifth, and the Reds are also preparing for an FA Cup quarter-final against Brighton & Hove Albion on Saturday evening.

Should Forest be preparing for Champions League football over the summer, it looks as if owner Evangelos Marinakis is ready to break the bank and spend big on some marquee signings.

Those at the City Ground have been linked with an ambitious move for Sporting CP striker Viktor Gyokeres.

Victor Osimhen has also been linked with a move to Nottingham Forest, and domestically, Forest also have targets. Wolves star Matheus Cunha and Brentford forward Yoane Wissa are two of those with Forest working on deals, whereas Sunderland midfielder Jobe Bellingham is of interest to the Reds.

Nuno loves him: Nottingham Forest working on deal for "fantastic" £20m star

The forward has now been identified as the Tricky Trees’ priority target for the summer transfer window.

ByDominic Lund Mar 27, 2025

Now, a new transfer update has emerged regarding Forest and Bellingham.

Forest make contact over signing Sunderland star Jobe Bellingham

According to TEAMtalk, Nottingham Forest have made contact over a deal for Bellingham this week, as the club step up their interest in the Championship star.

The 19-year-old is also being eyed by Manchester United, however, ‘Forest are pushing hard to secure his signing ahead of a huge summer of spending at the City Ground’.

Thought to be valued in the region of £20m, Bellingham would be keen to move and play at the highest level, should Sunderland miss out on promotion over the coming months.

Capable of playing as a defensive, central or attacking midfielder, Bellingham has already made more than 100 senior appearances during his career.

Sunderland

Birmingham

Games

81

26

Goals

11

0

Assists

4

0

He’s caught the eye of his teammates as well, with fellow Sunderland midfielder Dan Neil calling him a “freak of nature” in the past: “He’s an absolute freak of nature, physically. I have never seen a 17-year-old that size. Technically, he is a top, top, player as well.”

Now, it looks as if a move to the City Ground for Bellingham could be a real possibility, and who knows, he could challenge the likes of Elliot Anderson, Morgan Gibbs-White and Nicolas Dominguez for a starting spot in midfield during the 2025/26 season.

Liverpool will have to ‘settle’ for only winning the Premier League title if they want to secure a piece of silverware before the end of the season.

The Reds are 12 points clear at the top of the league table, with nine games left to play, and are in a commanding position to land their second Premier League title.

Arne Slot’s side lost in the final of the League Cup last weekend and were knocked out of the Champions League by Paris Saint-Germain on penalties earlier this month.

Liverpool are on course to win the league title, though, and that is largely down to the exceptional form of Mo Salah, who has racked up 27 goals and 17 assists in 29 appearances in the top-flight.

The Egypt international, however, is out of contract in the summer, and it remains to be see whether or not Slot will be able to call upon his talents next season, which means that the Dutch boss may have to hope that other players can step up.

Liverpool will need other players to carry the load in the 2025/26 campaign and beyond, if Salah moves on from Anfield, and Cody Gakpo is one player with the potential to step up.

Why Cody Gakpo could become a Liverpool star

There is no doubt that Salah is the main man for Liverpool, the one the team relies on to step up with vital goals and assists, and this means that the other forwards have to step out of the spotlight to let him shine.

However, Gakpo is a player with the potential to step into the spotlight next season to be the main man for the Reds, or at least one of the go-to stars at the top end of the pitch.

The Netherlands international, who joined the club at the start of 2023 from PSV, has scored 23 goals for the club to date in the Premier League, whilst Salah has 27 in the current campaign alone.

Gakpo’s finishing quality in the top-flight this season, though, suggests that the potential is there for him to be a dependable figure for Slot in the future, as he has the ability to make the most of the chances that are created for him.

As you can see in the table above, the former PSV star has scored eight goals from just 5.99 xG in the Premier League for Liverpool in the current campaign, which shows that he is an efficient finisher.

This suggests that his output in the final third could increase as a result of Salah’s exit, as the team could create more chances for him to score instead of funneling the ball down the Egyptian’s side more often than not.

Liverpool, though, are now showing an interest in a player who could come in to be even better than Gakpo in the upcoming summer transfer window.

Liverpool plot surprise move for France international

According to GIVEMESPORT, Liverpool could make a ‘surprise’ move to sign Lyon attacking midfielder Rayan Cherki at the end of the season.

The report claims that the Reds are plotting a potential swoop to land the France international to bolster their attack in the summer, after they held an interest in him in the recent January transfer window.

Transfer Focus

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

It states that the club are preparing for a ‘busy’ summer as they want to bring in several new forward options to improve the depth and quality of Slot’s squad.

The outlet reveals that the Lyon sensation is ‘highly-regarded’ by Liverpool chiefs, who are assessing targets ahead of the summer window, but does not state how high up he is on their list.

Cherki, whose performances have led to him being compared to some of the best wingers in Europe, was valued at around £20m in January, but it remains to be seen how much Lyon will demand for his services later this year.

Why Liverpool need to sign Rayan Cherki

If Salah moves on from Anfield this summer, Liverpool will need a player with the ability to step up as the main creative presence on the pitch for Slot.

Excluding Trent Alexander-Arnold, who is also out of contract this year, Salah is the only Liverpool star with more than four assists in the Premier League, and the only ace with more than 1.5 key passes per game made.

Gakpo, meanwhile, has only produced three assists and 1.2 key passes per match on average in the top-flight, which does not suggest

that he is likely to be the main man from a creative perspective.

Cherki, on the other hand, has racked up a staggering 18 assists in all competitions for Lyon this season, whilst averaging 2.5 key passes per match in Ligue 1.

This suggests that the French maestro has the creative ability to replace what Salah has provided in that sense this season, and journalist Dean Jones once claimed that he has the potential to be one of the best in the world.

Cherki, who can play as an attacking midfielder or on either flank, could also come in to be the main man over Gakpo, despite the Dutch forward’s potential, based on their respective performances this term.

As you can see in the table above, the Lyon magician has offered a relatively similar level of goalscoring in domestic and European action, whilst both players have outperformed against their xG.

However, Cherki is significantly better than Gakpo when it comes to creating high-quality chances for his teammates, with ten more ‘big chances’ created in their respective domestic leagues.

These statistics suggest that the French dynamo would be even more influential than the Dutchman at the top end of the pitch at Anfield next season if Michael Edwards can strike a deal for the £20m-rated ace, because he could contribute to more goals and assists combined overall.

Cherki is a forward who can ruthlessly finish the chances that come his way whilst also being an exceptional creator for others, whilst Gakpo has only shown himself to be the former.

He earns more than Gakpo: Edwards must sell Liverpool's "pointless" star

The Liverpool chief must ruthlessly cash in on the forward who has been outperformed by Cody Gakpo.

By
Dan Emery

Mar 19, 2025

It is now down to Liverpool to ensure that they win the race to land the Lyon ace in the summer transfer window, as he could help to soften the blow of possibly losing Salah and Trent on free transfers.

The Australia opener said he wouldn’t want his children hear some of the things being said

Andrew McGlashan17-Jul-2023Usman Khawaja believes abuse from the crowds towards players has gone too far – both in England and Australia.Khawaja was involved in the confrontation with MCC members in the Lord’s pavilion after the controversial stumping of Jonny Bairstow which has led to three members being suspended. However, he is equally concerned about what children in the stands are hearing as insults get hurled near the boundary.The Bairstow incident prompted strong reaction from the crowds, with Alex Carey saying there had been some “nasty stuff” said, but players had been facing plenty even before that.Related

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What happens next? Recapping the crazy men's Ashes

Khawaja returns to where he feared Test career had ended

“Personally, if I am coming to the cricket and watching the cricket, I wouldn’t want my kids to be around that,” Khawaja said ahead of the Old Trafford Test. “If I saw that I would 100 percent make a complaint or just leave. I think some of the stuff can be pretty poor. Over at Edgbaston they were calling Travis Head a c… you know what. I’m like I can’t believe you can actually say that in a public domain anywhere.”England’s players are often quick to point out that they receive similar treatment on tours of Australia and Khawaja does not condone that either.”If you talk about it to England guys, they say we are equally as rough when [they go to Australia]. I don’t agree with it either way. I don’t think it’s the right thing to do,” Khawaja said.”It can be a little disappointing at times, and I think we can take it too far in Australia. I’m not a big fan of it. I know watching a lot of sport and loving sport that it happens around the world. You watch the NBA [and] it happens there. Particularly when crowds can get real close to you, which they can in cricket. It is what it is, I don’t agree with it.”Khawaja would not be drawn into further discussion about the events in the Lord’s pavilion. “I’m just going to leave it there,” he said. “MCC are all over it. I trust them to do the right thing.”With the Ashes on the line, and Old Trafford another ground where the crowd can get boisterous, it is unlikely the Australians will be in for a quiet time this week.”There’s some nasty stuff been said but…it is the Ashes,” Carey said last week. “There was nasty stuff said before that as well. From Australia I still think we’ve got lots of fans and from England, I don’t think we’ve made any, but we probably didn’t lose any.”It is the Ashes we’ve got to remember, and we’ve had some amazing crowds. We love coming over here, we love playing the Ashes and my first experience [playing Test cricket] in England has been amazing.”

When R Ashwin was left out of the XI in the WTC final last month, he had two options, he says: either “sulk and complain about it” or “learn from it”. Ashwin chose the second despite the “unfortunate” omission, focused on keeping the dressing room atmosphere “up and about” during the final and then gave his “best efforts” as soon as he was back in the Test XI.On the opening day of the Test series against West Indies in Roseau, Ashwin grabbed his 33rd Test five-for to help bowl out the hosts for just 150 to give India the advantage. He first got the big wickets of Tagenarine Chanderpaul and Kraigg Brathwaite in the first session, before dismissing debutant and top-scorer Alick Athanaze and two tailenders to finish with 5 for 60. Ashwin said it was his “constant search for excellence” that has held him in good stead all this while.”There’s no human being or cricketer who has gone through the highs without the lows,” he said after the first day’s play. “When you have lows, it gives you two chances – either you sulk and complain about it and go along and go down, or you learn from it. I am someone who’s constantly learnt from my lows. In fact the best thing that’s happened after this good day that I’ve had is that I’ll have a good meal, talk to my family and then go to bed and forget about it because when you’ve had a good day you know you’ve had a good day, but there are areas you can work on and get better for tomorrow.Related

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“So this constant search for excellence has held me in good stead all the time but it’s also been incredibly draining. It’s not a journey that’s very easy. It’s been draining but I’m very thankful for all the lows that have come my way because without the lows there are no highs in your life.”In an interview during the TNPL, Ashwin had said that being left out of the WTC final as a “stumbling block” and not a “setback”. On Wednesday, he further said that even though he went to England for the WTC final with a lot of physical and mental preparations, he was also prepared to be left out.”As a cricketer it’s very tough that you have a shot at the WTC final, sitting out, all that is fine,” he said. “But what’s the difference between me and another youngster or person if I also end up sulking inside the dressing room…I was mentally prepared to play with my preparations, but I was also prepared to be not playing. If I’m not playing, then how do I respond? How do I make sure the team dressing room is really up and about because winning the WTC final is the most important thing and it could be a very high point in my career and I would have played a good role in it.”It was just unfortunate it didn’t pan out; the first day left us too much behind in the shed. But what’s the difference between me and another person who’s going to sulk? So all I’d like to give my team and team-mates and Indian cricket as a whole is some understanding and my best efforts on the field and that’s where I’d like to leave it and draw a line.”There’s so much international cricket, IPL, leagues these days around the world that it’s important for us to stay in the present. I do a lot of other things surrounding cricket, there are some teams to look after at home as well. I always try to stay in the present. What happened in the WTC final was very sad because we couldn’t win, and it was the second final in a row. Out here it was very important for me to start the series well, stay in the present and do well. I got lucky, I had a really good first spell today which set up the spell later on.”