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Wayne Rooney has revealed how bitter a rivalry led him to lock wife Coleen out of the house after he fell victim to a brutal prank at his family home. Wayne Rooney grew up supporting Everton and spent 13 glorious years at Manchester United, while his wife Coleen is known to be a supporter of Liverpool and has always been vocal about her support for the Reds.

Rooney welcomed with Liverpool flags

Rooney recalled the incident from five years ago when Liverpool finally ended their wait and won the Premier League under Jurgen Klopp's tutelage in 2020. Rooney was managing Derby County at that time. Following the Reds' triumph, one day when Rooney returned to his family home, he was shocked to see Liverpool flags all around his home, a prank that Coleen pulled on her husband.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportRooney "locked" Coleen out

On podcast, the United legend narrated the entire incident, as he said: "When Liverpool won the Premier League a few years ago, I came home, I was at Derby at the time, and Coleen's got Liverpool flags up outside the house. 

"It was our old house, so outside the front door there's a little balcony thing and the flag was outside the window there, so I told her to go and get it down. She went up and you had to actually climb out the window to get it down, so she went up and I locked her out."

Rooney, however, did not drag the prank for too long and he soon allowed Coleen back in the house. 

Rooney's lavish 40th birthday celebration

Coleen is planning a lavish celebration to mark her husband's 40th birthday on October 24, where she wants her fellow WAGs Victoria Beckham, Abbey Clancy, Toni Terry and Alex Gerrard to attend.

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Getty Images SportMerseyside derby to kick off gameweek five

Gameweek five of the Premier League will kick off on Saturday with Merseyside rivals Liverpool and Everton locking horns in a derby clash at Anfield.

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O Palmeiras goleou o Goiás por 5 a 0, neste domingo, em Goiânia e assumiu a vice-liderança do Brasileirão. Com direito a quebra de jejum de Dudu e do reencontro de Endrick com a rede, o Verdão aproveitou as superioridades técnica, númerica e no placar para dominar a partida e sair da casa do adversário com três pontos na bagagem. Artur, Sidimar (contra) e Raphael Veiga completar o o marcador na Serrinha.

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasPalmeirasCom a janela fechada, Palmeiras deve ter ‘reforço’ do sub-20 para substituir MuriloPalmeiras07/05/2023

+ Veja tabela e classificação do Brasileirão-2023 clicando aqui

Verdão domina as ações e abre o placar com lance típico

Apesar de o Goiás ter sido o mandante da partida, quem tomou as iniciativas foi o Palmeiras, que durante os primeiros minutos controlou a posse de bola e não teve pressa para definir as jogadas. Não demorou muito para, em cobrança de escanteio, Raphel Veiga cruza na cabeça de Zé Rafael, que desviou para trás e encontrou Artur, que só teve o trabalho de cabecear para abrir o placar na Serrinha. O Esmeraldino buscou um sufoco logo em seguida para tentar o empate, mas esbarrou na defesa adversária, que afastou os perigos.

Palmeiras diminui o ritmo, e Goiás explora deficiências, mas vai para o intervalo com um a menos

Sem necessidade de “tirar o pé”, o Verdão aproveitou a vantagem no placar para administrar a partida ainda no primeiro tempo. Enquanto isso, o Esmeraldino explorava o lado direito da defesa palmeirense, que se salvava pela consistência de todo o sistema. Nos contra-ataque, a equipe de Abel Ferreira tomava decisões erradas, mas em um deles Rony sairia cara a cara com o goleiro e foi parado com falta dura de Lucas Halter. O VAR solicitou a análise do árbitro de campo, que decidiu expulsar o zagueiro. Na cobrança de falta, Veiga quase fez um golaço, mas Rangel fez milagre.

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Verdão volta do intervalo e amplia o placar

Não demorou muito para o Palmeiras conseguir seu segundo gol. Em jogada pelo lado esquerdo, Piquerez tentou cruzar para a área e Sidimar acabou desviando para a própria meta, cedendo o tento para o adversário. Com um a mais e a vantagem no placar, o Verdão deu alguns vacilos defensivos desnecessários, mas seguia com chances de buscar mais gols. Dudu, por exemplo, teve duas boas oportunidades, mas não conseguia encerrar seu jejum em 2023. Nesse meio tempo, Abel Ferreira começou a mexer no time e poupar algumas peças.

Palmeiras controla o jogo e passa a ser mais assertivo para golear

Com as mudanças e o placar praticamente definido, o Verdão parecia apenas refinar a conclusão de suas jogadas para fazer mais gols. E foi isso que aconteceu na reta final. Primeiro Veiga aproveitou saída errada de bola do Esmeraldino para fazer o terceiro gol. Depois foi a vez de Piquerez, de novo, cruzar para a área e achar Endrick, que de cabeça colocou para dentro. Eram três partidas que o garoto não entrava em campo. Ainda teve tempo para Dudu quebrar seu jejum. Piquerez, novamente, cruzou para a área e o camisa 7 completou para o gol. 5 a 0 e fecha a conta.

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E agora?

Com a vitória, o Palmeiras vai a dez pontos no Brasileirão e atinge a segunda posição na tabela, atrás apenas do Botafogo, que tem 12 pontos. Enquanto isso, o Goiás fica com apenas três pontos e ocupa a 18ª posição na classificação, ou seja, no Z4 da competição. Na próxima rodada, o Alviverde paulista recebe o Grêmio, na quarta-feira, no Allianz Parque, às 21h30. Já o Esmeraldino vai até o Maracanã pegar o Flamengo, às 20h.

FICHA TÉCNICA
GOIÁS 0 x 5 PALMEIRAS
Local: Hailé Pinheiro, em Goiânia (GO)
Data-Hora: 7/5/2023 – 18h30 (de Brasília)
Árbitro: Wagner do Nascimento Magalhães (Fifa/RJ)
Assistentes: Kleber Lucio Gil (SC) e Thiago Henrique Neto Correa Farinha (RJ)
VAR: Rodrigo D’Alonso Ferreira (SC)
Público: Não disponíveis
Cartões amarelos: Dieguinho, Bruno Melo (GOI) Endrick, Zé Rafael, Gustavo Gómez, Piquerez, Raphael Veiga e Mayke (PAL)
Cartões vermelhos: Lucas Halter, aos 40’/1ºT (GOI)
Gols: Artur (9’/1ºT) (0-1), Sidimar (contra) (2’/2ºT) (0-2), Raphael Veiga (32’/2ºT) (0-3), Endrick (37’/2ºT) (0-4), Dudu (44’/2ºT) (0-5)

GOIÁS: Marcelo Rangel; Guilherme Marques, Lucas Halter, Bruno Melo e Sander; Zé Ricardo (Alesson, aos 35’/2ºT), Morelli, Dieguinho e Palacios (Dodô, aos 35’/2ºT); Vinícius (Diego Gonçalves, aos 13’/2ºT) e Matheus Peixoto (Apodi, aos 13’/2ºT). Técnico: Émerson Ávila.

PALMEIRAS: Weverton; Mayke (Garcia, aos 20’/2ºT), Gustavo Gómez, Luan e Piquerez; Zé Rafael (Fabinho, aos 25’/2ºT), Gabriel Menino (Richard Ríos, aos 20’/2ºT) e Raphael Veiga (Jhon Jhon, aos 33’/2ºT); Artur, Dudu e Rony (Endrick, aos 20’/2ºT). Técnico: Abel Ferreira.

Tudo sobre

BrasileirãoGoiásPalmeiras

Gloucestershire 109 for 2 (Bracey 49*, Bancroft 39) beat Sussex 106 (Carson 26, M Taylor 3-25, Smith 3-25) by eight wicketsGloucestershire booked themselves a West Country showdown with local rivals Somerset in the Vitality Blast final, to give themselves a shot at their first silverware for close to a decade, as well as their maiden title in this competition, after a crushingly effective eight-wicket victory over Sussex in the second semi-final at Edgbaston.After being asked to bowl first on a drying pitch that was likely to offer increasing grip for the spinners – and having watched Somerset’s bowlers put the squeeze on Surrey in the opening contest – Gloucestershire made sure that the conditions would be academic come the sharp end, by routing their previously high-flying rivals for 106 in 18.1 overs. Matt Taylor and Tom Smith grabbed the lion’s share of the wickets with twin figures of 3 for 25, but David Payne’s 1 for 9 in four overs was the epitome of their performance.After that, the result was never truly in doubt. Despite the early loss of Miles Hammond, Cameron Bancroft and James Bracey broke the back of the chase with a second-wicket stand of 54, and Sussex’s grim day was summed up when Ollie Robinson dropped an utter sitter at mid-on, as Bracey went for broke with just six runs needed. He got it right two balls later, however, with a mighty drill over long-off to wrap up the chase with 38 balls unused.Sussex hadn’t had a prayer with so few runs to play with. Tymal Mills, doubtless ruing his call at the toss, tried to frontload his strike bowling, with Robinson relatively misery but wicketless in his four overs for 23, while the only other successful bowler was James Coles, whose 1 for 17 in three overs will count as further experience banked at the end of a breakthrough campaign.Payne and Taylor boss the powerplay
Payne’s harnessing of swing in the powerplay is his “super-strength”, as he told ESPNcricinfo in the build-up, and with metronomic inevitability he proved true to his word once again. His 21st powerplay wicket of the campaign, and tournament-leading 30th overall, was the whopper that Gloucestershire needed above all others.With 595 runs at 42.50 going into Finals Day, Daniel Hughes had been the rock of Sussex’s batting all season long, but he’d extended his tally by just one more run when Payne outfoxed him in his second over. With a hint of shape from over the wicket, he lured Hughes across his crease then beat his intentions with some extra bounce, the under-edge deflecting into his own stumps.Five balls – and no runs – later, Sussex’s innings was officially in the soup. Matt Taylor’s low full toss wasn’t quite the yorker he was aiming for, but then nor was Harrison Ward’s leading-edged response. Hammond snaffled the low deflection that somehow carried to mid-on, and though James Coles then cracked three of Taylor’s next four balls for four, he too fell to the fifth, as Bancroft intercepted at short midwicket.Taylor’s third and final wicket, however, was a true collector’s item. Round the wicket, perfect line and length, it gripped the dry pitch and ripped and bounced like a legbreak through Tom Alsop’s half-formed defences. His hat-trick ball was too full to trouble John Simpson – “you greedy boy!” joked James Bracey over the stump mic, but at 35 for 4 at the end of the powerplay, Sussex were scrambling for anything competitive.Cameron Bancroft makes a dent in Gloucestershire’s small target•Getty Images

Price is right for middle overs
Ollie Price’s first two balls weren’t the most auspicious. Five wides first-up, then four more byes as a very tight appeal for lbw deceived both batter and keeper. His third ball, however, was bang on the money. Round the wicket to the left-handed Tom Clark, and straightening just enough out of the footholes to peg back his off stump as Clark missed his sweep.And, after a solitary over for his brother Tom, Ollie made it two wickets in as many overs as Fynn Hudson-Prentice, one ball after finding the stands at deep midwicket, found the fielder there instead, as he got too greedy on a dragged-down delivery, and picked out Hammond’s safe hands once more to depart for a run-a-ball 13.No let-up through the back end
Five balls was enough for Tom Smith to prise out Sussex’s last realistic hope of a defendable total. Simpson also succumbed to the sweep as he was nailed on the full, just in line with off stump, leaving Sussex beached on 64 for 7 in the tenth, with little option but to bat out the overs and take whatever they could muster.Robinson and Jack Carson obliged for a time, adding a run-a-ball 37 to drag the total past 100. But back came Smith, tossing it above Robinson’s eyeline to lure a hack to deep mid-off. One ball later, he and Bracey combined for a moment that might have been designed as Jack Russell-Mark Alleyne tribute act, as Smith fired a faster delivery past the pads of the incoming Mills, and the unsighted Bracey whipped off the bails for a stumping that would have graced the club’s trophy-winning glory days at the turn of the 2000s.With options aplenty and only the resolute Carson resisting, Payne bowled out in the 18th over, conceding just nine runs in total in another stellar display, before Josh Shaw – scarcely any less frugal – mopped up the resistance with 11 balls left unused. It had been a performance to match their magnificent defence of 139 on his same ground in the quarter-final against Birmingham Bears. On this evidence, there was little reason to believe Gloucestershire couldn’t make it three Edgbaston wins in a row by the end of cricket’s longest day.

Celtic have now submitted an opening bid for a forward who was regularly among the goals in the 2024-25 season, a report has revealed.

Hoops keen on new forward amid Maeda uncertainty

In Kyogo Furuhashi’s absence from January onwards, Daizen Maeda well and truly stepped up last season, providing 16 goals and seven assists in the Scottish Premiership, while also scoring seven goals en-route to the Scottish Cup Final.

As such, it is little wonder the Japanese forward is attracting attention from elsewhere, with Everton recently joining fellow Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur in the race for his signature.

Brendan Rodgers recently dropped an update on the situation, in which he confirmed the 27-year-old has remained professional, despite the uncertainty surrounding his future.

As exciting as Balikwisha: Celtic contenders to sign "outstanding" star

Celtic are one of the contenders to secure a deal for a star who would be as exciting as Michel-Ange Balikwisha.

ByDan Emery Jul 23, 2025

After being impressed by Maeda’s performance in the 4-0 thrashing of Newcastle United, Rodgers said: “I don’t think there have been any developments on that, but he’s a professional and his focus is very much on here.

“Yeah, all the players, all the players had a real good focus, and I’ve always said there’s not a friendly game when you play for Celtic. There are always tests for you, but the players came through really, really well. Daizen, all the guys, they worked really well.”

However, with the forward’s future very much up in the air, Celtic have now set their sights on a new winger, namely Go Ahead Eagles’ Jakob Breum, with a report from The National revealing they have submitted an opening offer of £1.5m for his services.

However, the bid was way below Go Ahead Eagles’ asking price of £5m, meaning it was knocked back, with club director Jan Willem van Dop saying: “There has been a bid for Jakob Breum from a foreign club,

“We are so far apart there. You have to stand your ground. He may have to realise that it could be very good to stay with us at least until the winter break, just like Oliver Edvardsen.”

Breum regularly among the goals in the Eredivisie

The 21-year-old enjoyed his best campaign to date last season, amassing a total of 17 goal contributions for Go Ahead Eagles across all competitions.

Competition

Appearances

Goals

Assists

Eredivisie

26

10

5

KNVB Beker

3

1

0

UECL Qualifiers

2

0

1

As such, the versatile forward, who is capable of playing on both wings and in attacking midfield, could be an exciting signing for Celtic, although, given that the 2024-25 season was his first real eye-catching season numbers-wise, it is clear to see why they’re unwilling to pay £5m.

Consequently, it could be wise to move on to alternative targets, of which there is no shortage, with it recently being revealed the Hoops are now stepping up their pursuit of Michel-Ange Balikwisha, who has 46 goal contributions in 141 games for Royal Antwerp.

It’s all changing at Tottenham Hotspur at the moment.

Ange Postecoglou may have led the club to their first trophy in a generation, but a 17th-place finish in the Premier League was enough for Daniel Levy and Co to send him on his way.

In his place, former Brentford manager Thomas Frank has been tasked with dramatically improving the club’s domestic form next season, and one way to make that happen is by adding genuine quality to the squad.

Fortunately, recent reports suggest the North Londoners may be closing in on a signing who’d be a more exciting addition to the team than Mathys Tel.

Tottenham transfer news

The transfer window may have only just opened again, but Spurs have recently been linked with many talented attackers, such as Bryan Mbeumo and Yoanne Wissa, who thrived under Frank’s management.

Transfer Focus

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

Moreover, to ensure the squad aren’t left short on numbers in attack next year, Levy and Co have also re-signed Tel on a permanent transfer.

The young Frenchman did well enough in spells last season, and the potential is certainly there, but based purely on what we saw from him this year, it’s hard to describe his £30m signing as particularly exciting.

The good news is that the Lilywhites now appear to be advancing in talks to sign someone who certainly would be an exciting signing: Antoine Semenyo.

According to a recent report from TEAMtalk, the Spurs are incredibly interested in the Bournemouth star and are ‘growing in confidence in striking a deal’ with the South Coast side.

The report does not mention how much the Ghanaian international could cost the North Londoners, but reports from earlier this month claim that a fee of up to £70m should be enough.

Now, that is certainly a lot of money, but given Semenyo’s ability and experience, it’d be worth it for Spurs, especially as he’d be a more exciting signing than Tel.

Why Semenyo would be a more exciting signing than Tel

Okay, so the first thing to address is that Semenyo has an inherent advantage here in that the newest attacking signings are going to be more exciting than a club re-signing someone they’ve had on loan before purely for the fact that they’ll represent something fresh and relatively unknown.

However, while this is undoubtedly the case here, there are other significant reasons why the Bournemouth star would be a far more exciting addition to the team than Tel, starting with their output.

In 20 appearances for the North Londoners, totalling 1257 minutes, the Sarcelles-born attacker was able to score three goals and provide a single assist, which comes out to an average of a goal involvement every five games, or every 314.25 minutes.

In stark contrast, the Cherries ace scored 13 goals and provided seven assists in 42 appearances, totalling 3562 minutes, which comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 2.1 games, or every 178.1 minutes.

Moreover, while the Frenchman can play off the left or up top relatively easily, the Chelsea-born ace can play off either flank, up top or even in midfield, thanks largely to the fact he’s ambipedal.

Finally, on top of everything else, the 25-year-old “monster,” as dubbed by respected analyst Ben Mattinson, also comes out way on top when we take a look under the hood at their underlying numbers.

For example, he comes out on top in almost all relevant metrics, such as non-penalty goals plus assists, shot and goal-creating actions, key passes, successful take-ons and many, many more, all per 90.

Semenyo vs Tel
Statistics	Semenyo	Tel
Non-Penalty G+As	0.45	0.23
Progressive Passes	3.06	2.31
Progressive Carries	3.93	2.62
Shots	3.51	2.47
Shots on Target	1.12	0.85
Passing Accuracy	73.4%	74.4%
Key Passes	1.29	1.15
Passes into the Final Third	1.38	1.31
Passes into the Penalty Area	1.26	1.38
Live Passes	29.5	27.8
Shot-Creating Actions	3.71	2.47
Goal-Creating Actions	0.37	0.31
Successful Take-Ons	1.94	1.62
Ball Recoveries	4.44	3.62
Aerial Duels Won	1.85	0.38
All Stats via FBref for the 24/25 EPL Season

Ultimately, while Tel is a talented player who could develop into something special, Semenyo is streaks ahead of him and would be a far more exciting signing for Spurs.

A better signing than Mbeumo: Spurs enter talks to sign "unbelievable" CF

Tottenham Hotspur could be about to make a move to land an attacker who could star in North London.

1

By
Ethan Lamb

Jun 16, 2025

Manchester United are now confident of agreeing deals for two new attacking signings in the coming weeks.

Man Utd lining up replacements for Ten Hag signings

Now that the transfer window is back open, teams such as Man United can get back to work on finalising their squads in time for pre-season to begin. Given how last season went for the Red Devils, club chiefs will be keen to have a lot of their business done as early as possible so they can give Ruben Amorim the best chance of success.

Related Man Utd in talks to sign £40m+ Aston Villa star keen on Old Trafford move

The Villans could have a decision to make on his future…

Posts BySean Markus Clifford Jun 15, 2025

There are multiple positions Amorim and co. want to strengthen this summer, but none may be more important than in goal, given the mistakes Andre Onana made throughout last season.

The Cameroon international was linked with a move to Saudi Arabia a month or two ago, but that talk has now gone quiet. However, that hasn’t stopped United from looking at potential replacements, and according to Caught Offside, United are now in talks with goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez over a possible transfer this summer. The Argentine is said to be open to a move to Old Trafford, as his time at Aston Villa looks to be coming to an end.

Martinez is not the only goalkeeper on United’s radar, as according to a new report, the Premier League side are also interested in signing Marco Carnesecchi from Atalanta. The 24-year-old has impressed for the Serie A side in the last 18 months, and his performances have caught the attention of United – it’s said that Atalanta would want around £34 million for their goalkeeper.

Man Utd confident of signing Mbeumo and a new striker

As the Red Devils work on a new goalkeeper, according to the Manchester Evening News, Man United are confident of agreeing a deal to sign Bryan Mbeumo from Brentford.

The report states that Mbeumo has told friends he only wants to join United but has not ruled out a move to Tottenham Hotspur. Spurs are said to be pushing for Mbeumo and are prepared to offer a higher salary, but United are considered to be the frontrunners for the £60 million star.

As well as working on a deal to sign Mbeumo, Manchester Evening News also adds that they are lining up a deal to sign a striker afterwards.

The report doesn’t state which striker, but this comes as Inter Milan are reportedly working on a deal to sign Rasmus Hojlund, which has made United look for replacements.

The Red Devils are interested in a deal to sign Hugo Ekitike from Eintracht Frankfurt and have already made contact with the German side over a possible deal. Meanwhile, Victor Osimhen is another player on the radar, and it’s been reported that talks have been held between the club and the striker’s representatives over a potential transfer this summer.

Ekitike, Osimhen and Gyokeres’ 24/25 league stats

Ekitike

Osimhen

Gyokeres

Apps

33

30

33

Goals

15

26

39

Assists

8

5

8

Ekitike and Osimhen could be United’s potential striker targets, as Viktor Gyokeres has now prioritised a move to Arsenal over the Red Devils.

Tottenham Hotspur are now keen on signing an “amazing” defender, who is likely to be tempted by a move away from his current club in the summer, according to Graeme Bailey.

Tottenham eyeing defender amid Romero uncertainty

Tottenham have fallen way short of expectations in the Premier League this season, with Ange Postecoglou’s side on course for a 17th-place finish, so it is little wonder that one of their key players has little interest in sticking around beyond the summer.

Back in April, it was revealed that Cristian Romero is now pushing to leave Spurs, with Daniel Levy cancelling talks over a new contract, which means the chairman could be tasked with bringing in a replacement at the end of the season.

AFC Bournemouth’s Dean Huijsen is among the more ambitious targets, with the Lilywhites recently being linked with a £50m swoop for the Spaniard, who is also wanted by Real Madrid, while they remain keen on signing Crystal Palace’s Marc Guehi after making a £70m bid in January.

Huijsen and Guehi have established themselves among the Premier League’s best defenders with their performances this season, but there have also been suggestions that Spurs could make a move for more of an unproven quantity.

According to Bailey, in a report for EFL Analysis, Tottenham are now keen on signing Sutton United defender Jack Taylor, having conducted checks on the 20-year-old this season, alongside a whole host of other clubs.

Teams from across the EFL pyramid are interested in signing Taylor, including Bristol City, Millwall and Portsmouth, with West Ham United and Brentford likely to be the main rival suitors from within the Premier League.

The centre-back is set to enter the final year of his contract, and he is expected to be tempted by a move elsewhere this summer, despite Sutton’s eagerness to tie him down to a new deal.

Related Tottenham now frontrunners and pushing to sign "incredible" maestro for £0

Spurs are leading the race for a midfielder, despite interest from Manchester United.

Posts ByDominic Lund May 11, 2025 "Amazing" Taylor impressing at Sutton

Given that the defender played in the fifth tier in the 2024-25 campaign, he is unlikely to be capable of making the step-up to the Premier League in the near future, but there are some signs he could be a solid long-term addition to the squad.

Sutton manager Steve Morison expressed his disappointment when the youngster suffered a season-ending injury back in March, saying: “That’s probably his season done. We’re at the backend of the season now so anything over a couple of weeks; you’re not going to get them back, but he’s pulled his groin and it’s gutting because he’s been amazing.”

That said, Tottenham should also look to bring in a ready-made replacement for Romero alongside Taylor, given his inexperience, and there are a number of potential options on the shortlist.

Player

Current club

Potential cost

Dean Huijsen

AFC Bournemouth

£50m

Marc Guehi

Crystal Palace

£60m

Eric Garcia

Barcelona

£17m

Isak Hien

Atalanta

£26m

Piero Hincapie

Bayer Leverkusen

£60m

Fabrizio Romano says Arsenal are extremely keen on signing a £50 million player, following other reliable reports that talks have already been held with his representatives ahead of the summer transfer window.

Arsenal set for summer rebuild under Andrea Berta

The season is by no means over for Mikel Arteta and co, who have a golden opportunity to make history and win the club’s first ever Champions League title after sensationally knocking out Real Madrid in the quarter-finals.

Their new Ian Wright: Arsenal want to sign "one of the best CFs in Europe"

Arsenal are looking at signing a striker who could be their next Ian Wright in north London.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Apr 22, 2025

Ligue 1 champions PSG await the Gunners in a mouthwatering semi-final clash, and it is truly a tie which will make or break Arsenal’s campaign.

However, another hot topic at the Emirates Stadium right now is new sporting director Andrea Berta’s looming summer rebuild ahead of next season. There are suggestions that Arsenal are looking to strengthen all areas of the squad, including between the sticks, in defence, midfield and further forward.

Crystal Palace (home)

Tonight

Bournemouth (home)

May 3rd

Liverpool (away)

May 11th

Newcastle United (home)

May 18th

Southampton (away)

May 25th

£300 million could even be spent doing so, according to GiveMeSport, amid Berta’s “insatiable” desire to build winning teams.

“Anyone who knows football knows Andrea is an impressive figure,” said co-chairman Josh Kroenke after Berta’s appointment.

“He has vast knowledge of the game, a great track record, a strong network and an insatiable desire to build winning teams. Andrea will be a great addition to our club. He understands our values and what we stand for, and we have no doubt he will help us push on and take the next steps in our bid to win major trophies.

“We undertook a thorough recruitment process, and we were hugely impressed with the level of all the other candidates, but it was Andrea’s experience and the success he has enjoyed that stood out.”

Defensively, it is believed Bournemouth starlet Dean Huijsen is emerging as a top target for Berta.

The reliable David Ornstein recently reported that Arsenal have held talks with Huijsen’s representatives, alongside the likes of Chelsea, Newcastle and Tottenham, with elite clubs taking note of the Spaniard’s £50 million release clause.

Arsenal "really" interested in signing Dean Huijsen

Following this development, another credible and trusted media source in Romano has shared another update on Berta’s pursuit of the former Juventus defender.

He reports to GiveMeSport that Arsenal are “really” interested in signing Huijsen this summer after his excellent debut campaign in the Premier League, but the competition remains fierce.

“From what I’m hearing, Arsenal are also interested. Newcastle dream of him, but I think for Newcastle, it is going to be very difficult to get the deal done now with Chelsea, Liverpool, and Arsenal. These three clubs are really interested, so I think he’s going to stay in the Premier League.”

Huijsen recently expressed his excitement over being linked with a move to Real Madrid, but right now, it is unclear whether Los Blancos view the “sensational” centre-back as a priority target.

Richard Hughes was rightly lauded after overseeing a staggering summer transfer window for Premier League champions Liverpool, but any positivity has been scourged away by the dreadful form that has fractured Arne Slot’s reign.

Nine losses across 12 fixtures is bad enough, but the limp and toothless manner of many of the defeats – especially recent losses at Anfield against Nottingham Forest and PSV Eindhoven in the Champions League – underscores the severity of the crisis Slot is dealing with.

He needs to find answers, or else FSG will be forced into making a rare managerial dismissal. It’s inevitable that discussion is increasing about the security of Slot’s position.

That would be an outcome few of a Red persuasion would want, not least because of a shortage of options.

Jurgen Klopp’s name has been bandied about, but this is not realistic.

Who Liverpool could replace Slot with

Klopp draped the curtain on his Liverpool dynasty at the end of the 2023/24 campaign. He was tired. It had been a tough, gruelling, heavy metal career on Merseyside, where he had devoted nine years to restoring Anfield as a global superpower.

Klopp’s Silverware at Liverpool

Competition

Times won

Season(s)

Premier League

1x

19/20

Champions League

1x

18/19

FA Cup

1x

21/22

Carabao Cup

2x

21/22, 23/24

Club World Cup

1x

19/20

UEFA Super Cup

1x

19/20

Community Shield

1x

22/23

Data via Transfermarkt

There has been some discussion online as to whether FSG should push for a comeback, but this romanticised notion would fall flat.

Klopp is not the answer. His quasi-retirement has seen him assume the post of Head of Global Soccer for Red Bull GmbH, and it’s important to remember that the German tactician’s tactical shrewdness waned toward the end of his tenure. He was tired, after all.

But, if Slot is fired, Liverpool would need to find a replacement, and Spanish sources suggest Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola is on the shortlist.

Iraola, 43, is one of the most exciting young managers in Europe, having shaped the Cherries into a front-footed and sharp attacking outfit.

Compensation pay would be required to pull him away from the Vitality Stadium, but given Iraola’s vision aligns with the club’s long-term project, he might be the one to go for.

Why Iraola could be perfect for Liverpool

It was a bold move for Bournemouth to ditch Gary O’Neil after the pragmatic manager steered the club to safety after promotion to the Premier League in 2022/23. A bold move, but one carried out with diligence, for Iraola was earmarked as a progressive option.

And Bill Foley must be delighted. In 2023/24, Bournemouth recorded a record points total (56) in the Premier League, leading​ journalist James Horncastle to hail him as “the best coach in the Premier League” for his sharp-witted and positive approach.

Iraola likes aggressive and high-octane football. He is not as turbo-charged in his approach as Klopp, but the Spaniard would infuse Liverpool with more risk-taking and directness than Slot prefers, albeit still maintaining an emphasis on retaining possession.

This could play to the strengths of Florian Wirtz, who has had a tough time since joining Liverpool from Bayer Leverkusen for £116m in the summer.

A silky and inventive attacking midfielder, the German has yet to register a goal involvement in the Premier League and has lacked the clarity and poise that was expected after the thrill of his official announcement.

There remains a world-class talent in there, and Wirtz’s woes come with the caveat that he has entered a dysfunctional tactical system.

Iraola’s focus on a 4-2-3-1 formation suggests that the 22-year-old could find a natural place at number ten. As per FBref, he does rank among the top 11% of positional peers in the English top flight this term for shot-creating actions and the top 4% for passes attempted and progressive passes per 90.

This suggests that Wirtz has the potential to be a superstar in England, and Iraola can provide the stability and fluency of tactics to help realise that.

He might not be Klopp, but Iraola has labelled his tactics as being akin to “rock and roll”. Klopp’s famous branding of his vision as being ‘heavy metal football’ suggests that Liverpool might hit the jackpot by making this switch.

No one wants to see Slot be sacked, but this pitiful form and level of performance cannot be allowed to continue, and Iraola has the acumen to revive Wirtz and bring the champions back into the ascendancy.

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Posts ByAngus Sinclair Nov 28, 2025

Ian Bishop talks about the West Indies attack – which is without Roach – which will take on Australia

Andrew McGlashan24-Jun-2025Australia are clear favourites in their series against West Indies, which begins in Barbados on Wednesday, but they start with some question marks over the batting. Steven Smith is absent injured and Marnus Labuschagne has been dropped, leading to recalls for Sam Konstas and Josh Inglis. Meanwhile, Cameron Green made an uncertain return to Test cricket at No. 3 against South Africa – albeit in challenging conditions – and there are eyes on the output of Usman Khawaja.That all leaves West Indies with a window of opportunity if they can put pressure on the top order. The experienced Kemar Roach is a notable absentee from this squad as coach Daren Sammy and new captain Roston Chase look to reshape the side. However, the three frontline quicks likely to form the attack, alongside the left-arm spin of Jomel Warrican, have the credentials to be a handful for the Australians.With the help of Ian Bishop, here’s a rundown of West Indies’ bowling options.Shamar JosephTests: 8 | Wickets: 29 | Average: 26.75There needs little reminding of what Shamar Joseph did when he last faced Australia, setting the Gabba alight with his second innings 7 for 68 to secure an eight-run victory. After recovering from the toe injury he bowled through that day, life was tougher in his next series against England, but in the last three Tests – against South Africa and Bangladesh – he has claimed 12 wickets. On Sunday night, he was named West Indies’ Test Player of the Year.”He went to England [in 2024] on the back of playing a lot of white-ball cricket and his fitness and his load management wasn’t up to scratch,” Bishop told ESPNcricinfo. “So he struggled there. He came back well last year against South Africa. But he hasn’t really reached those heights of the Gabba Test match as often as I would have hoped. But now that he’s had some time, I think, to get back into red-ball cricket, I’m hoping that we will see once again the best of him.”One of the challenges for Shamar has been refining his red-ball game while also juggling his white-ball commitments, both internationally and at the franchise level. He has still played more Tests (eight) than other first-class matches (seven) and just two of the latter this year.”That is the challenge, I think, not only for Shamar but several other players. Not just West Indian players but players around the globe,” Bishop said. “The draw of the leagues, particularly for those from the less wealthy nations, the nations under the big three who can’t afford to pay their players the same remuneration as England, India and Australia can. The compromise to allow them to play league cricket for their financial security.”In the case of Shamar being in the IPL, where he hasn’t played much, finding that right balance as an administration and as an individual player is still an ongoing work in progress. I’m hoping that as Shamar now gets into the back half of his twenties that he recognises and identifies which format of the game is greater for him and his legacy. And balancing with his financial security.”Jayden SealesTests: 18 | Wickets: 75 | Average 22.26Ian Bishop on Seales: “I think he’s becoming a better bowler with the English experience”•AFP/Getty ImagesAt 23, Jayden Seales, who starred against Pakistan early in his career, is developing into the new leader of West Indies’ attack. Since returning to the side after injury in 2024 he has taken 38 wickets in his last eight outings. In Multan in January, he took advantage of a period where the ball swung to claim 3 for 27 – the only wickets to fall to pace in the match. Last year he returned the remarkable figures of 15.5-10-5-4 against Bangladesh in Jamaica. His one previous outing against Australia came at Perth in 2022 where he struck early to remove David Warner but that was his one success of the match.”Jayden has committed to playing much more red-ball cricket,” Bishop said. “Without sort of stereotyping him because he is playing a bit of white-ball cricket as well…but he goes to play his county cricket. He comes back and has the time to play a few domestic games, so I think Jayden knows more about his style of bowling. The team understands what his strength is: pitching the ball up, swinging it. Given his success in the last two seasons, I think that he is one of maybe two bowlers that you build your bowling attack around.”Where Jayden has come along nicely is that instead of always going searching for wickets, now he’s getting better at knowing when to go in attack mode and pitch the ball up when it’s swinging, and when to pull the throttle back and hold for a little while longer. It’s still a work in progress because he’s still a very young man at age 23. But I think he’s becoming a better bowler with the English experience.”Alzarri JosephTests: 37 | Wickets: 111 | Average 35.00″I still think his best is ahead of him”•Getty ImagesThe senior figure in this West Indies attack with Kemar Roach overlooked, Alzarri Joseph also played an important role in the historic Gabba victory with six wickets in the match. His overall Test numbers would suggest someone who has not quite fulfilled his potential but at 28 there is still time. Since 2022 his figures have been coming the right way with 71 wickets at 32.21 compared to 40 at 39.95 before that point. As the fastest of the West Indies quicks, he will be the one called upon for a sustained short-pitched attack if required.”One of his great challenges is that he is a multi-format player,” Bishop said. “So the transition between T20 to 50-over to Test cricket is something I still think he’s working on. I believe, and this is my honest opinion, I don’t think we’ve seen the absolute best of him yet. I think he has much more that his talent can give us in terms of when to control, when to attack. He has all the prerequisites. He can swing the ball, he can bowl upwards of 145kph and hit the deck hard. I still think his best is ahead of him.”Jomel WarricanTests: 19 | Wickets: 73 | Average 27.56Jomel Warrican picked up match figures of 9 for 70 earlier this year in Pakistan•PCBLeft-arm spinner Jomel Warrican has risen to become West Indies’ No. 1 Test spinner since returning to the side in 2024 against South Africa. He had a remarkable tour of Pakistan this year where he claimed 19 wickets in two Tests, alongside some vital lower-order runs, including 5 for 27 in the second innings of the second Test to give West Indies victory. He has now been named Roston Chase’s vice-captain.”[He] found the Pakistan pitch to be suitable and amenable for his style of bowling where he found grip,” Bishop said. “He bowled very slowly through the air compared to [Gudakesh] Motie and one or two others. Whether he can now back that up in the Caribbean in a big way. I think he will always be consistent, he’s shown that in his Test career, but whether he can have the same impact, time will tell. What you get from Warrican is a level of consistency of performance.”Anderson PhillipTests: 2 | Wickets: 3 | Average: 70.66Anderson Phillip has played just two Tests so far•Getty ImagesAnderson Phillip, who last played a Test against Australia in Adelaide on the 2022-23 tour, is another option in the squad. He has produced some steady numbers for Lancashire, and overall since the start of 2024 has 69 first-class wickets at 24.86 including a five-wicket haul recently against South Africa A. “Although I would put the two Josephs and Jayden out front, Anderson Phillip, depending on how he goes in the training sessions, could sort of nudge if his form is that good,” Bishop said.Johann LayneThe 21-year-old is uncapped at international level but he is putting together some impressive domestic numbers including 27 wickets at 15.88 in the recent four-day Championship. “Johan is tall, he’s wiry, he’s not out-and-out fast,” Bishop said. “But I do believe that if put in the right hands, he is one of two or three young seam bowlers – I wouldn’t say fast bowlers because they’re not yet, at 21 years of age, fast – [who] have potential. He’s rangy, he’s tall and he’s intelligent. So I have high hopes for his development.”