Liverpool have now made contact over a potential move to sign a new attacker in 2025 as they look to bolster their ranks under Arne Slot and continue their epic start to life under the ex-Feyenoord man.
Liverpool have a Mo Salah problem
Currently leading the Premier League goalscoring charts and with the second most assists in the division behind only Bukayo Saka, Mohamed Salah is enjoying another phenomenal season at Anfield.
The Egyptian’s form is the key to Liverpool’s early season success, with the Reds two points clear at the top of the Premier League with a game in hand, and already qualified for the next stage of the Champions League thanks to six wins from six games, a feat that no one else can match.
Of their 31 Premier League goals, Salah has contributed to 22, meaning a mammoth 71% of his side’s goals are either scored or assisted by the winger. Though an impressive figure, he will need more support from players across the Reds frontline across the remainder of the campaign should Slot bring silverware back to Anfield in his first season, with only Luis Diaz having managed more than three goals besides Salah in the Liverpool squad.
Player
Appearances
Goals
Assists
% of goals involved in
Mohamed Salah
15
13
9
71%
Luis Diaz
15
5
2
23%
Diogo Jota
8
3
2
16%
Cody Gakpo
15
3
1
13%
Darwin Núñez
12
2
2
13%
Federico Chiesa
1
0
0
0
Even if Salah is to agree a new contract, something that is reportedly increasingly likely, the Reds will need to find a way to take some of the goalscoring and creating burden off him in the months to come, and could turn to the transfer market to do so.
Liverpool in contact for in-form forward
Now, a fresh report from Sky Sports reporter Sacha Tavolieri has claimed that Liverpool have made contact with Atalanta star Ademola Lookman, possibly in a move as early as the January transfer window, as the Nigerian, previously of Everton, continues to impress in Serie A.
Ademola Lookman for Atalanta
Lookman, who scored a hat-trick in the final to win the Europa League for La Dea last May, has managed eight goals and four assists in Serie A so far this season, as well as three goals and an assist in five Champions League outings, contributing to a goal or an assist roughly every 65 minutes as he helps spearhead Atalanta’s title charge.
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Despite this form, however, Atalanta are reportedly happy for Lookman to leave and have told him that should a suitable offer come in they will not stand in the way of his departure. The former Everton man, who made 48 appearances for the Toffees, has been on the radar of clubs around Europe since last summer, but is keen to return to England, the report adds, and to that end, the Reds are one of several Premier League sides who “have already contacted his entourage” about a potential move.
It is added that the club “will not discuss” any offers below €50m (£41m) which could prove an obstacle to any potential transfer, while Liverpool’s current stable of forwards would likely need to be rebalanced to allow for Lookman’s arrival.
The move may be one that waits until the summer then, but with Lookman’s deal in Bergamo expiring in 2026, a departure seems likely in the near future, and Liverpool have thrown their hat into the ring for the ex-Everton man.
Taijul effects a run out and takes a wicket in final hour of day four
Ashish Pant18-May-2022Stumps If day three of the first Test in Chattogram belonged to Tamim Iqbal, the fourth day was all about Mushfiqur Rahim. Not only did he become the first Bangladesh batter to reach 5000 runs in Test cricket, his eighth century in the format also made sure Bangladesh stayed ahead in Chattogram at the end of day four.Mushfiqur’s 105, to go with Tamim Iqbal’s 133, and half-centuries from Litton Das and Mahmudul Hasan Joy helped Bangladesh declare their first innings on 465 for 9, and secure a lead of 68 runs in reply to Sri Lanka’s first innings score of 397.Dimuth Karunaratne and Oshada Fernando then started their second innings steadily before the latter was run out needlessly for 19. Lasith Embuldeniya, the nightwatchman, had a few nervy moments but did his job before being bowled off the final ball of the day by Taijul Islam. At stumps, Sri Lanka had reached 39 for 2, still trailing Bangladesh by 29 runs. Karunaratne was unbeaten on 18, and will be joined by Kusal Mendis, in all likelihood, tomorrow morning.The start of the day started was delayed by 30 minutes because of rain but once play resumed, it did not take long for Mushfiqur to reach the 5000-run mark. He began the day just 15 runs away from the landmark and breached the milestone with a deflection off his gloves down to fine leg shortly after the first drinks break. Adopting a cautious approach, Mushfiqur surged ahead and soon reached his century after lunch, his first in Test cricket in more than a year.Bangladesh resumed their day on 318 for 3, with Litton and Mushfiqur picking up from where they had left on the third evening. Both batters were cautious but made sure no wickets were lost as Bangladesh reached 385 for 3 at lunch. The Sri Lankan bowlers, much like the third evening, lacked the bite and could not get much out of the surface.However, the visitors came back well in the second session. Rajitha struck straight after lunch, first removing Litton before uprooting Tamim’s middle stump the very next ball. Litton, in particular, would be kicking himself for missing a third Test hundred after edging an innocuous short and wide first ball after lunch to the wicketkeeper. The ball to Tamim, though, was a good one. Coming back to bat after retiring hurt at tea on the third day, Tamim went for the expansive drive to a fuller delivery. However, Rajitha, bowling from around the wicket, got the ball to angle in and it crept between Tamim’s bat and pad to hit the middle stump.Shakib, having survived a close chance at short leg, was rattled by a bouncer barrage from Asitha Fernando. He was hit by the pacer on the helmet, and soon after was dismissed going for the pull shot for 26.Mushfiqur, meanwhile, held his own at the other end even as things started heating up in the middle. There were a few glares and words exchanged with Asitha, but the batter remained firm. He reached his century with a faint tickle off Asitha down the leg side and celebrated wildly.Mushfiqur’s 282-ball vigil finally ended after tea, when looking to play the sweep against Embuldeniya, he missed the line and found his stumps in a mess. Taijul Islam and Shoriful frustrated the Sri Lankans with a 26-run stand before Asitha sent Taijul back. Bangladesh declared their innings on 465 for 9 after Shoriful, struck on the hand by a bouncer, retired hurt.Sri Lanka toiled away and bowled well in patches, particularly in the middle session on both the third and fourth days. However, a couple of wicketless sessions cost them. Rajitha, who was not even part of the playing XI and came in as a concussion sub for Vishwa Fernando, was the pick of the bowlers, finishing with 4 for 60.Sri Lanka started their second innings well with both Karunratne and Oshada looking comfortable. However, a direct hit at the bowler’s end from Taijul sent Oshada packing. Karunaratne also had an escape when he mistimed a drive back to Nayeem Hasan, but replays showed the ball had just fallen short of the bowler.Embuldeniya gave Karunaratne good support, but the surface started to show tricks late in the day with the odd-ball staying low. How Sri Lanka survive the final day remains to be seen.
USMNT star Christian Pulisic is loving life in Italy so much that he's nearing the ability to complete AC Milan interviews in Italian!
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Pulisic 'loving life' in ItalyWinger in incredible formCurrently on USMNT dutyWHAT HAPPENED?
Since moving to Italy with the Rossoneri in the summer of 2023 from Premier League outfit Chelsea, the U.S. international has adapted to life in Milan sensationally. Across 27 Serie A matches, he has nine goals and six assists, while in all competitions, he has 20 goal contributions.
Now, ahead of an important CONCACAF Nations League semifinal with the U.S. men's national team, the winger has revealed how adapting to life in Italy, loving the culture and learning their language has helped him succeed abroad.
AdvertisementGettyWHAT PULISIC SAID
“I’m enjoying it a lot,” Pulisic told reporters ahead of the USMNT’s CONCACAF Nations League semifinal against Jamaica. “It’s been a good change of pace for me. I’m loving the Italian culture. I’m trying to soak it all in. I’m doing the best I can to learn the language so I feel pretty good with all that stuff and I’m just loving it so far.”
“I understand about everything,” he added. “[Milan] asked me if I could do my interview in Italian the other day and I was like, ‘Yeah you can ask the questions [in Italian] and I’ll answer in English but next time.’ I’m getting close but still not fluent.”
THE BIGGER PICTURE
Tied with a plethora of footballers across Serie A as the seventh-highest scorer in the league, Pulisic has helped the Rossoneri to 62 points in the table prior to the start of the international break. They sit second, trailing league-leaders Inter Milan by 14 points, however, their success hasn't been limited to performances in Italy.
In European competition, Pulisic and Milan have advanced to the UEFA Europa League quarterfinals, after the American scored in both legs one and two in an aggregate victory over Slavia Prague.
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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR PULISIC?
The USMNT take on Jamaica Thursday evening in the CONCACAF Nations League semifinals, with a berth in the final on the line. With a victory, Pulisic and the U.S. would play the winner of Panama vs Mexico on Sunday.
Tottenham and chairman Daniel Levy by extension believe they're in pole position to sign a £50 million star, and they also think he'd like to join.
Are Tottenham signing anyone in January?
Spurs have been linked with an array of new signings for the January transfer window. Despite completing deals for keeper Guglielmo Vicario, young centre-back Ashley Phillips, assured defender Micky van de Ven, England midfield star James Maddison, winger Manor Solomon, exciting striker Alejo Veliz and Wales forward Brennan Johnson, there are areas which arguably need shoring up ahead of a long Premier League season.
Ange Postecoglou lacks significant cover behind both Van de Ven and Cristian Romero as the centre-back pairing, so Tottenham are reportedly targeting the likes of Galatasaray defender Victor Nelsson, Juventus star Gleison Bremer, Bournemouth's Lloyd Kelly and Bayer Leverkusen star Edmond Tapsoba. Also, while Spurs have done very well without star striker Harry Kane, there are suggestions that Brentford star Ivan Toney and Stuttgart forward Serhou Guirassy are attracting Spurs' attention for 2024.
The international break is now upon Tottenham, perhaps giving Levy and new Chief Football Officer Scott Munn a space to plan for the winter window. Despite their fine start to the season, Postecoglou's squad will need more depth if they're to continue competing at the highest level, with a new midfielder also in the offing.
Will Spurs replace Hojbjerg?
One victim of Tottenham's recent success, and Postecoglou's fluid new attacking system, has been Denmark international star Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg. The 28-year-old, despite being a key player for Antonio Conte last season, is currently a bit-part player. Hojbjerg is yet to start a single league game for Postecoglou this term, leading to reports that he is considering a move away from north London.
The former Southampton star could join Juventus, who are expressing an interest in signing Hojbjerg this winter. As a result, Spurs have been weighing up replacements behind the scenes, with Chelsea star Conor Gallagher coming as one of the names. The Englishman is currently a favourite under former Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino at Stamford Bridge, starting every league match so far while ranking as one of their best-performing players according to WhoScored.
Chelsea's Conor Gallagher
90min has an update on Tottenham's pursuit of the player, and while Chelsea wish to offer him a new contract, Spurs "believe they lead" the race to sign Gallagher. If he doesn't sign a new deal, the north Londoners think he'd prefer to join them over any other club. This is what they theorise gives them an advantage over other interested parties. Chelsea, though, are believed to value him at around £50 million, meaning Spurs will likely have to fork out a hefty sum to bring him to north London.
Jermaine Jenas is a big fan of Gallagher. The ex-Tottenham midfielder once told Match of the Day (via The Sun) that the former Crystal Palace loanee can be a "gamechanger" on his day.
“I think he is a game-changer as well, Conor Gallagher," said Jenas.
"He’s the type of player that you bring on and he has an impact on the game. He presses, gets himself in the box and creates chances."
Interim coach plays down importance of four-match spell in charge of T20 team, but earmarks long-term role
George Dobell at Edgbaston26-Jun-2018Paul Farbrace has confirmed he would like to be considered for the role of England coach when Trevor Bayliss’s contract expires in just over a year.Farbrace, the England assistant coach, has taken charge of the England side on an interim basis for the four IT20 matches against Australia and India over the next couple of weeks. And while he played down the suggestion the games provide an opportunity for him to demonstrate his value, or gain any further experience in the role, he answered “of course” when asked whether he would be interested in succeeding Bayliss after September 2019.”If, next September, Andrew Strauss said ‘we want to offer you the job as coach’ it would be so difficult to say no to that, it really would,” Farbrace said. “Even if I was lucky enough to be considered for the role, then that would be a great position to be in.”I count myself very fortunate even to be in this position, as an assistant coach to the England team. I wasn’t good enough to get anywhere near it as a player, so to be involved as a coach is fantastic.”Having spent much of the last decade living out of a suitcase – Farbrace has been with the England side since 2014 and before that had two spells with Sri Lanka – he is sympathetic to the idea of splitting the coaching role into two. Or, as he sees it, perhaps even three.”Maybe, the way the game is going, it does make sense to go the way of split coaching,” Farbrace said. “Trevor did five months solid in the winter – that’s a lot to ask of anyone – and I enjoyed the little break I had.”It may be that, when we get to September 2019, having one coach – me or somebody else – they may want to keep the job together if possible. Even the idea of two assistants, and keeping the energy that way, that may be another way to go. That’s not my call. Whatever it was I’d be excited to be in with a chance.”I don’t have a preference for the Test or limited-overs role. To be honest, I’d take anything. The Test team obviously would be an exciting challenge because there’s more work to do than with the one-day side. But a lot will depend on who’s in the frame. It may be that there is a strong candidate that is happy to do everything. That’s for Straussy to decide and others to worry about.”Farbrace has been in demand for a variety of coaching jobs in recent times. As well as having been linked with a couple of international roles – notably Bangladesh – several of England’s first-class counties have made approaches for him. It does now seem, however, that the England head coach role would be his preferred option.”I don’t think the next 10 days are necessarily about me at all really,” Farbrace continued. “I’ve been fortunate enough to be an acting head coach a couple of times before, thoroughly enjoyed it, and my goal is to make sure that nothing really changes.”I genuinely mean it that I’m thrilled to be asked to look after the squad. Same as in the West Indies and same as after Peter Moores left and before Trevor came. It’s just great to do.”As a coach you are continually learning and trying to get better. I’ve made some horrendous mistakes in the past. In the two years I was head coach at Kent I had a disaster. And that’s the only thing you can do as a coach, keep learning and improving.”I’m not saying this to make it easier if I don’t get the job. If come next September, I have a chance that would be fantastic and if I ended up being offered the position that would be great.”
While the ICC and most member boards have agreed that the first two finals – in 2021 and 2023 – should be held in England, ESPNcricinfo understands that the BCCI wants the championship table-toppers to host them
Daniel Brettig20-Jun-2018The road to international cricket’s first Test Championship final has been formally unveiled, but debate remains over who exactly will host it – England or the championship table-toppers.ESPNcricinfo has learned that there is a difference of opinion over where the final should be held. The ICC and most member boards have agreed that the first two finals – in 2021 and 2023 – should be held in the country where the game originated; for instance, New Zealand’s FTP schedule for 2019-23, released by NZC on Wednesday, had the final pencilled in for June 2021, with England as the host.The BCCI, however, is believed to be of the view that the final should be hosted by whichever team finishes at the top of the championship table at the cut-off date for championship matches – which is the end of March 2021 in the case of the inaugural edition.There are commercial and broadcasting concerns into the bargain too as, according to an ICC working paper presented at a meeting in April and seen by ESPNcricinfo, the Test Championship final will be considered an ICC event, with commercial and broadcasting rights to the five-day match to be retained by the global governing body.The ICC would bear the cost of “marketing, promoting and delivering” the final and retain all media rights to the final in 2021 and 2023. The paper also says that Star, the ICC’s host broadcaster, has a proposal to pay $10 million for each final for the India-only market. Syndication revenue outside of India is projected at $5 million per event. This would be the first Test to be played under such conditions, with Test rights traditionally held by the host country.But these details are not yet final, and the matter is expected to be discussed at the ICC annual conference later this month.James Sutherland, the Cricket Australia chief executive and a major driver of the Test Championship and ODI leagues, said that the commercial rights value of the two finals – by some estimates expected to reap as much as USD 40 million in addition to bilateral series over the next four years – needed to be discussed in conjunction with a final decision over where they would be held.”That hasn’t been totally worked through yet,” Sutherland said. “As a starting point in my mind the first thing we need to work out is where it’s going to be played. Once we’ve worked out where it’s going to be played the conversation would need to take place at that host country because it would have an immediate impact on their own local broadcasting deal then things can get sorted from there. That’s something that is not a short-term priority but will need to be sorted out over the course of the next 12 months.”Getty ImagesIssues of timing for the final led most countries to conclude that the English summer was the most practical place for the final to be played, potentially with a showpiece week at Lord’s, the traditional home of the game. “Being a new concept and a Test match being a one-off, what we’ve decided and agreed is the best timing for the Championship playoff will be the June-July period,” Sutherland said.”We would like the idea, particularly if Australia was to qualify for the final would be to host that match in Australia. [But] for the first two years of the cycle, the championship match is going to be played in the northern hemisphere, in the UK most likely. Down the track member countries like being able to host it if we could. Complexity of the program can make things challenging. With the Test playoff you don’t know who will play or qualify and still need to schedule matches for the next cycle.”That gets much more difficult in our summer than northern summer when typically in July in any one year it’s like there will be two players playing international cricket – England and whoever they’re playing. If we were to play in November in the southern hemisphere or Asian market it’s difficult to schedule, because eight or 10 Member nations could have matches scheduled.”On Wednesday details of the new Future Tours Program from 2019 to 2023 were revealed by those that have developed it – the Full Members – with the Test Championship set to feature the world’s top nine teams playing six series apiece over a two-year cycle, culminating in the final. Australia’s Ashes tour of England, immediately following the 2019 World Cup, will be the first series of the championship, which will consist of Test series of anywhere between two and five matches’ duration. Points will be awarded for individual Test match wins, with matches in shorter series worth more.A parallel ODI series league will begin in 2020, leading into the 2023 World Cup – the top seven nations in the league will earn automatic berths for the showpiece tournament, with the remainder being compelled to play a qualifying tournament. All ODI series have been capped at three matches apiece. Also significant is a rise in the number of Twenty20 internationals played over the next four years, with the hope that a league for the format may be added to the program from 2023 onwards.”We believe that the new FTP will be a big step forward for international cricket with much improved structure and context for matches played in the Test and ODI formats,” Sutherland said. “Together with other member countries we are confident that this will grow interest in the international game – and our team is very much looking forward to launching the World Test Championship with our 2019 Ashes series in England.”
Liverpool have made plenty of high-profile sales over the years – but how many actually went well? Most players in recent years, admittedly, have gone on to struggle after leaving the Reds.
Sadio Mané's Bayern Munich spell was disastrous, as was Philippe Coutinho with Barcelona. Emre Can hardly improved his career after leaving, either.
But that doesn't mean there haven't been some awful decisions down the years. So here are Football FanCast's picks for 10 sales Liverpool shouldn't have made.
10 Conor Coady – £375k to Huddersfield Town (2014)
There are some on this list that looked bad at the time and some on this list that look bad in hindsight. This one is the latter.
Few eyebrows raised when Liverpool sold Conor Coady to Huddersfield Town. He'd just spent the previous campaign on loan at Sheffield United in League One and while he did well, his future at Anfield didn't seem particularly bright.
What looks bad is that after just one season with the Terriers, Wolves bought him for £2m. That alone makes it seem that Liverpool got a terrible price but Coady would excel in the Midlands, helping them to promotion as captain and consolidating their position in the Premier League.
In the end, the Reds sold a very valuable academy product for just £375k.
9 Pepe Reina – £2.5m to Bayern Munich (2014)
Pepe Reina was an outstanding goalkeeper for Liverpool at his best – really, their finest since Bruce Grobelaar in the 1980s. Brendan Rodgers didn't appear to particularly rate him when taking over in 2012, however, and sent the Spaniard out on loan in 2013.
Now, it was more complicated than that. Reina and Liverpool expected him to head to Barcelona that summer – but the move collapsed when Victor Valdes decided to stay. The Reds had already signed Simon Mignolet as a replacement, so off Reina went to Napoli for a year.
The Spaniard did well, while Mignolet struggled. That didn't appear to change things at all, with Liverpool selling Reina in 2014 to Bayern for £2.5m. The goalkeeper barely played but rejoined Napoli in 2015, playing regularly for three seasons. Mignolet continued to struggle and really, Liverpool failed to replace Reina properly until Alisson arrived in 2018.
8 Luis Suárez – £75m to Barcelona (2014)
2014 is looking like a pretty dreadful summer for Liverpool, right? Well, it was even worse than you think.
Now, in their defence, Liverpool pretty much had to sell Suárez. They'd only kept him the previous summer by assuring him he could leave for Barcelona or Real Madrid in 2014, should they bid. And Barcelona did. On top of that, the Uruguayan bit (as in actually biting) a player for the third time in three-and-a-half years that summer – he'd get a four-month ban.
The problem here is that Liverpool just let their star player go without any plan to replace him. You're likely thinking 'how do you replace Suárez?' and it's a good question – we're not sure. What you don't do is attempt to replace his 30+ goals and 11 assists with Mario Balotelli, Rickie Lambert, Lazar Markovic and Fabio Borini. Because that's what the Reds did.
It didn't work. Could Liverpool have even kept Suárez? We doubt it, and that's why he's so low on this list. But selling a player is absolutely pointless if you go so comically backwards.
7 Nicolas Anelka – we're cheating (2002)
Okay, so Liverpool didn't sell Nicolas Anelka because they never actually owned Nicolas Anelka. We're cheating with this one but it's too good to leave out.
Anelka was the young player to watch in the late 90s as Arsenal snapped him up in 1997 to be their future star. His reputation as a 'sulk' held him back, however, and Real Madrid had their go at getting the best out of Anelka. While he had his moments, the same attitude problems persisted.
Back to Paris Saint-Germain he went, and back came the attitude issues. They did, however, allow Liverpool to get Anelka on loan in 2002 and the Frenchman looked good. But the Reds decided not to sign the striker permanently as they felt El Hadji Diouf was a better bet. The Senegal star essentially cost the same money.
Anelka moved to Manchester City and scored 30 Premier League goals in the next two seasons, with 45 being his total tally there. Diouf scored three – all in his first campaign – before joining Bolton for next to nothing in 2004.
6 Raheem Sterling – £49m to Manchester City (2015)
Raheem Sterling Liverpool
It was clear that Raheem Sterling could leave Liverpool back in 2015 after a fairly ridiculous interview and public criticism of Brendan Rodgers. The Reds didn't actually need to sell him, however.
But they did and to Manchester City for £49m – a team they'd been in a title challenge with just one year prior.
What makes this one really burn, though, is that Liverpool replaced Rodgers with Jurgen Klopp just a few months later. They almost certainly could have kept Sterling at the club – and we can only imagine what kind of player he could have been for the Reds under the German.
5 Craig Bellamy – £7.5m to West Ham (2007)
You won't find a more obvious example of a team regretting a sale than Liverpool buying Craig Bellamy back in 2011. They originally sold him in 2007 to West Ham for £7.5m and, to be fair, it made a little bit of sense.
Fernando Torres arrived that summer, leaving less space for other forwards. But the Reds would also quickly find that they lacked options that weren't Torres – something they tried to fix a year later with Robbie Keane. That experiment only lasted six months, however.
Bellamy would instead leave West Ham for Manchester City in early 2009. He was productive there, too, even if he was back at Anfield two years later.
His second spell saw nine goals across all competitions as Liverpool won the League Cup and reached the FA Cup final. That was in one of the final seasons of Bellamy's career – showcasing what they missed for the prior four years after letting him go.
4 Dejan Lovren – £10.9m to Zenit St. Petersburg (2020)
The problem here isn't so much that Liverpool decided Dejan Lovren wasn't good enough, it's that they decided they didn't need a fourth centre-back. Now, in their defence – it made some sense.
Virgil van Dijk, Joel Matip and Joe Gomez would be their primary options, while Fabinho could cover if needed. Lovren had barely played the previous season and this would work in all but the worst injury crisis.
Liverpool then suffered the worst injury crisis. Van Dijk was ruled out for the season by the end of October. Gomez was out for the season a few weeks later. Matip followed by January. The Reds even tried Jordan Henderson at centre-back – he was ruled out in February.
The truly crazy thing is that Liverpool were top of the Premier League at Christmas. If they'd still had another centre-back option available, they would have had a much easier time of maintaining that.
3 Javier Mascherano – £25m to Barcelona (2010)
Javier Mascherano was one of the absolute best defensive midfielders on the planet in 2010. Liverpool, however, were coming off a wildly disappointing season (more on that in a bit). Rafa Benitez was out as manager and Roy Hodgson was in – things wouldn't turn around.
But Mascherano essentially forced his way out at the end of the transfer window with Liverpool putting up little fight. The sold him to Barcelona for £25m and without any sort of replacement or plan, really.
The Argentine would thrive in Catalonia while the Reds struggled over the next few years to get things together. There certianly wasn't any sort of Mascherano replacement.
They let one of the world's best go because he asked to – and Liverpool were left looking far too compiant.
2 Michael Owen – £8m and Antonio Nunez to Real Madrid (2004)
Michael Owen won the Ballon d'Or as a 21-year-old in 2001. Three years later Liverpool let him go to Real Madrid for £8m and a player who really provided little value.
And this isn't a case of inflation – £8m was an absolute pittance back then, too. Liverpool had paid £14m for Djibril Cissé that summer and he certainly hadn't won the Ballon d'Or.
The catch here is that Owen only had a single year left on his contract and likely would have left for nothing eventually. But if we're being honest, Liverpool just let him leave for nothing a year early – or practically nothing. They'd definitely have gotten £8m of value in one year of Owen, plus there was a chance he'd sign a new contract. It was a horrible sale.
The sole reason this isn't an overwhelming no.1 on this list is that Liverpool somehow won the Champions League that season despite lacking a reliable goalscorer. Having Steven Gerrard and Xabi Alonso in midfield helped, admittedly.
1 Xabi Alonso – £30m to Real Madrid (2009)
Real Madrid restarted their Galacticos project in 2009 and one of their key signings was Xabi Alonso for £30m. The Spaniard was regarded as one of the world's best passers in a great Liverpool team.
Alonso was incredibly important to Liverpool – he was their deep playmaker. The one who played the defence-splitting passes that got Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres into the game. Without him, the Reds struggled to involve their two stars.
And that was completely evident in the season post-Alonso. Liverpool went from a title challenge to 7th in the span of one year, despite still having Gerrard, Torres and Javier Mascherano in their side. The only difference was Alonso leaving – and it made a dramatic one.
The Reds tried to replace him with Alberto Aquilani, who wasn't just half the player but also rarely available for selection. A disaster of a sale that set Liverpool backwards in a way few sales ever have.
Shikhar Dhawan retired hurt after being hit on his elbow on Thursday and did not train with the Sunrisers on the eve of the match.
Alagappan Muthu21-Apr-20183:03
Tait: Sunrisers should play Stanlake again if he’s fit
Big pictureForm guide (most recent match first)
Sunrisers Hyderabad: lost to Kings XI Punjab by 15 runs, beat Kolkata Knight Riders by five wickets, beat Mumbai Indians by one wicket
Chennai Super Kings: beat Rajasthan Royals by 64 runs, lost to Kings XI Punjab by four runs, beat Kolkata Knight Riders by five wickets
Loads of people were waiting for them. Others not so much. They’ve been at the centre of all the drama (including some that was unsavoury). They’ve got some pretty charismatic personalities. Perhaps when the IPL ends ( y’know, like all good things) Chennai Super Kings could keep the band together and go into the reality show business. For now though, they have some cricket to play. On Sunday, they’ll be up against the best bowling team in the tournament.Sunrisers Hyderabad have conceded runs at only 7.54 per over this season, the best economy rate among all teams. With Rashid Khan, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Shakib Al Hasan as first-choice picks, that’s to be expected.Super Kings won’t be afraid though. They know calculated hitting – as opposed to going after every ball – is clinging on to its three square inches on the T20 landscape. MS Dhoni has built his entire career on the idea and his team has bought into it unequivocally. With three wins from four games, and the best run rate (9.68) in this IPL, the plan is working.ESPNcricinfo LtdIn the news Shikhar Dhawan retired hurt after being hit on his elbow on Thursday *and did not train with the Sunrisers on the eve of the match. Billy Stanlake missed that game with injury, and if he’s back to full fitness, Chris Jordan might have to move back to the bench. Faf du Plessis came into the IPL carrying a couple of injuries, but with Shane Watson’s century in the last game, even if he is fully fit, he might not be able to break into the Super Kings XIThe likely XIsSunrisers Hyderabad: 1 Shikhar Dhawan, 2 Wriddhiman Saha (wk), 3 Kane Williamson (capt), 4 Yusuf Pathan, 5 Manish Pandey, 6 Shakib Al Hasan, 7 Deepak Hooda, 8 Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 9 Rashid Khan, 10 Siddharth Kaul, 11 Billy StanlakeChennai Super Kings: 1 Shane Watson, 2 Ambati Rayudu, 3 Suresh Raina, 4 MS Dhoni (capt & wk), 5 Sam Billings, 6 Ravindra Jadeja, 7 Dwayne Bravo, 8 Harbhajan Singh, 9 Deepak Chahar, 10 Imran Tahir, 11 Shardul ThakurStrategy puntDhoni has lost his wicket to a legspinner three times in 19 deliveries this season. Additionally, the Super Kings captain has made only 11 runs against this type of bowling. So Rashid, over to you.ESPNcricinfo LtdStats that matter Sunrisers’ weaker suit is their batting; their middle order the source of their problems. Nos. 4 to 7 have collectively averaged 23 since IPL 2015, placing them seventh out of 10 teams. With the inclusion of Manish Pandey and Yusuf Pathan this edition, they are contributing more runs, but their rate of scoring – 8.05 – is the slowest out of all the teams. Shakib Al Hasan was perhaps bought with the specific reason to address that, and has every chance of coming good against Super Kings. In the IPL, he has made 85 runs off 60 deliveries against the current Super Kings bowlers and has been particularly severe on Dwayne Bravo, walloping 33 in 16. The battle of the finishers: Dhoni has hit Bhuvneshwar Kumar for 81 runs in 41 balls in the IPL, without ever losing his wicket. Another head-to-head to look out for: Harbhajan Singh has dismissed Manish Pandey four times in 10 innings and has given away only 64 runs in 64 balls.Fantasy picksSuresh Raina. He hit form in the previous game for Super Kings, and considering he’s back in the yellow jersey again, there is every chance it can snowball into a big run. He’ll want to be wary of Rashid, though. Since IPL 2015, Raina has been dismissed by right-arm legspinners eight times in 24 innings, scoring only 155 runs off 122 balls.
Manchester United are now eyeing a move for an “elite” striker who has an £83m release clause, with recruitment chiefs identifying alternative targets to Viktor Gyokeres and Victor Osimhen, according to a report.
United's search for a striker
With Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee flattering to deceive this season, Man United have set their sights on signing a new striker this summer, and several highly-rated options have been linked with moves to Old Trafford.
The Red Devils have now made contact to offer Osimhen a big salary, with the Nigerian forward poised to leave Napoli in the summer, while they have also been chasing Gyokeres, who Ruben Amorim knows very well from their time together at Sporting CP.
Reports from Spain have suggested United have already struck an agreement to sign Gyokeres in the summer, although with no other sources corroborating the news, it is probably wise to be very skeptical about such a deal.
Man Utd progressing in talks to sign £33m ace who wants Old Trafford move
The summer transfer window is still a few months away from opening but United are looking to wrap up a deal fairly quickly.
1 ByBrett Worthington Feb 17, 2025
According to a report from GiveMeSport, Man United are now identifying alternative targets to the Sporting star, and they are contemplating a move for FC Porto’s Samu Omorodion, who has also impressed in the Liga Portugal this season.
Amid fears they could miss out on their top targets, perhaps owing to their very poor league position, United have picked out Omorodion as an alternative option, with scouts watching him in action earlier this month.
The Porto star nearly completed a £34.4m move to Chelsea last month, but the Blues were unable to strike an agreement on personal terms, opening the door for a potential move to Old Trafford in the summer.
FC Porto's SamuOmorodioncelebrates scoring their fourth goal
However, INEOS are at risk of having to shell out a considerably higher fee, as the 20-year-old has a release clause of over £83m.
Omorodion impressing in debut Liga Portugal season
While Gyokeres has been getting the majority of the headlines, the Spaniard has also been on the scoresheet regularly in the Liga Portugal this season, with 13 goals and three assists to his name in 18 outings.
Freelance scout Ben Mattinson believes a big move could be on the cards for the youngster soon, in light of his impressive performances this season, branding parts of his game as “elite”.
Gyokeres has proven himself over a more sustained period, while the Sweden international also has six goals in eight Champions League games this season.
However, given United’s current league position, they may find it difficult to compete for the Sporting forward this summer, and Omorodion’s goal record suggests he could be a suitable alternative option.
Figures of 6 for 55 in second innings, and 9 for 77 in the match, seal revenge for early-season defeat against Notts
David Hopps at Trent Bridge13-May-20182:11
County round-up: Red-hot Henry too much for Sussex
ScorecardWhen it comes to conversations in cars heading out of Greater Manchester, Peter Kay’s Car Share has a monopoly on all the best lines. But if Lancashire raise a Championship challenge this season perhaps Graham Onions and Keaton Jennings will look back on their own chat en route to Trent Bridge.Although a calamitous batting collapse had consigned them to defeat in their opening match against Nottinghamshire at Old Trafford, Onions and Jennings concluded that Lancashire had not done too much wrong since. A return encounter offered the chance to remedy matters – and, for two former Durham professionals, it was an ideal opportunity to establish themselves as matchwinners for the Red Rose.That task has been accomplished, and how so. Onions, whose career-best figures of 9 for 67 came on this ground for Durham in 2012, took 6 for 55 in Notts’ second innings, and 9 for 77 in the match, and as craftily as he made use of encouraging seam-bowling conditions, one of county cricket’s greybeards has the nous to recognise that some of those wickets were carelessly donated. Jake Libby’s three-hour 46 made him the exception.
First win as @LancsCCC players. Tastes bloody beautiful. Special mention to @JetJennings pic.twitter.com/88G523x1tT
— Graham Onions (@BunnyOnions) May 13, 2018
The stand-out batsman in the match though, was Jennings, whose 126 in Lancashire’s first innings was composed and judicious, exemplifying the considered approach which he gives to his cricket. If an England return might be viewed as premature, it seems inevitable that an opportunity will eventually come to add to his six Test caps – the last of them won against South Africa at Old Trafford last summer.Their car-share chat, though, was about Lancashire, not England. “We travelled together a few days ago and we said how good it would be for us to succeed and it kind of worked out that way with Keaton getting a hundred and me getting nine wickets in the match,” Onions said. “Keaton’s innings was pretty special on a tricky wicket to bat on against a very good attack.”Last week on a very good wicket he batted beautifully and his tempo was great. His innings was better purely because the wicket was doing enough to keep the bowler interested. What he has shown is that he has learned a lot from his past England days. His mentality has got stronger and he backs himself. The Test matches he played were against a very good South African side and without a doubt he is knocking on the door.”Lancashire needed only 65 minutes of play on the third morning of their match against Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge to claim their first Championship victory of the season, cutting Nottinghamshire’s lead to 16 points – or one victory – in the process.The margin, as Notts were dismissed for 138, was an innings and 67 runs, made a mockery of a table in which Notts lay top and Lancashire seventh and amplified the feeling that this Championship season could be as compact as a fully-squeezed concertina.Resuming five-down and with a deficit of 99, Nottinghamshire’s sixth-wicket pairing of Libby and Tom Moores were parted inside the first half an hour of the day when Moores wafted at a wide one from Onions, who backed it up by gaining an lbw verdict against a disbelieving Stuart Broad.James Anderson sent Luke Fletcher on his way for a second-ball duck and then had Libby ninth out, lbw. Onions, appropriately, delivered the winning moment to his new side by having Jake Ball caught in the deep by Steven Croft.”We’ve done a lot of good things this season but we were completely outplayed by Notts in the first week of the season, so we’ve come here wanting to show them how good we are,” he said. “Collectively, we’ve done some good things and we just have to keep that going now.”So Lancashire’s hellish start to the season is over. Hell, of course, is many different things to different people. As Kayleigh said in Car Share: “The only hell I know is standing in the middle of an aisle trying to get people to sample my Mini Cheddars.”