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Liverpool’s title success may have been unexpected at the start of the campaign, but it highlights the excellent work done by Arne Slot in his first year at the helm.

The Dutchman has created a seamless transition after taking the reins from the departing Jürgen Klopp, claiming the club’s second-ever Premier League title.

Whilst they’ve failed to win any of their last three outings after claiming the trophy, the hard work in the early stages has allowed them to enjoy the last few weeks of the season.

However, with just one game left in 2024/25, attention will now undoubtedly switch towards the transfer market, with key additions needed in multiple areas to aid the manager in replicating the success.

The manager has already wasted no time in strengthening his squad, with Jeremie Frimpong edging ever closer to a switch to Anfield, potentially being joined by various other stars in the coming months.

The latest on Liverpool’s hunt for new signings

Alexander Isak has been a name constantly touted with a switch to Liverpool this summer, understandably so given his record of 23 goals in 33 league outings this campaign.

However, such a player comes at a premium, with Eddie Howe’s side demanding a fee in the region of £150m to part ways with their star attacker during the off-season.

Such a figure could lead the hierarchy to different targets ahead of the summer, with work already being done to land RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko, according to DAVEOCKOP.

The report states that the Reds have been in talks with the Bundesliga outfit over a move for the Slovenian international, who currently has a £84m release clause in his contract.

It also claims that the 21-year-old would be open to a move to Merseyside, but no formal approach has yet been made despite the keen interest in his signature.

Why Liverpool’s £84m target could be Slot’s own Firmino

Brazilian forward Roberto Firmino was an unknown quantity to many Liverpool supporters before his switch from Hoffenheim back in 2015, but it didn’t take long for him to adhere himself to the fanbase.

The Reds forked out £28m for his services, a fee that proved to be a bargain given his stint at Anfield, registering over 100 goals in his 362 appearances.

He often operated in a false nine position, with his best campaign coming in 2017/18, when he registered 27 goals and 16 assists in his 54 appearances across all competitions.

However, he departed in the summer of 2023 on a free transfer, joining Saudi side Al Ahli, with the Reds desperately missing a centre-forward of his calibre since his move away from Merseyside.

That could all be about to change this window, with Slot able to replicate such a move if they land the services of Sesko – following suit of Firmino in joining the club from a Bundesliga outfit.

If he manages to get anywhere near close to the levels produced by the Brazilian for the Reds, he would be one hell of an addition, already showcasing his talents despite his tender age with Leipzig this campaign.

The 21-year-old, who’s been labelled a “monster” by talent scout Antonio Mango, has registered 21 goals in all competitions this season, with four of which coming in the Champions League – highlighting his ability to thrive at the top level.

Arnaud Kalimuendo

Stade Rennais

33

17

Hugo Ekitiké

Eintracht Frankfurt

33

15

Emanuel Emegha

Strasbourg

27

14

Benjamin Sesko

RB Leipzig

33

13

Mika Biereth

Monaco

16

13

Liam Delap

Ipswich Town

36

12

Thierno Barry

Villarreal

34

11

Joao Pedro

Brighton

27

10

His underlying stats have been just as impressive, registering 1.2 shots on target per 90 and a dribble success rate of 55%, handing Slot an excellent all-round option in the final third.

Sesko has also won 57% of the aerial duels he’s entered, handing the side the focal point they’ve often lacked despite their success throughout 2024/25.

It’s likely that the club would be able to negotiate a deal below his £84m clause, with the youngster having all the tools to develop further and become a leading player for the side for many years to come.

If the Reds are to take the next step under Slot and maintain their first-season success, additions will need to be perfect, with the Slovenian offering the manager a sensational option in forward areas.

Time to forget Kerkez: Liverpool chasing "one of the best young talents"

Liverpool are moving fast to wrap up some statement signings after a title-winning campaign.

ByAngus Sinclair May 20, 2025

Leeds United will be playing Premier League football next season after they won the 2024/25 Championship title with an extraordinary 100-point haul.

The Whites, who secured the crown with a stoppage-time winner against Plymouth Argyle on the final day, will now have to think about how the squad will shape up ahead of a campaign in the top-flight.

Daniel Farke and his staff need to decide who will and who will not be up to the task of stepping up to the Premier League, and Isaac Schmidt is one player whose future is up for debate.

Why Isaac Schmidt may not be deemed ready for the Premier League

Leeds swooped to sign the Swiss full-back from St. Gallen at the end of the summer transfer window last year to bolster their options in the full-back positions.

Unfortunately, though, Schmidt has been unable to force a way into the side over Jayden Bogle at right-back or Junior Firpo at left-back, and did not start a single match in the Championship this season.

The 25-year-old defender played 71 minutes over 12 substitute appearances in the second tier, and was an unused substitute on 22 occasions.

Leeds were recently linked with an interest in Bournemouth right-back Max Aarons, whom he worked with at Norwich City, and that could mean that the club are looking to improve on Schmidt, which could be bad news for his future at Elland Road.

There is another star, however, who played even fewer minutes than the Swiss defender in the Championship for the Whites, and they must never play at Elland Road again.

Why Leeds should release Josuha Guilavogui

Josuha Guilavogui was brought to West Yorkshire as a free agent in October 2024 after injuries to Ethan Ampadu and Ilia Gruev left Farke particularly light in the middle of the park.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

The former France international, who previously played for Atletico Madrid, Mainz, and Wolfsburg, provided an experienced presence on and off the pitch throughout the season, but was rarely used on the pitch.

James Debayo

1

0

Charlie Crew

4

0

Harry Gray

4

0

Joe Gelhardt

9

0

Sam Chambers

16

0

Josuha Guilavogui

58

0

Isaac Schmidt

71

0

Georginio Rutter

90

1

Patrick Bamford

235

0

Max Wober

332

2

As you can see in the table above, only five players played fewer minutes in the league, and they are all academy graduates, rather than nailed-on first-team players, which shows that he was not viewed as a frontline option for the team.

Guilavogui did not start any of his 16 appearances in the Championship, playing even fewer minutes than Schmidt, and should now be released ahead of promotion to the Premier League.

His contract is up this summer, and all parties should shake hands and part ways. He came in and did a job for the team when called upon off the bench as an emergency option, but his lack of minutes in the second tier do not suggest that the midfielder is likely to be a good enough option in the top-flight.

Therefore, Leeds should ruthlessly part ways with the 34-year-old veteran this summer and look to replace him with a player who can fulfill his role effectively at Premier League level.

Pablo Hernandez 2.0: Leeds seriously eyeing move for "dazzling" £35m star

Leeds are interested in signing a Premier League star who could be the club’s new Pablo Hernandez.

ByDan Emery May 4, 2025

Celtic found themselves on the receiving end of a loss in the Scottish Premiership for the second time in their last three matches on Sunday afternoon.

The Hoops were beaten 1-0 by bottom-of-the-league St. Johnstone in a shock result at McDiarmid Park, as they conceded to Daniels Balodis after just four minutes.

It was an incredibly frustrating afternoon for Brendan Rodgers and his side because they had 26 efforts on goal and created two ‘big chances’, but failed to find the back of the net a single time.

The Premiership leaders did not convert the quality opportunities that they fashioned throughout the match, as their star attackers did not step up to showcase the best of their abilities.

Daizen Maeda, who has scored 30 goals and provided nine assists in all competitions so far this season, only had 19 touches of the ball and two of Celtic’s 26 shots, whilst he did not create a single chance for his teammates during his time on the pitch.

Rodgers has some difficult decisions to make ahead of the clash with Kilmarnock at Parkhead next weekend, and one star who must be ruthlessly ditched from the team is winger Nicolas Kuhn.

Why Nicolas Kuhn should be dropped

The German forward was withdrawn from the action as part of a double substitution at half-time after a frustrating first half of action on the right wing.

Kuhn has left himself in a position where supporters and the management team expect big things from him because of his form earlier in the campaign, having racked up 18 goals and 14 assists in all competitions.

He established himself as a star performer for the Scottish giants and that is why it is so noticeable when he is not at his best, because the team suffers as a result of his lack of impact.

Goals + assists

0

0.67

Shots

2

1.8

Shots on target

0

0.8

Key passes

1

1.7

Big chances created

0

0.4

Pass success rate

72%

76%

As you can see in the table above, Kuhn has averaged a goal or an assist more often than not, and a shot on target more often than not, in the Premiership this season, but he managed neither against St. Johnstone.

Put simply, more is expected of the former Rapid Vienna star than he showed in the 1-0 defeat on Sunday, which is why it was a disappointing display and why the manager must, now, drop him for the clash with Kilmarnock.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

Rodgers does have plenty of options at his disposal to make alterations to the starting line-up, and one possible replacement for Kuhn would be Hyun-jun Yang.

Hyun-jun Yang's improvement at Celtic

The South Korean whiz joined on a permanent deal from Gangwon in the summer of 2023 and endured a difficult first season with the Scottish giants.

Yang ended the 2023/24 campaign with a tally of just one goal and three assists in 31 appearances in all competitions, as he failed to offer much of a threat at the top end of the pitch.

Given that paltry return in front of goal, it would not have been a surprise to have seen the forward moved on from Parkhead in the summer transfer window last year. Instead of leaving, though, the 22-year-old ace stayed to fight for a place in the squad, and has earned one.

Appearances

24

20

Starts

10

8

Goals

1

4

Conversion rate

5%

27%

Pass accuracy

81%

86%

Assists

3

3

As you can see in the table above, Yang has been as creative as he was in the Premiership last season, but has offered far more of a threat as a goalscorer for the Hoops.

The South Korea international has racked up five goals and six assists in 30 matches in all competitions, which means that the winger has provided five more goals and three more assists than he did last term.

Despite that obvious improvement from Yang in the final third, it is Adam Idah who should be brought in to replace Kuhn in the starting line-up next weekend.

Why Adam Idah must be unleashed

The Ireland international should come in to start ahead of the German winger, with Maeda moving out wide on the left and Jota moving over to the right, to play as the number nine.

Idah’s pace and power was on full display in the defeat to St. Johnstone after he came off the bench to throw his hat in the ring to start next time out with a strong showing.

The Irish marksman should have had an assist for an equalising goal when he brilliantly burst down the right channel and produced an inch-perfect cross for James Forrest, who fired his shot down the middle of the goal to be blocked by the goalkeeper.

Idah, who won five of his six duels, ended his 29 minutes on the pitch with one dribble completed, two chances created, one ‘big chance’ created, five shots, and one shot on target.

These statistics show that the former Norwich City centre-forward, whose talent was once dubbed “incredible” by Rodgers, made an impact off the bench on Sunday, which is why he should now be brought in to show what he can do from the start against Kilmarnock.

The 24-year-old attacker, who has scored 14 goals in all competitions, has scored eight goals and created six ‘big chances’ in 15 starts in the Premiership so far this term.

Idah’s finishing has not always been good enough, with 13 ‘big chances’ missed, but he causes opposition defenders problems with his pace and power, as he did off the bench against St. Johnstone, which is why Rodgers must bring him into the XI next weekend.

Not Engels: Rodgers has already found Celtic's new McGregor in teen star

Celtic may already have their next Callum McGregor and it is not Arne Engels.

ByDan Emery Apr 5, 2025

It is now down to the former Liverpool and Leicester boss to ruthlessly ditch Kuhn from the team to unleash Idah, whilst moving Maeda back out to the wing.

Only Everton Weekes and Herbert Sutcliffe have scored 1000 Test runs in fewer innings

Sampath Bandarupalli27-Sep-20242 – Players to complete 1000 Test runs quicker than Kamindu Mendis, who got there in 13 innings. Both Everton Weekes and Herbert Sutcliffe needed 12 Test innings to reach 1000 runs, while Don Bradman got there in 13 innings.The Sri Lankan record was previously held by Roy Dias, Michael Vandort and Dhananjaya de Silva, all in 23 innings.1 – Kamindu became the first player with a fifty-plus score in each of his first eight Test matches. The previous longest streak of fifty-plus scores in consecutive Tests from debut was seven by Saud Shakeel.2 – Sri Lankans with fifty-plus scores in eight or more consecutive Test matches. Kumar Sangakkara is the other, with fifty-plus scores in nine successive Tests in 2014.13 – Innings needed for Kamindu to score his fifth hundred in Test cricket. Only three batters needed fewer innings – Weekes (ten), Sutcliffe (12) and Neil Harvey (12). Bradman and George Headley also scored their fifth in 13 innings.The Sri Lanka record – in 38 innings – was previously held by Aravinda de Silva and Dinesh Chandimal. The most number of hundreds any Sri Lankan had in their first 13 Test innings before Kamindu was three by Vandort.ESPNcricinfo Ltd5 – Test hundreds for Kamindu, all while batting at No. 5 or lower, and all in 2024. Only two other batters have scored five or more centuries while batting at No. 5 or lower in a calendar year in Tests – six by Jonny Bairstow in 2022 and five by Michael Clarke in 2012.3 – Number of Sri Lanka batters with five or more Test hundreds in a calendar year before Kamindu. Tillakaratne Dilshan was the last one, with six in 2009. Aravinda had seven centuries in 1997, while Mahela Jayawardene also had five in 2009.91.27 – Kamindu’s batting average in Test cricket is the second-highest among players with 1000-plus runs, behind only Bradman’s 99.94.His average is also fourth-highest after 13 Test innings, behind Harvey (106.56), Bradman (99.67) and Sunil Gavaskar (91.80).6 – Number of century partnerships involving Kamindu in 2024 for the sixth (or lower) wicket. Only one batter was part of more century stands for the sixth (or lower) wicket in a calendar year in Tests – seven by Bairstow in 2016.

Josh Little and Anrich Nortje take the bowling honours, but it was a tournament to forget for Kagiso Rabada

S Rajesh07-Nov-2022In a World Cup Super 12s competition that has been tough on batters, only two have scored 150-plus runs at 150-plus strike rates – Glenn Phillips and Suryakumar Yadav. It’s not surprising, then, that they are also the most impactful batters of this stage of the tournament, according to ESPNcricinfo’s Smart Stats. Phillips leads the way with a rating of 74.80 impact points per innings, and Suryakumar follows with a score of 71.63.ESPNcricinfo LtdSuryakumar has the higher strike rate in the tournament so far, 194 to 164, but Phillips is marginally ahead on impact rating because Smart Stats takes into account not just the runs scored and strike rate, but also context in terms of match situation and support from other batters. Phillips’ best – a stunning, matchwinning 104 off 64 balls against Sri Lanka – is also the tournament’s best so far, in terms of highest impact points for an innings. That knock fetched him 182.6 impact points, which is 48 points more than the next-best (Rilee Rossouw’s 109 against Bangladesh).

How is Total Impact calculated?

Total Impact for a player in a match is a numerical value that is the sum of his Batting and Bowling Impacts. These Impacts are calculated based on the context of a batting/bowling performance.

The context is based on an algorithm that quantifies the pressure on the batter/bowler at every ball of an innings. The factors that go into calculating the pressure index include runs required, overs left, quality of batters at the crease and those to follow, quality of bowlers and number of overs left for each bowler, and pitch/conditions and how easy/tough it is for batters/bowlers.

That’s because Phillips’ innings came when New Zealand had slumped to 15 for 3 after four overs, and the next-best score in a total of 167 was Daryl Mitchell’s 22. The other batters collectively struggled to 53 from 56 balls, while Phillips singlehandedly took New Zealand to a total that they defended with some ease. The fact that Sri Lanka managed only 102 showed that none of the other batters got to grips with the conditions. (In fact, the next four highest scorers in the match collectively couldn’t match Phillips’ score.)Suryakumar’s best was his 68 off 40 against South Africa, which got him 128.6 impact points. Like Phillips’ century, this was a one-man act, as Suryakumar scored 68 out of a total of 133, with the next-highest team score being 15. His 61 off 25 against Zimbabwe fetched 92 points.The top run-scorer in the tournament, Virat Kohli, is in third place in the batting impact list, with a score of 52.1 rating points per innings. His standout performance was the sensational unbeaten 82 off 53 against Pakistan, which fetched him 116.1 points, the fourth-best among all innings in the Super 12.Rilee Rossouw and Colin Ackermann round off the top five. Rossouw’s 109 against Bangladesh remains the highest score of the tournament and is the only other century apart from Phillips’ knock. In terms of impact points it fetched 134.4 – a relatively lower value than Phillips’ century as Rossouw’s knock came in a team total of 205. Ackermann is the fifth-highest run-getter of the Super 12s, and his unbeaten 41 off 26 (63.5 impact points) had a huge role to play in Netherlands’ stunning upset win against South Africa.