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Liverpool's Dominik Szoboszlai drank a shot of Palinka with Hungary fans to celebrate their Euro 2024 qualification – after a two-goal showing.

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• Szoboszlai seen drinking a shot of Palinka with Hungary fans
• Hungary beat Montenegro 3-1 having already qualified for Euro 2024
• Liverpool star scored twice

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Liverpool midfielder and Hungary captain Dominik Szoboszlai was seen enjoying a shot of Palinka, one of the most popular spirits in his country, while celebrating the team's qualification for Euro 2024 next summer. Hungary had already booked their spot at the tournament in Germany after a 2-2 draw with Bulgaria on Thursday, but that didn't stop them putting on a superb display in their dead-rubber against Montenegro.

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• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Hungary defeated Montenegro 3-1 in their final Euro 2024 qualification game, with the Reds midfielder bagging himself a brace in the second-half. Hungary finished at the top of Group G with five wins and three draws in their ten games to take their points tally to 18 points.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR SZOBOSZLAI?

  The 23-year-old will return to action for Liverpool as Jurgen Klopp's men look to stay in a tight title race with the likes of Manchester City and Tottenham. The summer signing has been a superb addition to Liverpool's engine room this season, and will hope for another start when they face champions City on November 25.

West Ham United have been handed a major boost in their pursuit of Corentin Tolisso, according to Get French Football News’ Adam White.

David Moyes has been keen to bolster his Hammers squad after leading the east Londoners into the Europa League thanks to registering a club-record Premier League points tally last season.

However, the Scotsman has been frustrated in the transfer market and Alphonse Areola has been the only arrival – on a season-long loan with the option of making the move permanent – from French giants Paris Saint-Germain.

According to German media outlet Sport 1, Bayern Munich central midfielder Tolisso is among Moyes’ transfer targets as the deadline draws closer. The report suggests Juventus are also keeping tabs on the 2018 World Cup winner.

Bild has claimed Tolisso could be picked up for as little as £8.4million this summer, with the 27-year-old’s Bayern contract expiring in less than 12 months.

White is confident France international Tolisso will be welcomed to the London Stadium before the transfer window closes at the end of the month.

He told Football FanCast: “Sources in France say Bayern want to sell Tolisso and the key phrase they used was as soon as possible, which is quite something considering how good a player he is.

“He is very much out of the team so I think Bayern Munich would be open to selling him.

“There’s a willingness to sell if the right offer came in and I think West Ham could afford the transfer fee.”

Atletico Madrid president, Enrique Cerezo, has revealed that Joao Felix will return to Atletico should Barcelona not sign the player permanently.

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• Felix is on loan at Barcelona from Atletico
• Form at Barcelona is hit or miss
• Former wonderkid not able to live up to early-career hype

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  WHAT HAPPENED?

  Joao Felix's parent club's president gave little away regarding Felix's future in the Spanish capital. Evidently out of Diego Simeone and Ateltico's plans, Felix earned his 'dream' move to Barcelona. Yet the likelihood of making that dream permanent appears in doubt.

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• WHAT CEREZO SAID

  On Felix's future, Cerezo said: "João has joined Barça on loan, he's playing there and he's one of the best players in Europe.

  “If next year Barça don't want to keep him, he will be back at Atléti. It's very easy, no?"

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Felix's form at Barcelona, whilst showing glimmers of promise, has failed to find consistency and has to do more to save his career at Camp Nou. Symbollic of his career since joining Atletico in a €126 million fee from Benfica, the forward has shown moments of brilliance but seemingly cannot grab a game and pull his side to victory on a regular basis. This is Felix's second loan spell away from Atletico, having endured an underwhelming spell in west London with Chelsea.

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• WHAT NEXT FOR FELIX?

  Should Barcelona not sign the Portuguese star on a permanent deal, there appears little option but for him to return to Atletico. Whether Felix can break back into Simeone's plans remains to be seen, but given the lack of suitors for his signature last summer, options appear to be running out.

West Ham United are keen on signing Luka Jovic this month…

What’s the word?

According to Eurosport, the Irons are considering turning their attention to the Real Madrid striker, who is said to be a long-term target.

It’s claimed that Jovic is not in Carlo Ancelotti’s plans for the new season, so the La Liga giants are prepared to let him leave before the transfer deadline on August 31st.

David Moyes and co have struggled to find a new forward and are desperate to find competition for the injury-prone Michail Antonio.

However, the Hammers face competition for the 23-year-old from at least three Bundesliga sides. It remains to be seen just how much Jovic will command, with both Transfermarkt and CIES Football Observatory valuing him at £18m.

 A statement signing

Whilst the 6-foot Serbian has struggled to make much of an impact at the Bernabeu since a €60m (£50m) move in the summer of 2019, even returning to his former club Frankfurt for a loan spell last season, he would still be quite the coup for the East Londoners.

During the 2018/19 season, Jovic bagged a whopping 27 goals in 48 appearances in all competitions, via Transfermarkt, also striking up quite the partnership with Sebastien Haller, whose own exploits saw him make the switch to the London Stadium.

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His form, particularly that year, earned glowing acclaim from teammate Filip Kostic, who described the talisman as “just unbelievable” to Bundesliga.com.

Furthermore, Jovic has been likened to Radamel Falcao, largely due to his ability to use either foot, as well as his head, to find the net. It’s perhaps why another former teammate, Kevin-Prince Boateng dubbed him a complete striker.

“He has everything to become [a world-class striker]. You see that in training. He has football in his genes, he’s a street footballer, and he has a nose for goal,” Boateng said. “He scores with his head, right or left foot. He is technically good and can shoot well with both feet. He just has everything a striker needs.”

Also lauded as “fast, robust and technically savvy” by Haller, it’s easy to see why Madrid splashed the cash on the 14-cap Serbia international and you could forgive him for not living up to the expectations and pressure that comes with playing for Los Galacticos.

Hammers boss Moyes should absolutely consider a move for Jovic before the end of the month. Given his impressive goalscoring record and experience across Europe, he could be exactly the sort of signing that takes the club.

The self-proclaimed “fox in the box” is well worth a late punt to solve the Scot’s striker nightmare.

AND in other news, Imagine him and Antonio: West Ham must seal move for “special” £31.5m-rated goal machine…

Gotham FC's goal-scoring hero Esther Gonzalez, who netted the winner in the NWSL title game, spoke on the league's level compared to Europe.

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• Gonzalez says NWSL level is like 'playing Barca'
• World Cup winner previously played for Real Madrid
• Won NWSL title with Gotham FC 2-1

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  After signing Gonzalez on August 23, Gotham went on to win the NWSL title, with the Ex-Real Madrid attacker playing a key role in their success during the regular season and in their historic playoff run.

  Speaking to reporter Marta Grinan of AS, Gonzalez spoke on the level of competition in the NWSL compared to that of Europe – specifically, Barcelona and the Champions League.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Gonzalez scored the game-winning goal in the NWSL final Saturday, leaping all five-foot-three of her into the air to get a brilliant header off in stoppage-time during the first half.

  Now, she's made an incredible claim about the competition level within the league, stating that it's on the level of UEFA Champions League matches 'every' time.

• WHAT GONZALEZ SAID

  "One of the biggest differences with the Spanish League, which is a great League, is that here all the games, absolutely all of them, are like a Champions League game, at the highest level. In Spain there are some games that you can win four or five to zero, that your physical wear and tear is normal, that you have everything under control…"

  "Here every game is like playing against Barça, which is the best team in the Spanish League: your level has to be the maximum, your physical demand is the maximum, and that happens weekend after weekend"

  "Afterwards, the big difference is control, in Spain we have a lot of control over the games, the times, when to pause, when to attack and when not to. Here they look so physically superior that it's all about transitions"

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  WHAT NEXT FOR ESTHER GONZALEZ?

  The Spain international will now enjoy her offseason with Gotham, capping off an incredible year of soccer. Winning both the FIFA World Cup and an NWSL title in the same season is an outstanding feat, so now, it's an offseason to rest and reset before the next campaign.

Southampton’s hopes of signing Ryan Gauld this summer are over after the Scottish youngster completed his move to Vancouver Whitecaps last week, which is undoubtedly a blow to Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side.

What’s the word?

Southampton were one of several English sides linked with a move for the 25-year-old earlier in the summer, with an exit always on the cards after his old side, SC Farense, suffered relegation from the Portuguese top-flight.

The former Dundee United youngster, who was once likened to Lionel Messi, rebuilt his career in Portugal with Farense after a failed move to Sporting Lisbon and will look to improve even further during his time in the MLS.

Last season saw the attacking midfielder contribute an impressive nine goals and seven assists in 33 top-flight appearances, averaging a superb 7.19 rating from WhoScored for his performances.

Should Southampton have signed Gauld?

Transfermarkt claim that Gauld cost Vancouver Whitecaps as little as £315k, which suggests that he could have been a bargain option for the Saints this summer.

Although Hasenhuttl usually sets his side up in a 4-4-2 formation, which leaves little room for an attacking midfielder such as Gauld, the former Scotland U’21 international could have offered the Austrian manager a different, more creative option in the middle of the park next season.

Upon his signing, Whitecaps CEO Alex Schuster was full of praise for Gauld, saying:

“He is a difference-maker, brings experience, as well as an exceptional work rate, all qualities we identified as being key characteristics that we need in this position.”

Given that Southampton regularly lost momentum in the second half of games last season, as opposition managers seemed to figure out their tactics and style of play, having someone such as Gauld, who can provide superb individual moments of quality, could have improved Hasenhuttl’s squad ahead of the new season.

[freshpress-quiz id=“594431”]

Therefore, the Austrian manager should be disappointed that Southampton didn’t push harder to complete a bargain deal for Gauld, as it surely would’ve been well worth the low risk to bring him to St Mary’s.

And, in other news… Tom Leach shares James Ward-Prowse update that will delight Saints fans

Another one of Nuno Santo’s playing squad is considering his future at Tottenham Hotspur in a fresh bombshell…

What’s the word?

According to football.london’s Alasdair Gold, first-team midfielder Tanguy Ndombele is the latest name to be mulling over his long-term future in North London.

However, this situation is unlike the saga surrounding Harry Kane, who is desperate to go and win trophies at Manchester City. It’s thought that the Frenchman is disappointed by the potential departures of two of his closest teammates, Serge Aurier and Moussa Sissoko.

Ndombele has struggled to adapt to life in England and, by his own admission, told those around him, including chairman Daniel Levy, that he wanted to leave just a few weeks after arriving in the summer of 2020.

Another setback

It would be hard for the Spurs hierarchy to give up on their club-record signing after just two seasons, especially as they may struggle to recoup the £55m they paid Lyon for his signature.

However, they would be powerless if Ndombele feels so strongly about a departure, and in comparison to Kane, he’s certainly the more expendable option.

We know the ups and downs that the £45m-rated maverick had under Jose Mourinho. In the early days he struggled to make his mark, but towards the end of the Portuguese’s reign, he was often one of the first names on the team sheet.

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Interestingly, he would arguably be a perfect fit in Nuno’s 4-3-3 set-up, though his absence against Chelsea in Wednesday’s pre-season friendly was a little perplexing, particularly as he was not away on international duty throughout the past month or two.

If Ndombele wants to follow Kane out the exit door this summer, then it will definitely leave the 47-year-old boss in a sticky spot as he’d be left with two glaring voids of quality in two key areas.

Some of the Lilywhites faithful are less than impressed by this latest development from Hotspur Way, too.

“Please leave,” demanded one supporter, whilst another described the update as “embarrassing.” Ndombele was even dubbed an “absolute disgrace” by a further member of the Spurs fanbase, as relayed by This is Futbol.

With kick-off against Manchester City only a week away, this is the last thing that Nuno needs to think about.

AND in other news, Paratici can rectify one of Levy’s big Spurs blunders by signing “explosive” £20m gem…

Cameron Carter-Vickers has been likened to “a rock or a fridge”, with a former Celtic team-mate paying the USMNT star that strange compliment.

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• Centre-half back from injury
• Hoping to star for club and country
• Commanding presence in defence

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Most defenders would happily be likened to a rock, with it their job to be solid at the heart of any given team, but fridges are not the most mobile or exciting of accessories. Carter-Vickers will, however, take positives from seeing his skill set recognised.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  The 25-year-old centre-half has endured a frustrating run on the injury front of late, but he has returned to domestic action and is now with the United States squad as they prepare to face Germany and Ghana during the October international break.

• WHAT THEY SAID

  Carter-Vickers is expected to continue starring for club and country, with ex-Celtic colleague Moritz Jenz telling the : “CCV is a great guy. First of all, he’s not selfish. He’s a top, team player. You saw him come on against Lazio and you could see his presence. Everyone was like, ‘CCV is here!’. It was very stable. Okay, the goal they conceded was a bit unlucky where Cameron could have kicked it out, but this can happen. But he is so important. It’s like having a rock, or a fridge, next to you. You know he’s going to be there and will cover you when someone goes past you. He’s always very safe and assured. Cam’s not a big talker during games. He leads more by actions, which is also good. There were some players who liked to talk more. I don’t want to mention any names — Greg Taylor. No, I’m joking. It’s good to see CCV back.”

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  WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

  Carter-Vickers stepped off the bench against Lazio before then starting a Scottish Premiership clash with Kilmarnock, with those fixtures giving him his first minutes of 2023-24 since the middle of August.

The Spaniard lost his rag in a fiery 2-0 win but the England midfielder was utterly brilliant again as the champions earned a sixth victory in a row

Manchester City equalled their best ever start to a Premier League season by beating Nottingham Forest 2-0 in an ill-tempered game but will now have to make do without arguably their most influential player for three matches after Rodri was sent off following a moment of madness.

City were coasting in the second half when Rodri got into a scrap with Morgan Gibbs-White and grabbed his opponent by the neck. The Nottingham Forest midfielder made the most of the incident by going down but the referee had little choice after Rodri had raised his hands.

Crucially, Rodri will now miss City's trip to Arsenal on October 8 which is shaping up as an early top-of-the-table showdown. The treble winners showed their fighting spirit after going down to 10 men and Phil Foden was outstanding, having also given City the lead.

Erling Haaland scored his eighth league goal of the season to make it 2-0 but the Norwegian had an otherwise disappointing match, missing a glaring chance in the second half.

GOAL rates City's players from an angry Etihad Stadium…

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  Goalkeeper & Defence

  Ederson (7/10):

  Had a very quiet first half but had to be alert after City were reduced to 10 men. Booked for a confrontation with Taiwo Awoniyi, who was also carded. Dominant in the air and made a fine save in stoppage time.

  Kyle Walker (7/10):

  Energetic and influential. Set up the opening goal with a classy half-volleyed cross to Foden then helped fight back the Forest assault.

  Ruben Dias (7/10):

  Physically imposing and very alert. Ensured Forest did not take advantage of their extra man.

  Manuel Akanji (6/10):

  Got an early booking for an important tactical foul. Put his body on the line after the red card.

  Josko Gvardiol (6/10):

  Anticipated well and used his strength to his advantage.

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  Midfield

  Rodri (4/10):

  Had been a bit imprecise and then truly lost control when he clashed with Gibbs-White. Was silly to get involved and his overreaction will hurt City, especially against Arsenal.

  Matheus Nunes (6/10):

  Another good showing after a strong full debut against Red Star. Got his first assist for the club in only his third game, equalling his tally across all of last season with Wolves.

  Phil Foden (8/10):

  Got City off the mark with a fabulous finish and dictated the pace of the game with exceptional touches, passing and vision.

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  Attack

  Jeremy Doku (6/10):

  Had a few exciting moments although they didn't lead to creating clear chances. Was the first player to be sacrificed after Rodri's red card.

  Erling Haaland (5/10):

  Despite heading in City's second goal to make it eight goals for the season, the Norwegian had a poor game by his usual high standards and missed a sitter in the second half.

  Julian Alvarez (5/10):

  A drop from his recent high levels. Tested Matt Turner with a free-kick and sent another shot wide. Taken off in the 57th minute.

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  Subs & Manager

  Kalvin Phillips (6/10):

  Helped City stay in control after losing Rodri.

  Nathan Ake (6/10):

  Tightened up the defence and also got forward.

  Jack Grealish (N/A):

  Made his comeback from injury in the 87th minute.

  Pep Guardiola (8/10):

  Reacted superbly to the red card, making two defensive substitutions to ensure City kept a galvanised Forest at bay. Equalled his best ever start to a Premier League season.

Christian Pulisic believes leaving Chelsea for AC Milan was the “perfect step for my career” after enjoying a dream debut for the Serie A giants.

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• American forward bid farewell to Chelsea
• Embracing a new challenge in Italy
• Already up and running for the Rossoneri

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The United States international spent four years in England at Stamford Bridge, but is now taking on a new challenge in Italy after completing a €22 million (£19m/$24m) transfer to San Siro. He has made the perfect start to life in Italy, with a flurry of pre-season assists followed by a stunning goal on his league bow for the Rossoneri against Bologna.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Pulisic has told of opening his account in style for new employers: “It was a fantastic start, for sure. I’m really excited to be a part of this team. The two early goals really helped us, because it was a difficult game after that. For me just a great start personally, nice to get a goal, while a clean sheet and a win are always nice.” He added on linking up with ex-Chelsea team-mates Olivier Giroud, Fikayo Tomori and Ruben Loftus-Cheek in Milan: “It was just speaking with those guys like Olivier, we had some good experiences together. I played with Fikayo, I played with Ruben and the connection is there, as you saw tonight. It was great to get the assist from Oli again. It just felt like the perfect step for my career, I feel really welcome and excited to be part of this club.”

• AND WHAT'S MORE

  Pulisic often struggled to nail down a regular starting role at Chelsea, amid fierce competition for places and regular fitness struggles, but he is setting lofty targets in Italy. He said of his goals for 2023-24: “We want to fight to win this championship of course, to compete for all the titles we can. Personally it is to continue creating and scoring goals the way I did tonight and to help this team win titles.”

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  WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

  After getting off the mark on the road for Milan, Pulisic will be hoping to make his home debut on Saturday when the Rossoneri play host to Torino.