Ross Taylor, Mohammad Hasnain and Will Smeed are among the final batch of players confirmed for the BBL draft on Sunday taking the total of number of registered players to 332.Hasnain, who is eligible for retention having played with Sydney Thunder last season, is one of two more players in the final group, which were received shortly before the nominations closed on Sunday. Fellow Pakistani Fakhar Zaman is the other having played one game for Brisbane Heat in the 2021-22 edition.Hasnain had his bowling action reported during last year’s competition but has since been cleared to resume bowling.Pakistan represents the majority of the additional names in the draft and includes Test opening pair Abdullah Shafique and Imam-ul-Haq as well as middle-order white-ball hitter Khushdil Shah.Taylor, who is now retired from international cricket, could be an interesting option if a team is looking for an experienced batter as he does not have any conflicting deals at the moment.Smeed is the highly-rated young English batter who has a strike-rate of 146.23 from 52 T20 matches and he recently became the first player to hit a century in the men’s Hundred. He has already gained global interest and has an ILT20 deal with MI Emirates in January.Off the 332 players lined up for the draft, 28 are eligible for retention by clubs they played for last season. The first 12 players are part of the platinum list, which was announced on Monday, with the rest following in gold, silver and bronze categories.A maximum of 24 players will be signed during the draft with clubs needing to pick a minimum of two and maximum of three names.

What a fantastic start Manchester United have had to 2025. The Red Devils are yet to lose, with Ruben Amorim’s side getting a huge 2-2 draw away to Liverpool in their first game of the new calendar year.

Next up for the 2023/24 FA Cup winners was the first defence of their crown away to Arsenal, a tough task in North London. However, the Red Devils won on penalties despite playing with ten men for an hour or so.

Most recently came a 3-1 win at Old Trafford against Southampton. Despite being 1-0 down with 81 minutes on the clock, Amad scored a hat-trick in 12 minutes to secure all three points for the home side.

Amorim has rotated his side well so far, and the next player who could be the victim of that is Manuel Ugarte, despite his brilliant performances in the past few months.

Ugarte’s recent performances

To clarify, a situation where Ugarte gets dropped from the starting 11 would not be a reflection of his recent performances. He has been superb in recent weeks, described as a “big game player” by football statistician Statman Dave.

The defensive midfielder is not one to shy away from any challenges, and his stats on FBref from the Premier League highlight his ball-winning ability. He currently averages six tackles and interceptions per game in the top flight this term, ranking him in the top 2% of Premier League midfielders for that metric.

However, against Southampton, the United number 25 struggled. He looked tired and played just over half of the game before being replaced. He received a 5/10 for his performance from the Manchester Evening News journalist Samuel Luckhurst. He explained Ugarte “failed to provide any control” in the middle of the park.

So, despite his brilliant work over the past few weeks, the Uruguayan could fall victim to Amorim’s rotation policy and get some much-needed rest against Brighton and Hove Albion. The man who could replace him is the impressive young midfielder Toby Collyer.

Why Collyer could start against Brighton

At the beginning of the season, Collyer was described as former manager Erik ten Hag’s “next youth project” by football analyst and The Overlap: The Breakdown host H. Well, the Dutchman didn’t survive much of the season, but Collyer has certainly stepped up in recent weeks.

He has played five times this season for the Red Devils, featuring in back-to-back games against Arsenal and Southampton, coming on for Ugarte in the centre of midfield in the most recent game.

He has certainly been a good replacement, with H explaining he has “energy in abundance”, exactly like his Uruguayan teammate. Ugarte showed his appreciation for Collyer’s performance against the Saints on Instagram after the game.

As the stats on Sofascore suggest, Collyer was fantastic against Arsenal and Southampton. He played 39 minutes at the Emirates Stadium, winning four duels, and showing his hard work off the ball. Against the South Coast side, his 37-minute cameo demonstrated his excellent ball-playing ability, as he completed 95% of his passes.

Stat

vs. Arsenal

vs. Southampton

Touches

16

25

Passes completed

4/7

20/21

Pass accuracy

57%

95%

Duels won

4

3

Tackles won

1/1

2/3

Those are encouraging performances where he showed two different sides of the 21-year-old’s game, and what was on show is what Amorim can expect from him. Quality when in possession and hard work to continuously work hard off the ball.

Even though he is far less experienced than Ugarte, there might not be too much of a drop-off in his performance compared to the United number 25. Collyer has already proved he can be an apt replacement for him over the past few weeks.

Starting the former Brighton academy star against his former club not only continues his exposure and increases his opportunities at the highest level, but also allows for some rest for Ugarte.

Having quality squad depth is a crucial thing in football, and with Collyer, United certainly have that. It will be an exciting moment if Amorim chooses to use him on Sunday afternoon.

Zimbabwe suffered a collapse of 6 for 15, with Wessly Madhevere’s 72 in vain

Andrew McGlashan27-Aug-2022

Cameron Green finished with 5 for 33•Getty Images

The first five-wicket haul of Cameron Green’s international career set Australia up for a comfortable victory over Zimbabwe in the first ODI in Townsville to mark the early start to their season, although they needed to work hard to break the back of the visitors’ batting.Wessly Madhevere’s career-best 72 held Zimbabwe together, though they were never able to really cut loose, as the innings fell away rapidly in the closing stages, losing 6 for 15 as Green’s wicket tally quickly swelled after he had earlier claimed the key wicket of the in-form Sikandar Raza.A target of 201 was always unlikely to cause too many concerns, and it was duly knocked off with more than 16 overs to spare amid a flurry of boundaries by Glenn Maxwell. David Warner lived a charmed life in making a half-century, but Steven Smith played a controlled innings to ensure the loss of three wickets to Ryan Burl from some casual strokeplay did not become a problem.Related

Roy 388: Townsville pays tribute to Andrew Symonds

On a day where tributes were paid to former Australia allrounder Andrew Symonds, who died in a car accident in May, one of this generation’s finest all-round prospects added another milestone to the early stages of his career.Green had one wicket from seven ODIs before this outing, but he is being viewed as a key figure as Australia build towards the 2023 ODI World Cup in India, having been entrusted as the third frontline quick to allow a very long batting order. He caused problems throughout with his extra bounce, with two batters being caught at fine leg while unable to control short deliveries.Unsurprisingly, Aaron Finch had put Zimbabwe in with the early start, as Australia kept the scoring rate on a tight leash during the first ten overs. But the visiting openers did well to withstand the opening spells. Mitchell Marsh made the breakthrough shortly after the powerplay when Innocent Kaia offered a return catch, but Zimbabwe steadily increased the tempo with Tadiwanashe Marumani getting the benefit of his early hard work.However, with a maiden half-century in sight, Marumani advanced at Adam Zampa and was beaten which led to a few overs of caution. Madhevere and Tony Munyonga then produced a boundary apiece against Zampa in the 25th over, only for Smith to pull off a spectacular running catch from mid-off to remove Munyonga as he aimed down the ground again.The in-form Raza, who has enjoyed a stunning run against Bangladesh and India in recent weeks, was tied down by Australia’s quicks before falling to a short delivery from Green which he top-edged to fine leg removing a major threat with nearly 20 overs to go.David Warner top-scored for Australia with 57•AFP/Getty Images

Madhevere, who would not have played but for an elbow injury suffered by Sean Williams in nets on Saturday, continued to anchor the innings and brought up his half-century from 67 balls while captain Regis Chakabva provided some extra momentum heading into the final ten overs with a spritely display. However, Madhevere’s stay came to a rather soft end, when he prodded a return catch to Zampa off his final delivery.The innings quickly lost its way after that as Green struck four times in two overs, making good use of the short ball, although he looked somewhat sheepish as his fourth and fifth wickets were snaffled by Maxwell at deep midwicket.Australia made a steady start to the chase before left-armer Richard Ngarava, who caused a few problems, forced Finch to drag into his stumps via an inside edge.The 17th over, bowled by Raza, brought a lot of action involving Warner, who was firstly dropped at point when Marumani spilled a simple chance. Then there were bizarre scenes when Zimbabwe reviewed for a caught behind that was given not out, and Warner was so sure he had edged it that he was almost off the field when the third umpire decided there was no conclusive evidence to overturn.When Warner faced Raza’s next over, he pulled the first six of the match over deep square leg and then went to hit a 57-ball fifty, but did not go much further when he swung across the line. Raza’s celebration certainly had some feeling about it, and perhaps a few words.Smith had looked in good touch from the moment he arrived in the middle, and unfurled some well-timed drives between ticking the scoreboard over. He lost a flurry of partners as Australia’s middle order tried to attack Burl’s legspin, with Alex Carey well caught at long-on then Marcus Stoinis and Marsh falling in the same over.However, Maxwell crunched his first ball for four – and thrice cleared the fence later on – as his 32 off nine balls hastened the finish which came with consecutive sixes.

Chelsea are now set to green-light a late January exit for one “special” player in Enzo Maresca’s squad after performing a transfer U-turn behind-the-scenes.

The Chelsea players who could leave before January deadline day

Stamford Bridge exits have been taking a while to gain real traction this window, with Renato Veiga’s loan move to Juventus coming as Chelsea’s latest confirmed departure.

Related Officials sent to club as Chelsea insistently push for £13m January signing

The west Londoners are pressing but face stiff competition.

Posts ByEmilio Galantini Jan 29, 2025

However, in these coming days, more players are fully expected to potentially follow Veiga out of the door before deadline day on February 3rd.

Impactful substitute striker Christopher Nkunku is attracting interest from both Bayern Munich and Man United, while left-back Ben Chilwell, Carney Chukwuemeka and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall stand out as other big-names who are looking to leave (Simon Phillips).

Meanwhile, reliable transfer journalist Fabrizio Romano also shared news this week that defender Axel Disasi has agreed personal terms with Aston Villa.

Chelsea’s next five Premier League fixtures

Date

West Ham (home)

February 3rd

Brighton (away)

February 14th

Aston Villa (away)

February 22nd

Southampton (home)

February 25th

Leicester City (home)

March 9th

Villa’s interest in Disasi, alongside their fondness for fringe Chelsea playmaker João Félix, could even re-open the door for Enzo Maresca’s side to potentially pursue a late January move for striker Jhon Duran.

That is according to credible Chelsea reporter Simon Phillips, via his Substack, who also shared an update on Felix’s future amid Villa’s interest in the Portugal international.

Chelsea set to green-light late January exit for Joao Felix

As per the journalist, Chelsea’s original plan was to not let Felix go this month, but their plans are now believed to have changed.

Chelsea are set to approve a late January exit for Felix, who Maresca doesn’t really rate that highly, despite only just signing him last summer in a £46 million deal from Atlético Madrid.

“With Felix, the club initially wanted to keep him this window at the very least,” said Phillips. “But due to the fact that Maresca and one of the sporting directors do not rate him, they will now allow him to leave late on, especially if it could potentially see them sign a player they want – ideally Duran.”

The 25-year-old has bagged seven goals and two assists across all competitions for Chelsea this season, but he’s now viewed as expendable by Maresca, despite flashes of brilliance in cup competitions and his real usefulness as a squad player.

Called a “special” player by former teammate Alvaro Morata, Maresca has publicly praised Felix for his contribution at times, but the Italian has now seemingly changed his stance.

“Joao Felix is the reason why people pay for tickets; to watch that type of player,” said Maresca on Felix back in December. “Cole Palmer can see things, like Joao, that the rest cannot see. It doesn’t mean the rest are not good but they are different from the rest.”

Offspinner will join Imam-ul-Haq at the club for the final month of this season

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Sep-2022Somerset have signed Sajid Khan, the Pakistan offspinner, as their second overseas player for the final month of the County Championship season as they look to avoid relegation to Division Two.Matt Renshaw and Peter Siddle, their overseas players for most of the 2022 season, have both returned to Australia and Sajid joins his compatriot Imam-ul-Haq in signing for the final four Championship games.”I know that in recent years Babar Azam and Azhar Ali have enjoyed their time at Somerset, and I am looking forward to playing alongside Imam-ul-Haq again,” Sajid said. “I hope that I can contribute to Somerset winning the last four County Championship games of the season.”Related

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Jack Leach, Somerset’s frontline spinner, will be unavailable for the next two games while on Test duty, and Andy Hurry, their director of cricket, said the club felt it was “important to recruit an international quality spinner for the County Championship run in”.”After detailed consideration of all the options available to us, we felt that Sajid Khan was the standout individual,” Hurry said. “He has proved his quality at the very highest level, and he is hungry to test himself in English conditions over the next few weeks.”He is a player with an outstanding attitude, and he is well aware of exactly what County Championship cricket means to this club and its members and supporters.”Somerset are ninth in Division One heading into the final month of the season, though have a game in hand on Kent and Warwickshire who sit seventh and eighth respectively.

MatériaMais Notícias

Calleri vai ficar no São Paulo. O atacante, ídolo da torcida, atingiu a meta de minutos jogados em contrato, o que obriga o Tricolor a comprar o argentino. pelo valor de3 milhões de dólares (R$ 14,4 milhões na atual cotação).

RelacionadasSão PauloSão Paulo finaliza preparação para encarar o Ayacucho; veja provável escalaçãoSão Paulo24/05/2022Mais EsportesAo L!, boxeador Eduardo Costa ‘Pará’ fala sobre relação com o São Paulo e admiração por Éder JofreMais Esportes24/05/2022BrasileirãoComandante do São Paulo, Rogério Ceni é o único técnico brasileiro no G6 da Série ABrasileirão24/05/2022

GALERIA
> ATUAÇÕES: Calleri volta a brilhar em clássico, e Ceni vai mal em substituições no São Paulo; veja notas

TABELA
VEJA A TABELA DO CAMPEONATO BRASILEIRO 2022

Segundo informado pela ‘ESPN’ e confirmado pelo LANCE!, o São Paulo irá realizar o pagamento desse montante em três parcelas:1 milhão de dólares em 2023, 1 milhão de dólares em 2024 e 1 milhão de dólares em 2025.

Calleri precisava participar de 30% dos minutos de jogos do São Paulo entre o dia da sua contratação até o fim de 2022 e bateu a meta no clássico contra o Corinthians. A informação da meta atingida foi divulgada pelo jornalista André Plihal, da ‘ESPN’, em seu Twitter.

Em matéria publicada nesta quarta, o LANCE! já tinha antecipado o otimismo do São Paulo em ficar com o atacante, que agora será em definitivo do Tricolor.

Nesta temporada, Calleri soma 26 jogos, com 15 gols marcados, sendo o artilheiro do time em 2022, além de ser o goleador máximo do Brasileirão 2022, com 7 gols.

Manchester United picked up just their second Premier League win from their last five clashes when getting the better of Marco Silva’s Fulham last time out.

Lisandro Martinez was the late hero the Red Devils were crying out for as his deflected strike fortuitously looped over the head of Cottagers goalkeeper Bernd Leno, sending the away masses into pandemonium in the process.

Whilst Ruben Amorim will be encouraged by two victories on the spin now in all competitions, he will still hope for a late signing to boost his ranks this transfer window.

Man United agree personal terms with priority target

This January has been dominated by news of Alejandro Garnacho and Marcus Rashford potentially upping and leaving Old Trafford but INEOS have been attentive to any market opportunities that could emerge.

Transfer Focus

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

Now, with a week left of the transfer window, they could well be closing in on the first acquisition of the Amorim era.

Indeed, as per transfer insider Fabrizio Romano via his X account, United have already agreed terms with Lecce ace Patrick Dorgu. That said, they still have a fee to agree with the Serie A side before the window slams shut in a week’s time.

Romano states that the Red Devils are due to go back in with another approach though that is closer to the Serie A club’s asking price of £33m.

How Patrick Dorgu compares to Bukayo Saka

Whilst it is crystal clear that United are targetting Dorgu to gift Amorim a more expansive wing-back in-keeping with his Sporting philosophy, the Dane can also play straight up as a winger, with his current boss Marco Giampaolo getting more out of the 20-year-old when deploying him down the right wing.

As a result, there are similarities to be made between the promising talent and Arsenal sensation Bukayo Saka, with both players in question naturally left-footed but both an absolute menace to contain down the opposing flank.

Before delving deeper into his standout features as an attacking presence, Amorim would love to welcome the £33m man through the door due to his energy and tenacity as a defender.

Whilst Diogo Dalot has shone at points as a defensive figure down the left, with 4.3 duels won a game on average in the Premier League on top of collecting six clean sheets, Dorgu has won a far more impressive 6.9 duels per match this season in Serie A, alongside also amassing 4.7 ball recoveries as a tireless body for his side.

It’s even led to one analyst online heralding Dorgu as a “monster”, with United in desperate need of some freshness such as the 20-year-old’s arrival to try and push up the league away from their current lowly standing of 12th.

He could also offer Amorim some versatility away from just being his ideal profile for a full-back, with the four-time Denmark international more than capable of playing further forward on the right based on his glittering numbers for this season so far.

RW

10

3

0

LB

6

0

1

LM

2

0

0

RB

2

0

0

LW

2

0

0

Indeed, when glancing at the table, all of his goals this campaign for Lecce have come from the right flank meaning Dorgu could give Amad Diallo some great competition if he were to arrive on the scene shortly.

This ability to shift between playing at left-back and right wing could mean he is United’s very own Saka down the line, with the England international lining up as a left-back for Arsenal at the start of his senior days in North London, before then being fully morphed into a frightening prospect in attack.

The rest is history from the perspective of the Gunners with Saka now up to 79 goal contributions from 120 career games as an out-and-out right winger, as Arsenal’s gamble on their academy product to become a beast in the senior game more than paid off.

Dorgu isn’t quite the finished article himself currently but there’s a lot of potential for the 20-year-old to cause the Premier League havoc, whether that be on the left-hand side or on the right.

Saved by Martinez: 3/10 Man Utd dud just proved why INEOS have to spend

Manchester United claimed a hard-fought 1-0 win over Fulham in the Premier League last night.

ByEthan Lamb Jan 27, 2025

Jesse Lingard has said he "knew nothing" about sexual assault allegations made against his grandfather and would have cut ties immediately if he had.

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Lingard's grandfather on trial in LiverpoolEx-Man Utd star jets in as defence witnessDenies all knowledge of accusationsFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Former Manchester United star Lingard has appeared in court in Liverpool as a defence witness for his grandfather Kenneth who is facing 17 counts of indecent assault. Lingard denied having any knowledge of the allegations when questioned and said he would have cut ties with his grandad if he had known of the accusations against the 86-year-old.

AdvertisementWHAT LINGARD SAID

"I would have cut ties with him straight away," Lingard told the court, as reported by the . "My daughter wouldn't be round there. My little sister wouldn't be round there."

Lingard was also asked if he would lie on behalf of his grandfather and replied: "No, never. If I knew any of these allegations I'd have cut ties with him years ago."

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Kenneth Lingard stands accused of historical offences against a woman from when she was five years old which he denies. The allegations were made to police after a documentary called Untold: The Jesse Lingard Story was broadcast in 2022. In the documentary Lingard spoke of his grandfather's positive influence on his career which saw him spend a decade at Manchester United and win 32 England caps.

Lingard lived with his grandfather from the age of two and also told the court of the support he had given him throughout his career. He added: "He basically taught me football, taught all the skills, drove me up and down motorways from Liverpool to Manchester, Crewe, Barnsley, Stoke, to watch me play football. He's been the man that's got me here today."

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AFPWHAT NEXT

Lingard currently plays for FC Seoul in South Korea and flew in for his court appearance after scoring for his team in a K-League 1 clash on Saturday. The trial is set to continue and is expected to last several weeks.

Micah Richards' bizarre pronunciation of a football legend's name sent Thierry Henry and Kate Scott into hysterics in the CBS Sports studio.

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• Richards provides unexpected comic relief
• Henry & Scott left in stitches
• Richards fears he could be 'cancelled'

Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱

• Getty Images Sport
  

  WHAT HAPPENED?

  Ex-Manchester City star Richards once again brought his signature flair and humour to the CBS Champions League coverage – this time unintentionally – after hilariously mispronouncing the name of former France winger Franck Ribery during a pre-match segment on Tuesday night. The lighthearted moment left colleagues Henry and Abdo visibly cracking up, while Jamie Carragher, ever the mischief-maker, added to the chaos.

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• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  During the discussion, Richards was making a point about the evolution of elite wingers in the modern game, using Ribery as one of the prime examples from his playing days. He also praised Paris Saint-Germain’s Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and likened him to the legendary wide man.

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• WHAT THEY SAID

  Richards said: "Back in the day when you used to play against [Arjen] Robben, and Ribery, and Gareth Bale. The touch, go, the cross. Honest to God, the game has changed. But I love seeing this guy doing what he is now, because it reminds me of the old school."

  But it wasn’t the content of his analysis that drew the attention – it was the delivery. Instead of pronouncing Ribery’s name with the typical French inflexion, Richards blurted out “Rubery”, a slip-up that instantly triggered laughter from Henry and Abdo.

  Henry corrected him: "It's Ribery. Rib-ery."

  Abdo added: "I made the mistake of looking at Thierry. You know that Thierry is the pronunciation police."

  Unfazed but flustered, Richards attempted to recover – only to fumble the name once again with a now even more exaggerated “Rubbery”, prompting another wave of laughter.

  With the laughter not letting up, Richards threw his hands up in mock frustration. “I can’t say anything on this show!” he exclaimed. "Kate move us on please, before I get cancelled."

Liverpool turn their attention away from the Champions League and back to the Premier League this weekend as they prepare to travel to face Bournemouth away from home.

The Reds are six points clear at the top of the table ahead of their trip to the Vitality Stadium and will go nine points clear with a win over the Cherries, as Arsenal do not play Manchester City until Sunday.

Arne Slot’s side come into this match off the back of a 3-2 defeat to PSV, with a much-changed squad, last time out, but did beat Ipswich 4-1 in their last top-flight clash.

The Reds will be focused on picking up all three points against an in-form Bournemouth team, that beat Nottingham Forest 5-0 next weekend, and there may not be much attention being paid to the January transfer window, which slams shut on Monday.

Slot revealed, in an interview with the BBC, that he is happy with his current squad but that there is work going on behind the scenes to identify targets for the summer window, to ensure that they have enough options to compete on all fronts next season.

This ties in with one of the most recent transfer links that has emerged for the Premier League leaders, as they are reportedly eyeing a player ahead of a move at the end of the season.

Liverpool's interest in Bundesliga starlet

According to BILD reporter Christian Falk, Liverpool are one of a number of clubs keeping an eye on Xavi Simons’ situation with German side RB Leipzig.

The reporter claims that the Reds, Manchester United, and Manchester City are all monitoring the Netherlands international with a view to making a move for him at the end of the 2024/25 campaign.

Falk reports that the three Premier League teams have shown an interest in the Dutch playmaker, despite his permanent transfer to RB Leipzig from Ligue 1 giants Paris Saint-Germain only going through this week.

The German journalist adds that the Bundesliga outfit are willing to listen to offers for the attacking midfielder in the summer transfer window, which will be just five months after their deal to sign him permanently from PSG, having spent the past 18 months on loan with Leipzig.

He also reveals that they would be open to a fee of up to €80m (£67m) for the Dutchman and that his new contract with the German side is due to expire in the summer of 2027.

Transfer Focus

Giving a 21-year-old player of Simons’ talent a two-and-a-half-year contract may indicate that selling him on for a profit has been the plan all along, as it seems strange not to want to tie him down to a four or five-year deal to secure his future at the club.

Signing the Dutch starlet may not be at the top of Liverpool’s agenda for the summer, however, as they still need to agree a new contract with Mohamed Salah.

Why Liverpool have to keep hold of Mo Salah

Speaking ahead of this weekend’s matches, Slot once again confirmed that the club want the Egypt international to put pen to paper on an extension with the Reds, as his current deal is due to expire at the end of the season.

Earlier this month, TEAMtalk reported that Salah wants a three-year extension on £400k-per-week wages, making him the highest earner in the club’s history, and that his preference is to remain at Anfield, but there is yet to be an agreement with Liverpool on those terms.

The board must be as flexible as possible to reach an agreement with Salah and his representatives because there is no getting away from how important he is to Slot.

Goals

19

1st

Assists

13

1st

Key passes per game

2.3

1st

Big chances created

17

1st

Dribbles completed per game

1.7

1st

As you can see in the table above, the former Chelsea and Roma man currently leads the team in pretty much every meaningful attacking statistic, with more goals, assists, ‘big chances’ created, key passes, and dribbles completed than any other player in the squad.

This illustrates just how influential the left-footed forward is for Liverpool and why losing him on a free transfer in the summer would be a huge blow for Slot and the club, which is also why it is so important that they manage to agree a new deal with him.

If the Reds can secure Salah’s long-term future at Anfield then they could also bring in Simons to be a dream addition for the Egyptian star next season and beyond.

Why Xavi Simons would be a dream for Mo Salah

As aforementioned, the Liverpool legend is currently the biggest contributor as both a scorer and a creator of goals in the Premier League for the team this season.

This means that he has to carry the side from a goalscoring and a creative perspective, which may prove to be too much work moving forward – even in the second half of this season – to maintain consistently.

Therefore, signing a player with the quality to take some of that load away from Salah’s shoulders could be a dream for the winger, which is why he could love the addition of Simons from Leipzig in the summer.

The Netherlands international, who analyst Ben Mattinson claimed is “destined for greatness”, has missed 13 games with an ankle injury so far this season, but has still managed four goals and six ‘big chances’ created in 11 appearances in the Bundesliga.

Appearances

32

Goals

8

Big chances created

14

Key passes per game

2.5

Assists

11

As you can see in the table above, Simons was a regular starter for Leipzig in the 2023/24 campaign and showcased his creative quality week-in-week-out in the German top-flight.

The 21-year-old, who can play out wide or in the middle as an attacking midfielder, is a star who has the ability to take on some of the responsibility that Salah currently has creatively, freeing him up to focus more on scoring goals.

Better than Cherki: Liverpool could land "one of the best STs in the world"

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1 ByDan Emery Jan 29, 2025

Simons could, therefore, be a terrific signing for Liverpool to be the creative hub of the team, creating ‘big chances’ and providing key passes consistently to the likes of Salah and Cody Gakpo in the final third.