Bayern Munich wonderkid Lennart Karl has admitted he is learning a lot from star striker and England captain Harry Kane after breaking a Champions League record in the club's win over Sporting CP. The 17-year-old prodigy has been a revelation for Vincent Kompany's side in the 2025-26 campaign and with consistent performances every week, he is closing in on being included in Germany's 2026 World Cup squad.

• Karl broke another record in debut campaign

  On a night when the Bundesliga giants found themselves in a precarious position, trailing 1-0 to Sporting CP at the Allianz Arena after a shock Joshua Kimmich own goal, it was their teenage wonderkid Karl who once again provided the catalyst for a vital 3-1 comeback victory. 

  In doing so, the youngster achieved a feat that eluded even the greatest names in the competition's history at his age. By firing home the decisive goal in the 69th minute, cushioning a Konrad Laimer cross before lashing a finish past Rui Silva, the teenager became the youngest player in Champions League history to score in three consecutive matches, aged just 17 years and 290 days. It is not the first European record he has set during this breakthrough season for the Bavarian giants.  

  After the victory at home, Kompany was all praises for the youngster, as he said: "Lenny is always dangerous. To be totally honest, he's had better games, but four or five times he's always there, and that's also a strength, and then you don't always have to be the best player on the pitch. He gets his moments and then he just kills." 

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  Karl learning from Kane

  After scripting yet another record for the Bavarian giants, Karl credited Bayern star Kane for his dream debut campaign as he told : "It’s so much fun. I’m learning so much with Harry Kane, Joshua Kimmich and everyone around me. It allows me to show my football. They play passes to me, I play passes back – they’re great teammates and that makes it a lot of fun." 

• Karl backed to become a 'German great'

  World Cup-winning, legendary Germany captain Lothar Matthaus heaped praise on Karl and claimed that the teenager has the potential to be a future great for German football. He said to : "He has every opportunity to become a great in German football. He has the right environment at FC Bayern, comes into a functioning team and has already scored important points with his dribbling and self-confidence – also in his interviews. 

  "He's a very big candidate, because players like that, who have something special, are in demand at a tournament like this. These street footballers who don't just let themselves be forced into a system, but also do what they smell and feel at that moment – and that's Lennart Karl." 

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  Will Kane leave Bayern next summer?

  Kane has been linked with a move away from the Allianz Arena next summer, with his current contract reportedly containing a €65 million (57m/$76m) release clause. However, according to , the former Spurs striker won't take up the €65m release clause option and instead wants to sign a contract extension with Bayern. 

  While he is ranked second in the Premier League's all-time goalscoring charts, only 47 behind record holder Alan Shearer, the striker is thought to prefer winning more silverware with Vincent Kompany's Bayern, instead of returning home. Kane famously went through his goal-laden spell with Tottenham without winning a single piece of silverware and then had to wait the better part of two years to claim a trophy with Bayern, eventually getting his hands on the Bundesliga trophy last season. 

Juventus have finally responded to reports of an attempted takeover of the club after cryptocurrency firm, Tether submitted a binding proposal to buy a controlling stake in the Serie A side. Tether proposed to acquire the current owner, Exor’s 65.4 per cent shareholding at a price of €2.66 per share and later intended to launch a public tender for the remaining shares at the same valuation.

Why did Tether want to buy Juventus?

Tether has been associated with Juventus since February 2025 after the company acquired a minority stake in the Turin club and increased its position again in April. By that point, it held 10.12 per cent of Juventus’ shares and more than 6.18 per cent of voting rights. Its growing influence became more tangible in November, when Paolo Garino, a nominee of Tether, was appointed to the Juventus board at the club’s annual general meeting. 

That move was widely interpreted as a signal of longer-term ambitions. In a statement released on Friday evening, Tether confirmed it had submitted an all-cash, binding proposal to Exor by releasing a statement which read: "Tether has submitted a binding all cash proposal to Exor to acquire its entire stake in Juventus Football Club. Subject to regulatory approvals, Tether intends to make a public offer for the remaining shares at the same price, fully funded with its own capital and supported by a long term commitment to the club. This proposal reflects a belief in Juventus as more than a football club. For generations, Juventus has stood for discipline, ambition, and the quiet strength of those who rebuild and move forward, season after season. It is a club that has shaped Italian sporting identity and earned the loyalty of supporters around the world. Our interest in Juventus comes from deep admiration and respect. Juventus is a symbol of Italian excellence with a truly global presence, built over generations through hard work, ambition, and the unwavering loyalty of its supporters. These values mirror how we have built Tether, with patience, independence, and a focus on long term resilience. 

"Tether is in a position of strong financial health and intends to support Juventus with stable capital and a long horizon. Our goal is to contribute positively to the club’s future, to support sporting performance at the highest level, and to help Juventus continue to grow sustainably in a rapidly evolving global sports and media landscape. This proposal is made with humility and a deep sense of responsibility toward the club, its supporters, and its legacy. 

"We believe Juventus’ story is still being written, and that its next chapters can be defined by strength, continuity, and ambition. The proposal contemplates the acquisition of Exor’s shareholding, representing 65.4 percent of Juventus’ issued share capital. Completion of the transaction would be subject to Exor’s acceptance, the execution of definitive documentation, and receipt of required regulatory approvals. Following completion, Tether intends to proceed with a public tender offer for the remaining shares at the same price per share. In the event that the transaction completes, Tether is prepared to invest 1 billion Euros in the support and development of the Club. Tether operates with a long term investment philosophy supported by a strong balance sheet and a focus on building resilient, globally relevant institutions. Further updates will be provided in accordance with applicable laws and regulations."

AdvertisementGettyJuventus breaks silence on takeover rumours

The Italian side has now responded to Tether's proposal, as their statement read: "Exor NV ('Exor' or the 'Company') announces that its Board of Directors has unanimously rejected an unsolicited proposal submitted by Tether Investments, SA de CV ('Tether') to acquire all the shares of Juventus Football Club SpA ('Juventus' or the 'Club') owned by Exor. Exor reaffirms its previous consistent statements that it has no intention of selling any of its Juventus shares to third parties, including but not limited to El Salvador-based Tether. Juventus is a historic and successful club, of which Exor and the Agnelli family have been stable and proud shareholders for over a century, and they remain fully committed to the Club, supporting its new management team in executing a clear strategy to deliver strong results both on and off the pitch."

Agnelli family's long-standing relationship with Juventus

Juventus has been under the control of the Agnelli family since 1923, making them the longest-standing owners in world football. Across generations, the family transformed the Bianconeri into Serie A’s most successful club, winning the league 36 times, which is 16 more than their closest domestic rivals Inter. Given their history with the club, it was obvious they won't entertain takeover talks from any parties. 

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AFPWhat comes next for Juventus?

Luciano Spalletti's side, who have endured a difficult start to their 2025-26 campaign, will be back in Serie A on Sunday night as they take on Bologna away from home. 

The 2025 MLB season is set for the second half after the All-Star break, which makes it the perfect time to look back at the biggest stories of the offseason.

This past winter saw a number of massive signings and trades that reshaped the league. Since we have a pretty good idea how a lot of those deals have turned out already, here are our grades for the biggest moves of the offseason:

Mets sign Juan Soto

The biggest story of the offseason was Soto’s decision to sign the largest contract in professional sports history with the Mets. The four-time All-Star landed a 15-year, $765 million deal but opened the season slowly. After that uncharacteristic start, he began to come on in June and now looks like himself. Since May 31, Soto is slashing .311/.456/.674 with 15 home runs, 30 RBIs and a 1.130 OPS. That explosion helped him become the National League Player of the Month in June.

While Soto has rounded into form, his fWAR (2.9) ranks 28th among MLB hitters, which holds this grade down. He’s 11th among hitters in WAR (3.9), so that metric seems to like him more, and his 155 wRC+ ranks seventh.

Check back at the end of the season; it’s highly likely this grade will be higher.

Grade: B

Cubs trade for Kyle Tucker

The Cubs made the biggest trade of the offseason, landing Kyle Tucker from the Houston Astros. The 28-year-old outfielder has been excellent for his new team, slashing .280/.384/.499 with 17 home runs, 56 RBIs and an OPS of .882. His 4.0 WAR ranks fourth in the NL, and he’s helped lead Chicago to the top of the National League. Sounds like a huge win, right? Well, not completely.

To land Tucker, the Cubs had to surrender a lot of talent and it’s looking like this could be a deal that helps both franchises. The Astros received Isaac Paredes, 2024 first-round pick Cam Smith and righty Hayden Wesneski. While Wesneski underwent Tommy John surgery in May, Paredes made the All-Star team and Smith debuted and has surprised as a rookie. Paredes has produced 2.6 WAR and Smith is up to 2.2.

While Tucker is set to hit free agency this winter and is looking at a massive payday, Houston will have Paredes for two more years and Smith is under team control through 2030. The Cubs did well to get Tucker, but the Astros did better as of now.

Cubs grade: B+
Astros grade: A

Yankees sign Max Fried

The Yankees made a splash after losing Soto by inking Fried to the biggest contract ever for a lefthanded pitcher. His eight-year, $218 million deal sent the message that New York was still open for business. The 31-year-old has been worth it so far.

Fried finished the first half at 11-3 with a 2.43 ERA, a 1.01 WHIP, and 113 strikeouts against 27 walks in 122 innings. He’s tied for the MLB lead in wins, his 2.9 fWAR ranks sixth in the American League and his FIP (3.02) is tied for fourth in the AL. Most importantly, Fried stepped in as the Yankees’ ace with Gerrit Cole out for the season following Tommy John surgery. He has taken on that mantle and run with it.

Fried made his third All-Star team and has cemented himself as New York’s ace entering the second half.

Grade: A-

Diamondbacks sign Corbin Burnes

The Diamondbacks went big when they signed Burnes to a six-year, $210 million contract. By landing the former NL Cy Young Award winner, Arizona signaled its intention to compete in the NL West after a disappointing 2024 campaign. It didn’t take long for disaster to strike. 

Burnes pitched 11 games, going 3-2 with a 2.66 ERA, a 1.17 WHIP and 63 strikeouts in 64 ⅓ innings. Unfortunately, he left his June 1 start with elbow discomfort. A few days later the Diamondbacks announced Burnes would undergo Tommy John surgery and miss the rest of the season.

Since Burnes will miss the bulk of the 2025 campaign, this move gets an incomplete grade.

Grade: Incomplete

Red Sox trade for Garrett Crochet

In need of a true ace for the top of their rotation, the Red Sox swung big and landed Garrett Crochet from the Chicago White Sox on Dec. 11. They gave up prospects Kyle Teel, Braden Montgomery, Chase Meidroth and Wikelman Gonzalez to get the All-Star lefty, then turned around and handed him a six-year, $170 million extension. It was a huge risk for a pitcher with massive upside who had struggled with injuries and had yet to top 146 innings in a season.

So far, the deal has been a great one for Boston. Crochet was named to his second consecutive All-Star team after finishing the first half 10-4, with a 2.23 ERA, 1.04 WHIP and an MLB-leading 160 strikeouts in 129 ⅓ innings. He is building off of his breakout 2024 campaign. He’s currently second in MLB in fWAR among pitchers (4.3) and the 26-year-old is Tarik Skubal’s only real competition for the AL Cy Young award. Only Crochet’s well-documented injury history keeps me from going higher.

Grade: B+

Giants sign Willy Adames

In a move that felt like a franchise reaching, desperate to land any kind of free agent hitter, the Giants threw $182 million over seven years at Adames this offseason. The 29-year-old had been good with the Milwaukee Brewers over the past few years but his 32-home run 2024 campaign felt like a classic contract year performance.

Adames’s overall numbers look pretty grim through 96 games he’s slashing .220/.307/.373 with 12 home runs and 48 RBIs. His WAR (0.9) and fWAR (1.5) don’t look good, nor does his wRC+ of 94. But there may be hope on the horizon. Since June 22, Adames has ticked up a bit. In that time he’s slashing .286/.370/.529, with four home runs and 16 RBIs. It’s a small sample size that includes a BABIP of .356, so it may not actually be much of a turnaround, but it’s something. Giants fans can dream on the .899 OPS in that stretch as they prepare for the second half.

It’s possible with Rafael Devers now in the lineup the pressure will come off Adames and he’ll flourish, but as of now his contract looks rough.

Grade: D

Blake Snell, Roki Sasaki sign with Dodgers

We’re lumping these together because of the results. Sasaki was one of the most coveted free agents of the offseason due to his stuff and potential at 23 years old. There were warning signs during his last season in Japan that he might be injured as his velocity ticked down. There may have been something to that.

After eight starts, in which he went 1-1 with a 4.72 ERA, a 1.49 WHIP and 24 strikeouts against 22 walks in 34 ⅓ innings, Sasaki was shut down with a shoulder injury. He began throwing again before being shut down once more, and there is no timetable for him to pick up a baseball again.

Snell was a massive offseason signing. The Dodgers made the former NL Cy Young Award winner a priority and inked him to a five-year, $182 million deal in November. Unfortunately, they have gotten a total of nine innings out of him due to a shoulder injury. Snell has made two starts this season, and is 1-0 with a 2.00 ERA but, again, has only thrown nine innings so the stats are meaningless. The 32-year-old has been back throwing and could head out on a rehab assignment soon. 

Given how high-profile the Snell and Sasaki signings have been, it’s remarkable the Dodgers have only gotten 43 ⅓ innings out of the two high-end hurlers. We don’t know what to make of either deal yet.

Grade: Incomplete

Red Sox sign Alex Bregman

The Red Sox waited out the market and signed Alex Bregman to a three-year, $120 million deal in February. It’s been a solid addition, despite some drama. Bregman missed the end of May and all of June due to a quad injury, but when he’s been active he’s been excellent.

In 53 games this season, Bregman is slashing .298/.380/.546, with 11 home runs and 35 RBIs. His .927 OPS and wRC+ of 153 would both be his best since 2019. The downside of Bregman’s signing was the fact that it started the sequence of events that led to Rafael Devers being traded to the Giants. Oh, and Bregman can opt-out after this season, and he may do it if he continues to put up great numbers.

In a vacuum, the signing was a good one, though Bregman missing 45 games dulls its shine a bit.

Grade: B

Pakistan, meanwhile, set a couple of follow-on records in a high-scoring second Test in Cape Town

Shubh Agarwal06-Jan-20257 – With the win at Newlands, South Africa have registered seven consecutive Test wins. It is their second-longest streak of wins behind their nine in a row in the 2002-03 season, which also involved two home Tests against Pakistan. On the flip side, this was Pakistan’s ninth consecutive Test defeat in South Africa – the longest streak for any team in South Africa. Bangladesh have lost all their eight Tests here while South Africa themselves lost their first eight Tests at home back in the 19th century.3 – It was only the third time in Test history that a team knocked off a first-innings deficit of 400 or more. The previous two instances feature Pakistan overcoming a 473-run deficit against West Indies in 1958 and South Africa getting past a deficit of exactly 400 against Australia in 2002.478 – Pakistan’s second-innings total is the second highest by any team following-on and ending up on the losing side. The highest is India’s 510 in the follow-on against England at Leeds in 1967.ESPNcricinfo Ltd1348 – The most runs scored in a Test match in South Africa since the Cape Town Test against England in 2016.145 – Shan Masood now has the highest individual score by a Pakistan batter in South Africa. He surpassed Azhar Mahmood’s 136 in Johannesburg in 1998.54 – Kagiso Rabada completed an unfortunate fifty on day four, bowling his 50th no-ball in this World Test Championship (WTC) cycle. The next on the list is Alzarri Joseph with 35 no-balls. In the Newlands Test alone, Rabada bowled 17 no-balls with 13 coming in the second innings.4 – It was only the fourth time in the 21st century that three or more South African bowlers had conceded over 100 runs in an innings in a home Test. Rabada, Marco Jansen and Keshav Maharaj all gave away over a 100 runs in the second innings. The last time this happened was also in Cape Town, against England in 2016. Overall, South Africa have suffered this fate 14 times in their 254 home Tests.

تحدثت صحف نيوزيلندا عن مواجهة منتخب مصر في بطولة كأس العالم، نسخة 2026، وذلك حسب القرعة التي تمت اليوم في مركز “جون كينيدي” في الولايات المتحدة الأمريكية.

وتستضيف كل من الولايات المتحدة الأمريكية، كندا والمكسيك نهائيات النسخة المقبلة من بطولة كأس العالم، في الفترة بين 11 يونيو و19 يوليو.

وتُعد تلك هي النسخة الأولى من بطولة كأس العالم، بعد استحداث نظامها، حيث سيشارك فيها 48 منتخبًا، سيتم تقسيمهم على 12 مجموعة، ويتأهل متصدر ووصيف كل مجموعة إلى دور الـ32، بالإضافة إلى أفضل 8 منتخبات في مركز ثالث.

وشهدت القرعة تواجد كل من: بلجيكا، مصر، إيران ونيوزيلندا في المجموعة السابعة في بطولة كأس العالم الصيف المقبل (لمطالعة التفاصيل كاملة عن القرعة من هنا).

وقالت صحيفة “rnz” النيوزيلندية: “وُضعت نيوزيلندا ضمن أسهل المجموعات الاثنتي عشرة في بطولة العالم العام المقبل، على الرغم من أنها ستظل من غير المرشحين للتأهل إلى مرحلة خروج المغلوب لأول مرة في تاريخها، لقد تجنبت نيوزيلندا بعضًا من الفرق الكبيرة في كرة القدم، لكنها ستواجه صعوبة بالغة في مواجهة بلجيكا، المصنفة ثامنًا، وإيران، المصنفة 20، ومصر، المصنفة 34”.

وأضافت: “صُنفت مصر من بين أقوى الفرق في المستوى الثالث، مما يعني أنه لا يوجد فريق يقارب نيوزيلندا في ترتيبها المتدني نسبيًا، ولعب منتخب نيوزيلندا ضد مصر في مارس من العام الماضي، وخسر بنتيجة 1-0 في مباراة تنافسية في القاهرة حُسمت بركلة جزاء مثيرة للجدل، على الرغم من أن الفريق الإفريقي كان بدون نجمه محمد صلاح، مهاجم ليفربول”.

في حين قالت صحيفة “1news” بعد القرعة: “سيواجه منتخب نيوزيلندا بلجيكا ومصر وإيران في كأس العالم 2026! لقد احتفظوا بأفضل ما لديهم للنهاية، حيث كانت نيوزيلندا آخر منتخب تم سحب ورقته، ستكون بلجيكا، المصنفة ثامنًا، خصمًا صعبًا للنيوزيلنديين، لكن من بين فرق المستوى الأول، هذه ليست أسوأ قرعة، بينما سيواجه محمد صلاح، جناح مصر وليفربول، منتخب نيوزيلندا في المجموعة نفسها”.

بينما قالت صحيفة “thepress” عن القرعة نفسها: “سيخوض منتخب نيوزيلندا مواجهات قوية مع بلجيكا ومصر وإيران في كأس العالم لكرة القدم العام المقبل، حيث سيواجه إيران أولًا يوم 16 يونيو ثم مصر 22 وبلجيكا 27”.

Taylor Rogers had an extremely short-lived tenure in Pittsburgh.

Just one day after being sent from the Reds to the Pirates in a package that saw Ke'Bryan Hayes go to Cincinnati, Rogers has now been traded to the Chicago Cubs, according to Ken Rosenthal.

It's been quite the few days for Rogers, who also saw himself traded on the same day as his twin brother, Tyler, on Wednesday.

Rogers is an MLB journeyman having logged stints with the Minnesota Twins, San Diego Padres, Milwaukee Brewers, San Francisco Giants, the Reds, the Pirates and now the Cubs. The 34-year-old was an All-Star in 2021 has posted a 2.45 ERA with 34 strikeouts in 33 innings of relief this season. He now heads to a Cubs team sitting at 63–45, one game behind the Milwaukee Brewers in the NL Central.

Where the Yankees go, calamity seems to follow.

While New York is still battling to get back atop the AL East standings, they have displayed some mental mistakes over recent games that have fans shaking their heads in dismay. Manager Aaron Boone has been doing what he can to keep things together, especially regarding Anthony Volpe’s recent spat of fielding errors, but after Austin Wells’s miscue on Wednesday night, it’s going to be a tough post-game press conference.

Wells was on first base with one out in the bottom of the ninth and the Yankees tied up with the Rays, 3–3. The Yanks’ tying run had come courtesy of a Volpe homer earlier in the inning, and the team was on the verge of walking the night off in feel-good fashion and hopefully turning the page to brighter days.

At the plate, Trent Grisham laid down a bunt as well as you can do it, advancing Wells to second base with two outs, and putting the Yankees just one hit away from taking the win.

But Wells didn’t stay on second. Instead, he wandered off the base, appearing to believe that Grisham’s out at first had ended the inning. He was caught in a run-down, clearly confused, and the inning was mercifully over.

Wells’s mistake is just an indictment of the Yankees’ fundamentals. You simply always have to know how many outs there are in the inning. Further, if your team had two outs and a man on first base, THEY WOULD NOT BE BUNTING TO GET YOU OVER TO SECOND BASE!!!

Fans online expressed their disbelief at Wells’s lack of awareness.

Luckily for the Yankees, this time they escaped, pulling out the win with a walk-off in the 11th inning.

But while leaving with the W makes for a good night, it’s clear New York has to figure something out and get these small mistakes out of their system if they want to make a run in the postseason.

MatériaMais Notícias

Enquanto espera o gramado do Allianz Parque ser totalmente reformado para poder voltar a mandar jogos em sua arena, o Palmeiras foi surpreendido com um evento marcado para o estádio neste próximo sábado (16).

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➡️ Tudo sobre o Verdão agora no WhatsApp. Siga o nosso novo canal Lance! Palmeiras

O ‘Dia de Craque’, evento organizado pela empresa que cuida do tour do Allianz Parque, estava marcado para acontecer neste sábado, com a presença dos ex-jogadores Euller e Paulo Nunes.

Torcedores do Palmeiras podem comprar a experiência de ser jogador por um dia e jogar uma ‘pelada’ no gramado sagrado do atual bicampeão brasileiro.

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O fato não foi bem digerido tanto pela cúpula do Verdão quanto os torcedores alviverdes, que se sentiram revoltados com a superficiária do estádio, uma vez que o clube não atua em casa há mais de um mês e meio.

Segundo o jornalista Danilo Lavieri, do UOL, Leila Pereira ficou muito irritada e na visão da dirigente, isso mostra como a W Torre não está nem aí para o torcedor do Palmeiras e também para o futebol que é praticado no estádio, e sim só se mostra preocupada com os eventos e shows que são realizados no novo Palestra Itália.

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➡️ Veja confrontos do mata-mata do Paulistão

A repercussão do Dia de Craque foi tão ruim que a W Torre decidiu cancelar o evento e ele deve ser realizado somente após o Verdão voltar pra casa e o novo gramado estar 100% liberado para jogos oficiais ou amistosos na casa alviverde.

Liverpool have much to sort out over the coming weeks.

It’s perhaps a measure of the club’s reputation and the expectation that comes with their football that three defeats in succession have been met with such hysteria from outside and dismay from within.

But Liverpool sit just one point behind Premier League leaders Arsenal, and Arne Slot demonstrated last season, when he led the Reds to the title, his ability to overcome obstacles and create a formidable system.

But after such heavy expenditure, the scrutiny is on the Anfield side.

The players will no doubt have been remonstrated for their error-strewn performances, a consistent problem throughout the campaign, but there’s no question the system needs oiling besides.

Defence, in particular, has been a pressure point for the outfit this season, and all is not right within Virgil van Dijk’s domain.

The state of play in Liverpool's defence

All is not right. Imbalanced and bereft of confidence at the back, Liverpool are littering their displays with mistakes. At the epicentre is Ibrahima Konate, who is out of contract at the end of the campaign and wanted by Real Madrid. The France international’s performances have led Sky Sports’ Jamie Carragher to brand him as “absolutely shocking”.

And Van Dijk is not infallible. The legendary Dutchman turned 34 this summer, and while he has still been monstrous as Liverpool’s captain and defensive leader, against Chelsea, he flattered to deceive, with GOAL writing of his faults during both of the Blues’ goals and giving him a 4/10 match rating.

Leoni’s long-term injury is a cruel one; after FSG failed in their late-window bid to sign Marc Guehi from Crystal Palace, Liverpool’s centre-half options were already limited, and the young Italian might have earned his fair share of chances to impress.

Now, Slot’s central defensive line is somewhat threadbare, and the rumour mill is already churning, with Borussia Dortmund’s Nico Schlotterbeck emerging as a target. However, Sky Germany have since put a dampener on that budding saga, with Bayern Munich’s interest building.

While there’s an anticipation lingering over Liverpool’s interest in Guehi, who becomes a free agent at the end of the season, many feel January reinforcements are needed if the squad are to compete for silverware across the different shoots.

Well, Liverpool might actually have an academy star, gunning for a first-team spot at Anfield, with the quality and confidence to play a part at the senior level this season.

The Liverpool teen who can fix Konate & Leoni blow

Last season, Slot showed he was willing to promote youth at Liverpool when unleashing teenage defender Amara Nallo in the Champions League. But Nallo suffered a nightmarish senior bow, sent off during that defeat to PSV Eindhoven.

Nallo hasn’t featured since, but in Wellity Lucky, Liverpool might find another up-and-coming talent who could earn his keep in Slot’s system this season.

Lucky, 19, is a core member of Rob Page’s U21 set-up, and he has captained the team once already this season. No doubt, the youth has looked at Jarell Quansah’s own ascension from the Reds academy and believes he can emulate his countryman, now playing for Bayer Leverkusen in Germany.

Born in Spain, Lucky has been capped for England U16s but remains open to either nationality as his career progresses. He left Real Zaragoza’s youth academy aged 13 and signed for Liverpool, since featuring 27 times for the U18s and 28 times for the U21s.

Journalist Bence Bocsak has already singled out the “highly-rated” prospect for praise, commenting that he is “composed on the ball” and boasted the highest pass completion of any Liverpool U21 player last season.

It was only this summer that the rising star was awarded a new three-year contract with the club, and the expectation is that he will earn a chance at getting some minutes at the highest level with a continuation of hard work and promising performances.

It was only this week that Lucky stood out for the U21s in their 2-0 EFL Trophy defeat to Crewe Alexandra. Lose though they did, he produced an impressive performance at the back, and Slot may well have taken note.

Wellity Lucky vs Crewe
Stats	#
Minutes played	90′
Touches	111
Accurate passes	88/94 (94%)
Possession lost	7x
Chances created	1
Dribbles	2/2
Recoveries	6
Tackles won	3/4
Interceptions	2
Clearances	2
Duels won	6/6
Data via Sofascore

It’s particularly interesting to note Lucky won all six of his contested ground duels, underscoring his natural composure and timing. Moreover, that crisp possessional play was on full show, with 94% of his passes completed against the League Two opponents.

This all points toward a potential future in Slot’s senior set-up. Liverpool may well be reaching a point at which left-field solutions are required to see the club through to the end of the campaign, and Jurgen Klopp’s success with the aforementioned Quansah emphasises the gains that can be found in adding a youth talent to the ranks when alternative, senior options have been exhausted.

With Konate sent home early from international duty with France this month after sustaining a slight injury issue during the loss at Chelsea the other week, Joe Gomez may be called upon for the forthcoming Premier League meeting with Manchester United.

Gomez is a seasoned professional, but what about the bench? Might Lucky find himself taking a seat among his senior peers? Certainly, it would be a steep risk to throw him right in at the deep end, but the teenager’s underlying data and the noise around his name suggest he might just provide the depth and quality required over the campaign – and maybe beyond.

Their answer to Semenyo: Liverpool have a future "best winger in the world"

Liverpool have so much talent within Arne Slot’s squad.

By
Angus Sinclair

Oct 16, 2025

It is hard not to feel a little bit sorry for Leeds United head coach Daniel Farke after his side’s lack of potency in the final third cost them against Burnley on Saturday.

The Championship champions were beaten 2-0 at Turf Moor by their fellow newly-promoted side after a two-week break for international duty, but it was far from a comfortable win for the home team.

Possession

31%

69%

Shots

4

19

Shots on target

3

4

xG

0.45

2.63

Big chances

1

4

Goalkeeper saves

4

1

Passes

292

615

As you can see in the table above, Leeds created 2.63 xG worth of chances and four ‘big chances’ to find the back of the net against Burnley, and they were unable to score a single goal.

Brenden Aaronson and Jayden Bogle, in particular, missed two very presentable opportunities to score, whilst Jack Harrison also blazed a good opening well over the bar.

Reporter Graham Smyth noted after deadline day that the club did not give Farke the attacking signings that he wanted in the transfer window, and the lack of quality in the final third is now costing the team.

On the flip side of that, though, the club did make plenty of defensive signings to bolster the squad, and the head coach picked Pascal Struijk in spite of his recent struggles.

Why Leeds should drop Pascal Struijk

Ahead of the trip to Burnley, Football FanCast suggested that the Dutch central defender should be on borrowed time if he flops against the Clarets, because of his form of late.

He was too easily beaten for both of the goals against Tottenham Hotspur in the last match before the break, as he gave Mathys Tel and Mohammed Kudus too much time and space to get their shots off.

Leeds paid £15m to sign Jaka Bijol from Udinese in the summer, seemingly to improve their defence, yet he has been an unused substitute in every single Premier League match this season.

Appearances

8

34

Tackles per game

0.8

1.3

Interceptions per game

0.3

1.1

Duels won per game

3.9

4.7

Ground duel success rate

50%

43%

Aerial duel success rate

49%

67%

As you can see in the table above, Bijol’s performances in the Serie A last season suggest that he would be a defensive upgrade on Struijk for the Whites.

The £50k-per-week Dutch defender seemed to get caught under the flight of the ball for the first goal, with a lack of communication between him and Joe Rodon, which gave Burnley a lead to hold on to.

Struijk’s aerial struggles were a theme throughout the 90 minutes on Saturday. Per Sofascore, the left-footed dud won just seven of his 13 aerial contests, which shows that he was too easily beaten in the air, something Bijol’s stats suggest he would not be.

This is why Farke should drop the Dutchman for the former Udinese colossus when West Ham United come to Elland Road in the next match.

Chalkboard

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

Struijk is not the only player who should be dropped from the starting line-up because of their performance against Burnley, though, as Karl Darlow should also be removed from the side.

Why Leeds should drop Karl Darlow

The Wales international should finally be dropped from the team because of a string of shot-stopping performances that have not been up to the level of the Premier League.

There was not much that he could have done to save the header for the opening goal, but it was his misplaced kick that went straight out of play that Burnley created the cross for the goal from.

The second strike from Loum Tchaouna was an absolute screamer, at first glance. It was an impressive hit, there is no doubt about that, but on further inspection, Darlow could have done better. The ball went into the net roughly two yards inside the post but the goalkeeper could not move his feet to stretch and get his hand to it.

He was even worse than Struijk, who at least won five of his six ground duels and made four clearances (Sofascore), and should be in danger of losing his place in the side.

Per Sofascore, Darlow has conceded 2.69 more goals than expected across five appearances in the Premier League this season, which shows that he has significantly underperformed as a shot-stopper for the Whites.

The Welshman did put in an impressive display against Wolves, as shown in the clips above, but he has struggled in the matches since that win in the Midlands.

Former England, Norwich, and Southampton goalkeeper coach Dave Watson criticised Darlow’s performance against Spurs before the international break and suggested that he is “never going to push on” to help Leeds stay in the division, comparing his performance to Guglielmo Vicario’s.

Unfortunately for Darlow, Lucas Perri returned to the bench against Burnley after coming back from his injury setback, which means that Farke now has the player he signed to be his number one in the summer available to him.

Saves

119

Top 19%

Save percentage

72.5%

Top 31%

Goals prevented

6.05

Top 22%

Clean sheets

10

Top 16%

Acted as sweeper

12

Top 25%

High claims

26

Top 28%

As you can see in the table above, the Brazilian shot-stopper was one of the top-performing goalkeepers in Ligue 1 last season, with outstanding shot-stopping, sweeping, and cross-claiming.

Perri did not have the best start to the Premier League season, conceding 1.99 more goals than expected across three matches (Sofascore), but he did have to play against Arsenal in a 5-0 loss to the league leaders in those three games.

Farke must now finally drop Darlow from the XI after his recent struggles to bring the summer signing from Lyon back into the team, in the hope that he can finally translate his Ligue 1 performances over to the Premier League.

Their answer to Saka: Leeds now have "one of England's best prospects"

Leeds United have a teen star in their academy who could emerge as their own Bukayo Saka-type player.

ByDan Emery Oct 15, 2025

Farke can feel sorry for himself because of the lack of quality in the final third, as a result of the lack of recruitment in the summer, but he has the defensive and goalkeeper options to change things ahead of the clash with West Ham, and he needs to use them.