Celtic are in the process of making some significant moves this summer and look to have reignited their interest in an exciting attacker, according to a report.
Celtic searching for attackers to offer final third variation
Brendan Rodgers opted to operate with Daizen Maeda and Adam Idah as central options during the second half of last campaign, taking a look at the market before deciding to stick rather than twist in January.
However, Celtic are set to conclude a deal for Fulham youngster Callum Osmand after the Wales international turned down the opportunity to sign professional terms at Craven Cottage, offering an alternative threat through the middle.
Nevertheless, Frank McAvennie believes the Bhoys should offer a shock deal to Jamie Vardy amid their efforts to strengthen across the front four positions, with free agent Danny Ings also recommended by the former Scotland international.
The ex-Celtic explained: “Vardy. I would take Vardy. I know they are talking about him going to Rangers, but I would take Vardy at Celtic.
“They (Vardy and Danny Ings) are goal scorers. Two of them are goal scorers. They are just natural predators. Get them up here. Good names.”
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While it feels unlikely that either of the duo mentioned would arrive north of the border, there is an appetite for another striker and winger at a minimum to bolster squad depth.
Marco Tilio’s return from Melbourne City could also intrigue Celtic, but it has always felt likely that the Bhoys will dip into the market to acquire new creative threats.
Speaking of which, Rodgers’ men have now reportedly opened talks with a familiar target as they look to push a deal over the line, per recent developments.
Celtic hold discussions to sign Michel-Ange Balikwisha
According to Sacha Tavolieri on X, Celtic have made contact and opened discussions with Michel-Ange Balikwisha’s camp to begin ‘new discussions regarding personal terms’ involving the Royal Antwerp man.
Retaining an interest in the former Belgium Under-21 international since last summer, further updates are expected on his future in the coming days as Rodgers looks to land his man.
Labelled “unpredictable” by Ben Mattinson, Balikwisha is someone the Irishman has personally expressed an interest in signing and his small sample size on the pitch over the campaign has illustrated why.
Despite having injury issues, the 24-year-old registered four goals and three assists in 18 matches across all competitions. Valued at roughly £4.2 million by Transfermarkt, it remains to be seen what the ballpark figure is for Celtic to secure his services.
Tottenham Hotspur have made contact over signing an “outrageous” forward as chairman Daniel Levy and the Spurs recruitment team consider a potential bargain summer deal, with his mooted price tag called “too good to be true”.
Tottenham target new forward amid Ange Postecoglou uncertainty
Ange Postecoglou’s full focus is on their looming Europa League final clash against Man United on May 21 – an encounter which could single-handedly rescue Spurs’ season from the depths of despair.
Tottenham hold talks with big-name coach who Benitez thinks is very clever
He’d be an ideal replacement for Postecoglou.
1 ByEmilio Galantini May 14, 2025
Qualification for next season’s Champions League, not to mention Tottenham’s first major trophy in over 17 years, is on the line against United with both sides looking to end their dismal campaigns in the best possible fashion.
Reports claim Postecoglou is highly likely to leave Spurs regardless of whether they win the final in Bilbao (David Ornstein), but the Australian could still etch his name into history by becoming the first Lilywhites boss to win a trophy in nearly two decades.
Tottenham’s best-performing regulars in the Premier League
Average match rating
Son Heung-min
7.05
Pedro Porro
6.98
James Maddison
6.98
Dominic Solanke
6.88
Dejan Kulusevski
6.83
via WhoScored
He could also fulfill his early-season pledge of ‘always’ winning silverware during his second season in charge, so a lot is personally riding on the line for Postecoglou, even if a departure from N17 seems more and more inevitable.
The 59-year-old’s future will have a knock-on effect when it comes to Levy’s transfer plans for the fast-approaching summer window, and it is believed that Tottenham are targeting a new forward among their recruitment priorities.
Liverpool forward Federico Chiesa is apparently attracting interest from Spurs, while Man City playmaker James McAtee is another attacker admired by Tottenham. Both players are not expected to break the bank in terms of cost, amid claims Tottenham are set for a ‘sell to buy’ summer (The Telegraph).
However, one very highly-rated forward, and one who could be one of the bargains of 2025, is Lyon star Rayan Cherki.
Tottenham make contact over signing Rayan Cherki this summer
The Frenchman has bagged 12 goals and 18 assists across his total appearances in Ligue 1 and the Europa League this term, marking himself out as a star player for Lyon, but his contract is said to include a tantalising £19 million release clause.
That is according to Le Parisien, who also report that Tottenham have made contact over a move for Cherki, alongside some Premier League rivals.
Rayan Cherki
The 21-year-old falls into Spurs’ recruitment policy perfectly, given he’s young with world-class potential at a very reasonable value. Cherki will surely be a player in very high demand this summer, with journalist Dean Jones previously explaining why clubs need to consider swooping for him.
“Rayan Cherki, who is just absolutely unbelievable,” said Jones on the Ranks FC Ultras Podcast (via TBR). “You see figures around Cherki and there’s like 25 million pounds talked about, which just seems like too good to be true. He’s just different, this player.
“If you haven’t seen Cherki play, then just either stop the pod and go and watch him on YouTube for 10 minutes and then come back or just go watch him while we’re talking right now. Because his skill level is outrageous. He feels like he could become one of the best players in the world.”
Given Cherki’s mooted fee has now dropped below £25m to £19m, it makes Jones’ statement all the more relevant, and we wouldn’t be at all surprised to see him emerge as a top target for Levy.
Before Thursday’s first-leg Europa League clash with Lyon, many of a Manchester United persuasion would have been more than happy to have secured a draw ahead of next week’s return fixture at Old Trafford, with such a result on the road ensuring that Ruben Amorim’s men remain in control of proceedings.
Having ultimately played out a 2-2 stalemate with the Ligue 1 side, however, the overriding feeling is one of deflation, with the hosts snatching a draw right at the death following last-gasp heroics from Rayan Cherki.
Andre Onana
The majestic playmaker pounced on Andre Onana’s mistake – not the Cameroonian’s first of the night – to level things up in the fifth minute of stoppage time, with it having initially looked like Joshua Zirkzee’s late header would be enough to seal the win for the Red Devils.
Frustratingly, there is still work to do next week when the two sides meet again, with Amorim left to ponder his selection decisions for that second-leg, as well as for Sunday’s trip to St James’ Park.
A raft of changes could well be on the cards, and not just due to rotation.
Man Utd's worst performers against Lyon
The obvious place to start is, of course, with that man Onana, with the 28-year-old ending proceedings as he began the night – dominating the headlines.
After his war of words with former United star, Nemanja Matic, the ex-Inter stopper needed to put in a serene display up against the French outfit to back up his pre-match verbals. Sadly for Amorim and for Onana, he did anything but.
At fault for both of the hosts’ goals on the night, the one-time Ajax hero has now made more errors than any another Premier League goalkeeper in all competitions, since the start of last season, having endured a wretched two-year spell at the Theatre of Dreams.
Arijanet Muric
5
Robert Sanchez
5
Bart Verbruggen
4
Andre Onana
3
Alphonse Areola
2
Alex McCarthy
2
Nick Pope
2
Ederson
2
Not that Onana was alone in having another off night on Thursday evening, with Rasmus Hojlund fluffing an effort wide and registering just 11 touches in total, before being hooked on the hour mark.
In between the two, Manuel Ugarte once again failed to last the full 90 minutes following a largely frustrating performance, with the Uruguayan – who can at least claim the assist for Leny Yoro’s equaliser – winning just two of his six duels, while being the recipient of a needless yellow card.
There will likely be calls for that trio to be replaced with the likes of Altay Bayindir, Mason Mount and the aforementioned Zirkzee moving forward, while young Alejandro Garnacho is another who could be in the firing line.
The Man Utd man who was outclassed by Cherki
Despite slipping to a draw at the death, United may feel as if they are still well-placed to progress – that is unless Cherki has something to say about it.
Rayan Cherki
Indeed, the 21-year-old Frenchman was a real shining light on the night for the home side, having deservedly stolen the acclaim with his late dink over Onana, after smartly pouncing on the goalkeeper’s errant parry.
Widely touted as the heir to Karim Benzema for both club and country, the fleet-footed forward almost strolled through the game with consummate ease, having notably racked up four key passes in total – more than any other player on the pitch.
Performance in Numbers
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The local hero also successfully completed four of his attempted dribbles amid his desire to provide that attacking spark for his side, with such a performance looking completely at odds with United’s own rising star, Garnacho.
While the Argentine did end the night with a 100% pass accuracy, his showing was summed up by his poor decision-making on the counter late on, having failed to pick out the advancing Zirkzee, before firing in a wayward pass to the stretching Bruno Fernandes.
Minutes played
90
83
Touches
72
32
Pass accuracy
88%
100%
Key passes
4
1
Big chances created
0
0
Goals
1
0
Assists
0
0
Successful dribbles
4/7
0/0
Total duels won
6/12
3/8
Possession lost
17x
8x
Operating on the right of the front three, the 20-year-old – who actually had fewer touches than Onana recorded in the sticks (35) – had little joy in an attacking sense, albeit while picking out Fernandes in the first half with a clever pull-back.
The Spain-born speedster did also have the chance to net himself at the backpost in the second half, following a fine cross from Patrick Dorgu, yet – as has been the norm of late – he simply couldn’t convert the chance.
Alejandro Garnacho
Still with just two goals to his name under Amorim, Garnacho’s suitability to this 3-4-3 system remains up for debate, with MEN journalist Samuel Luckhurst handing him just a 5/10 match rating, while writing that his ‘end product was often lacking’.
Despite just a slight age difference between the pair, there appeared to be a real gulf in quality and class between Garnacho and Cherki, with the latter man looking like the type of figure who would relish the role in one of the two number ten berths.
It is for no reason that teammate and ex-Arsenal man Ainsley Maitland-Niles has lauded Cherki as the “best natural talent [he’s] ever seen”, with Garnacho, by contrast, looking as if he’s not even fit to lace the Lyon man’s boots.
Can that all change at Old Trafford next week?
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Man Utd are seeking potential alternatives to Matheus Cunha this summer
In the end the target was well out of reach for Hong Kong but there are greater challenges ahead
Danyal Rasool10-Sep-20251:36
Mukund: Dropped catches a concern for Afghanistan
While Pakistan have five days between the final of the tri-series on Sunday and their first game in the Asia Cup on Friday, Afghanistan did not get that luxury. Less than 48 hours after a humbling defeat in that game, they lined up for the tournament opener of the biggest T20I competition this year.They were aware that, bunched together in a group with Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, defeat against Hong Kong would put them on the brink of elimination as soon as the tournament began. They needed to shake the early nerves off, but four balls into the game, Sediqullah Atal nicked Hong Kong seamer Ayush Shukla to first slip.It felt like a continuation of their horror run with the bat from two days earlier and a hundred miles further north, when Afghanistan folded for 66. But this is a new tournament, and it brought with it better fortune for the Afghans. Captain Yasim Murtaza put the sitter down, and it would be two hours before Atal walked off: not as a man vanquished, but one who had batted through his side’s innings, scoring an unbeaten 73 off 52 as Afghanistan ran up an imposing 188, 34 more than the average first-innings score in Abu Dhabi.Related
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Atal, Omarzai and Afghanistan bowlers dismantle Hong Kong
It was a sliding-doors moment Afghanistan coach Jonathan Trott acknowledged.”We started averagely today,” Trott said following the game. “We were a bit fortunate with a few dropped catches that sort of let us off. We need to make sure we improve on a few areas for the rest of the group games. We’ve got a few days off now. We’ve had a hectic schedule, six games in 12 days. So this is a good win. An important game for us and glad we’ve won it in the style we have.”However, for a side that opened the tournament with a 94-run win, Trott emphasised how far away this performance was from Afghanistan’s ceiling, or even the median level the coach has come to demand of this ever-improving group.Much of the concern will come from another turgid batting display for four fifths of the innings, when Hong Kong kept themselves in the game with the ball; better fielding would have put them in an even handier position. With 24 deliveries to go, Afghanistan had shuffled along to 119 for 4, needing to accelerate to even get to that average Abu Dhabi score.Azmatullah Omarzai ensured Afghanistan had plenty of runs in the bank•Getty ImagesIt was only as Hong Kong’s bowling fell away, particularly in an errant 17th over from Ateeq Iqbal, that the quality gap between these two sides began to reveal itself. A pair of sixes, a pair of fours, and a pair of balls that produced three wides combined for a 25-run over. With Azmatullah Omarzai at his explosive best, Shukla – of first-over misfortune – was pumped for another 24 in the penultimate, and 69 came off the final four.It took the target well beyond Hong Kong’s realistic ability, but Trott was adamant not to let this paper over the cracks.”We need players to take responsibility,” Trott said. “For me it’s important some of our players need to get in some form and need to start going runs. That’s very important.”I would like us to have batted better. But then the way Sediq played and the way Azmat came in and hit the ball showed us it’s a pretty good pitch. I’m fairly happy with the total that we got, but there are still things we need to work on and make sure we’re ready for the rest of the games.”
“We’ve won nothing. Let’s just make that clear. We’re an up and coming side and we’ve got a lot of work to do”Jonathan Trott
The strength of Trott’s words suggest he wants to head the problem off before the stakes are raised. They have a week off before two games in three days, with the quality of opposition vastly superior in Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. One of those three sides – barring a miracle from Hong Kong – will be elbowed out at the expense of the other two. Trott appeared to warn his players – despite the heavy win – that a drop in level might mean it could be them against more familiar opponents.”All three teams have played each other quite a lot. We know each other quite well,” he said. “Recently we haven’t played a lot of games each other, but in the last couple of years we have. It’s about remembering those things that we’ve done well against them individually but as a side as well. For me, Azmat coming into a bit of form today and Sediq carrying on the form that he’s been in [are good signs].”But still, we need to play better because I think we were helped a little bit by Hong Kong’s fielding. Because if Azmat had been caught or Sediq had been caught in the first over, it could have been a very different game so we need to make sure we’re better in the next few games.”2:26
Mukund impressed by Afghanistan’s on-field trial
However, Trott knows the difference between self-criticism and dwelling on the past, and where he was keen to draw the line was that dispiriting loss in the tri-series final to Pakistan on the weekend.”This win was helpful just to move on and get past the final and move on and go into the Asia Cup,” he said. “So we don’t have to dwell on a very disappointing game for us which I think we were a good shot of winning at the halfway mark. Lessons learnt and I think the guys applied those lessons very well. We’ll get those habits going again, and get ready for the next game.”Afghanistan now come with a large fan following, particularly in the UAE, where their supporters perhaps outnumbered Pakistan’s in that final on Sunday. It is by far the most followed sport in a country that has bought into South Asian cricket fan culture much the same way as the more established nations from the region, with every moment, decision, selection or omission parsed and analysed to within an inch of its life.1:36
Chopra: ‘It will take time for Atal to mature into a T20 rockstar’
That support may be the lifeblood of a cricketing ecosystem, but in tournaments like these, it is not always helpful.”I’m not really worried about the media’s expectation or the outside expectation,” Trott said. “I’m worried about our expectation as players and as a side that we have for each other, and the standards we hold each other to on the field and off the field. That’s the most important thing. If we get those right, the bigger picture will take care of itself. We’ve been pretty good and come pretty close to being within a shot of a few things. But we need to be better.”We’ve won nothing. Let’s just make that clear. We’re an up and coming side and we’ve got a lot of work to do.”With that unflinching focus on constant improvement, Trott, and Afghanistan, may change that over the next three weeks.
Injuries to Nortje and Magala have messed with the balance of the bowling attack
Firdose Moonda01-Oct-20232:10
Can South Africa’s misfiring bowlers back up their sizzling batters?
World Cup pedigree One of the contenders for the best team to have never won a World Cup, South Africa enter many tournaments believing their time has finally come only to discover their clocks are ticking to a different rhythm. After missing the first four tournaments because of international isolation of the Apartheid regime, South Africa first competed in 1992 and immediately impressed with a semi-final finish and the calculation that changed the way weather-affected matches were decided. They have since reached five knockout stages in seven tournaments but have never made the final.Their best chances of winning the World Cup came in 1999, 2011 and 2015, when they reached the knockouts and played their part in some of the game’s biggest heartbreak. But their reputation as perennial nearly-men belies the more recent truth that they have not played good enough tournament cricket to become champions. South Africa suffered their worst tournament return in 2019, when they lost five of their nine group matches and were out of contention for the semi-finals with three matches left to play. Ottis Gibson’s contract was not renewed in the aftermath and they have since been through a massive administrative overhaul as well as three different captains and coaching regimes.Recent form South Africa were the last automatic qualifiers to the tournament and snuck into the top eight after beating England and Netherlands earlier this year. But then they spent five months out of action in a throwback to when cricket was still played seasonally and returned to action with little more than a month to go before the World Cup. They started off with five straight defeats across white-ball formats to Australia but then surged back to win the series 3-2, and beat Australia by more than 100 runs in each of those three victories. In the process, Anrich Nortje suffered a lower-back injury and Sisanda Magala picked up a left-knee niggle which has derailed South Africa’s plans to unleash six seamers at the tournament.Gerald Coetzee was among the go-to bowlers for Jo’burg Super Kings in the inaugural SA20•Getty ImagesSquad Temba Bavuma (capt), Gerald Coetzee, Quinton de Kock (wk), Reeza Hendricks, Marco Jansen, Heinrich Klaasen, Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, Lungi Ngidi, Kagiso Rabada, Tabraiz Shamsi, Rassie van der Dussen, Lizaad Williams, Andile PhehlukwayoKey player(s) A melty middle-order, especially under pressure, has been the cause of several of South Africa’s previous tournament blow-outs so Heinrich Klaasen and David Miller will have a particularly important role. Happily for South Africa, Klaasen is in the form of his life, with two ODI hundreds this year, and an average of 58.55, but crucially a strike rate of 151.43. He has also hit 25 sixes in that time, the most by any South African. Miller’s wealth of experience in India, which includes winning the title with Gujarat Titans last year, means South Africa have the personnel to tackle what has usually been a tricky period in the innings.Rising star Gerald Coetzee was included in the squad with just two ODI caps to his name and ahead of experienced allrounder Wayne Parnell because of his pace. Coetzee can crank it up to around 145kph, has a menacing short ball and is handy as a lower-order hitter. If there is a concern around him, it may be the worry of inconsistency.World Cup farewells? Quinton de Kock announced his decision to step away from ODI cricket at the end of the tournament and will continue to pursue a T20 career around the world, including at international level, but he is likely not the only one playing his last ODIs. Seven other members of South Africa’s 15-player squad are over 32 which suggests they are unlikely to make it to another World Cup. None of Temba Bavuma, Rassie van der Dussen, Reeza Hendricks, Heinrich Klaasen, David Miller, Keshav Maharaj or Tabraiz Shamsi have indicated what their long-term fifty-over future looks like but there is every chance this could be their last dance in the format.
Ashley Mallett was among Australia’s finest spinners – and a source of comedy on the field
Ian Chappell30-Oct-2021After a long battle with cancer, Ashley “Rowdy” Mallett has died aged 76, bringing to an end the successful cricket and writing career of a beloved team-mate of mine.It wouldn’t have surprised me if I’d received this horrible news following Rowdy suffering a bad fall. He might just have been the clumsiest man ever to take a hundred Test wickets and a slew of blinding catches in the gully. Then again, we were never quite sure about the extent of Rowdy’s clumsiness, as many of his stumbles seemed designed to provide a laugh in the dressing room.His clumsiness knew no bounds but probably reached its zenith at Lord’s in the second of three ODIs in 1972. Mallett had bowled brilliantly in the first session as he completed the last over before lunch. In addition to taking the wickets of Dennis Amiss and John Hampshire, he’d been especially miserly.Related
My life in cricket writing (and reading)
Ashley Mallett, one of Australia's great spinners, dies aged 76
The final delivery was played sedately into the covers and knowing it was lunch – along with everyone else bar Mallett – the English batters began to walk towards the pavilion. Sensing a run-out opportunity, Rowdy moved quickly to retrieve the ball but instead trod on it and twisted his ankle. Then, having been convinced by his team-mates that it was the lunch break, he picked up the ball and obligingly returned it to the umpire.There was only one problem: the stumps were between Rowdy and the umpire and he flattened all three – leg, middle and off. This episode brought the house down, as did his performance in that match, 2 for 24 off 11 overs and a blinding catch at mid-on to get rid of the always dangerous Alan Knott.How good was Mallett as an offspinner?He got to 100 wickets in exactly the same number of Tests, 23, as Shane Warne. I regard Erapalli Prasanna as the best offspinner I played against, and in India in 1969, Rowdy matched him wicket for wicket – he ended up taking 28, two more than Prasanna.In 1977, when World Series Cricket was being planned, Kerry Packer told me: “I’m not giving that [insert adjective] straight-breaker a contract” when I asked for Mallett to be included in the playing list. A few weeks later we were having dinner in Leeds with a few of the English players who had signed for WSC. Packer had reluctantly signed Mallett and wanted an assurance his investment was viable. He asked Knott his opinion of Mallett’s bowling and when the keeper gave a glowing report, Packer accused me of prompting the Englishman.Mallett was the best Australian offspinner I’ve seen, in addition to being a brilliant gully fielder. He could also be a useful lower-order batsman and once smote Jeff Thomson for four with a perfectly executed cover-drive. He didn’t move as he admired the shot and when I asked him afterwards why he hadn’t run, he replied; “I’ve always wanted to just stand at the crease after hitting a boundary.”Mallett was a brilliant offspinner, extraordinary gully fielder, and a consummate comedian on the field•Alan Gilbert Purcell/Fairfax Media/Getty ImagesHe was also a courageous cricketer. As an offspinner he was often on the receiving end of a bouncer barrage, and one such delivery from Dennis Lillee broke his hand during a Sheffield Shield encounter at the WACA ground once.As we chased a target of 291 in the second innings, I told Mallett he would bat at 11 and then only if we needed just a handful of runs. When the eighth wicket fell with 17 still needed, he raced out the door ahead of confirmed No. 11 Wayne Prior to face the bowling of Lillee.Along with keeper Mike Hendricks, Mallett completed the victory but not before he’d toe-ended a cut shot from Lillee, which must have jarred his injured hand terribly. By the time he reached the dressing room his hand was shaking uncontrollably. I thanked Rowdy for what he’d done for the team and added, “But you’re a bloody idiot going in to bat like that.”He simply replied, “I couldn’t let Wayne go in to face Lillee.”Mallett got his best Test figures of 8 for 59 in bowling Australia to victory over Pakistan at Adelaide Oval in 1972. His last Test wicket was David Gower in the 1980 Centenary Test at Lord’s.After retirement his journalistic career flourished and he published numerous books and articles with a preference for writing on spin bowling. His book on the legendary legspinner Clarrie Grimmett, who gave Ashley some worthwhile advice when he was a budding offspinner, was a labour of love.He had recently just completed a well-written and researched book on Australian champion batsman Neil Harvey, the last of the 1948 Invincibles.In addition to his writing, Mallett regularly conducted sessions on spin bowling, many of them with his mate and fellow tweaker Terry Jenner. In recent years he remarried and was as happy as I’d seen him in a long time with his soul-mate, Patsy. Sadly this loving relationship was cut short but Rowdy will be remembered as a fine bowler, a valued team-mate and a soft-spoken but witty human being.
Abject. It is, painfully, an accurate way of summing up Liverpool’s form this season. The Premier League champions will not retain their belt, not like this, not with such deep tactical cracks and incoherent players and non-existent belief in Arne Slot’s plan.
The most concerning part of the recent 3-0 defeat in Manchester against Pep Guardiola’s resurgent outfit is that Liverpool were outplayed across the park. Be it physical, mental or tactical metrics, Manchester City shone, and the Reds were blinded by their opponent’s superiority.
Jeremy Doku stood out, darting this way and that, scoring a stunning goal in the second half after breaking away from Ibrahima Konate. The Belgian winger completed seven of eight dribble attempts and created three chances, as per Sofascore.
Liverpool have got so many problems, and the recent wins over Aston Villa and Real Madrid provided only the veneer of a revival as City hit the Merseside club with a sobering reality check.
Among Slot’s biggest concerns is the enduring slump of Mohamed Salah. For so many years, the Egyptian has been an unstoppable force for Liverpool, but, aged 33 and at the front of a sinking ship, he is struggling to recover more than a flicker of his former greatness.
Mohamed Salah is becoming a problem
Will we see the best of Salah in a Liverpool shirt again? There’s every chance that the right winger expended incredible amounts of mental and physical energy driving his club to the league title last season, and across all competitions, he scored 34 goals and supplied 23 assists.
Mohamed Salah celebrates Liverpool's Premier League triumph
Almost three months into the new campaign, Slot’s second in the dugout, Salah has recorded eight goal involvements, but his general play and the accuracy of his shooting have paled in comparison to the many years behind him. Salah is not himself.
This is a worry, to be sure. Not just because Liverpool are playing without their talisman in his groove, but because Slot has shown a hesitance toward unleashing Federico Chiesa right from the start of last season, and that doesn’t look like it’s going to change any time soon.
How much longer can it go on like this? Man City reduced Liverpool’s superstar to half-chances and a role within the defensive press. How many times has Salah picked Pep apart? How often has he been the leading light against this arch-rival of modern times?
Mohamed Salah vs Man City
Competition
Apps
Goals (assists)
Premier League
19
9 (6)
Champions League
2
2 (1)
Community Shield
2
1 (1)
FA Cup
2
0 (0)
Carabao Cup
1
1 (0)
Data via Transfermarkt
There is, of course, the caveat to all this that Salah would be far better placed in a system of greater fluency. This has been anything but the case for the Anfield side this season.
But Father Time is not on the Premier League legend’s side, and, having penned a new two-year extension worth £400k per week in April, Salah has around 18 months to show that FSG have received more than bang for their buck one final time.
But there’s a very real possibility that Salah is past his prime, and that Liverpool need to find a successor.
An onerous task if ever there was one. However, Liverpool actually have a Kirkby prospect who has what it takes to swipe the icon’s shirt.
The Liverpool teen who can take Salah's #11
Slot needs to find a solution to Liverpool’s current woes, but let’s all take a breather, just for a moment. Liverpool have so much talent. Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz will come good. But, more excitingly, there’s a wealth of teenage talent soon to be at Slot’s disposal, with one prospect a cut above the rest.
Rio Ngumoha knew he was headed to the upper crust of the Premier League, and a youth system that has shown itself since Jurgen Klopp came along to be a hothouse for those immensely gifted young stars.
Liverpool youngster Rio Ngumoha
Chelsea’s loss was Liverpool’s gain. Ngumoha was poached from Cobham in 2024 and made his professional debut against Accrington Stanley in the FA Cup midway through his maiden year on Merseyside.
A left-sided winger with incredible speed and dribbling, the 17-year-old Ngumoha has the potential to become a superstar at Liverpool, with his physical, athletic and fierce playing style offering shades of that man Doku, Anfield villain last weekend.
You could say Ngumoha is preternaturally talented. After all, journalist Kieran Gill is among those to have singled him out as a “generational talent”, and he certainly illustrated his potential with an incredible strike on his Premier League debut, netting the winner against Newcastle United at St. James’ Park in August.
Since then, he has featured sporadically for the Redmen, playing seven games in all competitions but only starting in the Carabao Cup, among that youthful group who were brushed aside by Crystal Palace last month.
Ngumoha’s time will come. He is so fast, so sure of himself when on the ball. He is among the youngest goalscorers in Premier League history, and that goal is sure to be the first of many.
Youngest Scorers in Premier League History
#
Player
Age
1
James Vaughan
16 yrs, 8 months, 27 days
2
James Milner
16 yrs, 11 months, 22 days
3
Wayne Rooney
16 yrs, 11 months, 25 days
4
Rio Ngumoha
16 yrs, 11 months, 26 days
5
Cesc Fabregas
17 yrs, 3 months, 21 days
Time must be afforded to one so young. Take Doku. Criticised often at Man City for being endowed with such ferocity and fleet-footedness, but lacking end product and elite decision-making.
Doku is only 23, and his performance against Slot’s beleaguered lot last weekend was the display of a winger reaching new levels of maturity and technical understanding.
Ngumoha will only get better and better as the years go on, and while he can contribute this season, these foundational years could see him bloom at the end of next term, when Salah supposedly leaves, and he could take his shirt, stepping up as Liverpool’s new wide talisman.
Can Nghumoha reach those heights, take that #11 from Salah himself? You’ll have to stay tuned. But Ngumoha will make it easy to do that. Watching him play football is a treat, and he has the capacity to not just emulate a stylistic peer like Doku but become one of the very best in world football.
More than Wirtz: £36m Liverpool star is becoming a "serious issue" for Slot
Liverpool were condemned to a fifth defeat in six Premier League matches at the Etihad.
Half-centuries for Lachlan Shaw and Josh Philippe helped NSW to a strong total
AAP23-Nov-2025Tasmania opener Caleb Jewell stepped up with a century in the absence of Test debutant Jake Weatherald to put his side in a strong position in their Sheffield Shield match against New South Wales.Jewell’s 102, his ninth first-class century, lifted the visitors to 196 for 2 at Cricket Central at stumps on day two in reply to NSW’s 391 for 9 declared.Related
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Tasmania’s plans were disrupted by a concussion to allrounder Aidan O’Connor and a leg injury to fellow allrounder Mitch Owen on day one. They were replaced by pace bowler Jackson Bird and batter Charlie Wakim.The competition has this year introduced injury substitutes who can play in a game under set conditions, so Wakim will be able to bat.Tasmania opened their batting with left-arm spinner Matthew Kuhnemann and he performed a sterling job in his knock of 21 supporting Jewell in a 56-run opening stand.Jewell, who pulled the ball with venom in an innings that included 11 boundaries, found another ally in Tim Ward, who finished the day unbeaten on 53.It was Jewell’s first Shield century of the summer and came at just the right time with regular opening partner Weatherald on Test duty.NSW had earlier resumed on 214 for 2 after a rain-interrupted opening day. Left-hander Kurtis Patterson added just one to his overnight tally before being run out for 80.From there the visitors were able to keep chipping away to take wickets at regular intervals but Lachlan Shaw and Josh Philippe ensured NSW reached a solid total before their declaration.Tasmania quick Riley Meredith finished with 3 for 77 to take his season tally to 15 wickets in just five innings. The consistency of the 29-year-old paceman has been a highlight this season where he has captured three wickets in an innings on five occasions.Meredith, who took a career-high 23 wickets in just six matches in the Shield last season, is returning to the form that led to him representing Australia in both ODI and T20Is.
Warwickshire have retired their Birmingham Bears moniker for T20 Blast matches, and will instead revert to being called Warwickshire Bears when the rebooted men’s and women’s competition gets underway in 2026.The club won their sole T20 title as Birmingham Bears in 2014, but have reverted to their county name after more than a decade, following feedback from members and in recognition of the women’s county competition that got underway this season.”Warwickshire has and always will be at the heart of who we are,” Stuart Cain, the county’s chief executive, said. “It’s our identity and has been for well over a century.”Over a decade ago, the club decided to be bold with a city-based name for our T20 team and it saw attendances grow to record levels and attract new fans to the Bears. But with our long-term future in mind, and following feedback from members through the members committee, now is the right time for change.”We represent the county and that’s what returning to Warwickshire Bears is about.”The announcement came ahead of the ECB’s unveiling of next year’s Blast fixtures – which, for the 14th consecutive year, will be hosted at Warwickshire’s home ground of Edgbaston (or EdgBLASTon, as per the club’s “bold and electrifying move” to rebrand the stadium for the duration of the tournament).The Blast schedule has been compromised in recent years, following the introduction of the Hundred in a mid-summer block in July and August. This year’s event featured a final on September 13, almost two months after the conclusion of the group stage in July, meaning that each of the four teams were missing key players – a situation described by Lancashire’s captain, Keaton Jennings, as “ludicrous”.The new-look tournament will take place in a tightened two-month window. The group stage for men and women will run from May 22 to July 12, with the men’s quarter-finals taking place three days later on July 15 and Men’s Finals Day on July 18. Women’s Finals Day will take place 24 hours earlier, on a Friday, at the Kia Oval.Related
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The men’s groups have been rejigged, with three groups of six teams replacing the long-standing North and South Groups, albeit with a retention of many of the more traditional rivalries – including Yorkshire versus Lancashire in Lancashire in Group A, Gloucestershire versus Somerset in Group B, and Surrey versus Middlesex in Group C.Each team will now play 12 group-stage matches instead of 14, which has allowed the schedulers to place 80% of these fixtures in fan-friendly slots on a Friday, Sunday or a Bank Holiday. Following feedback from the PCA, which warned of the dangers of player fatigue in a recent survey, the total number of back-to-back matches in the men’s competition has been reduced to six – which is down from more than 50 two years ago – while there is just one in the women’s competition.”The changes to the men’s and women’s Vitality Blast competitions for 2026 have been made in order to benefit fans and players alike,” Neil Snowball, ECB managing director, competitions and major events, said. “Every county will host a men’s and women’s double header, with 61 double-headers in total, while the significant reduction in back-to-back games gives players more opportunity to perform at their very best throughout the competition.Surrey’s Grace Harris poses with the Women’s T20 Blast trophy•ECB via Getty Images
“The narrative of both competitions will also be easier to follow with the knockout stages following on immediately after the group stages, culminating in a true celebration of T20 cricket with the women’s and men’s Vitality Blast Finals Days being hosted at the Kia Oval and Edgbaston on consecutive days.”PCA Chief Executive, Daryl Mitchell, said: “Throughout the past 12 months, the PCA has worked tirelessly alongside the professional game to improve standards for players across all formats. The Vitality Blast competitions for 2026 highlight considerable improvements with a real energy injected into them.”Players want to be at their optimum levels to perform at their best in county cricket’s flagship T20 competition and a significant reduction of back-to-back fixtures across the men’s and women’s Blast, alongside more men’s and women’s double headers and reduced travel in the men’s game will allow this.”The tournaments will begin with 16 men’s and women’s double-headers across the May Bank Holiday Weekend. Somerset, the men’s defending champions, will face Hampshire Hawks in a rematch of last year’s final at Taunton, while Surrey – the women’s winners – will face Lancashire.Yorkshire’s women, who will be embarking on their maiden Tier 1 season, will take part in their first Roses double-header at Old Trafford on 10 July.
Vitality Blast Men’s Competition
Group A: Derbyshire Falcons, Durham, Lancashire Lightning, Leicestershire Foxes, Notts Outlaws, Yorkshire Group B: Glamorgan, Gloucestershire, Northamptonshire Steelbacks, Somerset, Warwickshire Bears, Worcestershire Rapids Group C: Essex, Kent Spitfires, Hampshire Hawks, Middlesex, Surrey, Sussex Sharks
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