A career-best century for Luke Procter backed up by a blistering hundred from Saif Zaib gave Northamptonshire the upper hand on day three of the Rothesay County Championship Division Two match against Derbyshire at Derby.Procter’s 150 from 272 balls provided the launching pad for Zaib who hit three sixes to race to a second century in consecutive matches, off only 86 balls.With Justin Broad hammering 46 from 27 balls, the visitors declared on 500 for 8 with a lead of 193 but their bowlers also struggled on a pitch which has flattened out.Australian opener Caleb Jewell eased to a fifth 50 in six innings and with Wayne Madsen completing his second half century of the game, Derbyshire moved to 202 for 3 at stumps, a lead of nine.Procter faced 17 balls to get the three runs needed to complete his 9th first-class hundred but from then on, the visitors moved swiftly through the gears.When the second new ball was taken, Rob Keogh drove Luis Reece for four to bring up the 300 and the 100 stand which had come from 164 balls. Keogh reached his 50 by pulling Reece for another boundary but in the same over he went for a big drive and was bowled .Zaib survived a hard chance to second slip on one and he took full advantage as he tore the bowling apart either side of lunch.Procter passed his previous highest score , an unbeaten 144 against Warwickshire at Northampton in 2022, and then pulled Zak Chappell for his 20th four to reach 150 before cutting Blair Tickner into the hands of gully.But Derbyshire were struggling to stem the flow of runs with Zaib taking 14 off a Martin Andersson over as 139 runs came in the first session. The lead at the interval was 68 and although Lewis McManus was caught behind sweeping at Jack Morley, the game quickly ran away from Derbyshire who had to bowl spin at both ends to improve a slow over rate.Zaib and Broad tucked into the post lunch smorgasbord to plunder 85 from 54 balls before the latter was caught at deep midwicket to give Madsen his first championship wicket since April 2022.When Zaib skied Morley to long off, the declaration came giving their bowlers 54 overs to try and put Derbyshire under pressure but the batters continued to dominate.David Lloyd needed a big innings after a run of low scores and started positively, pulling Liam Guthrie for six, but then fell to a stunning catch by Broad who leapt at cover to hold on at the second attempt.But Jewell again looked untroubled and with Harry Came, reduced the arrears to under a hundred before Dom Leech trapped Came on the crease in the 27th over.Jewell responded by pulling Leech for his seventh four to reach 50 and with Madsen, set about deflating Northants’ hopes of victory.The pair added 66 from 84 balls and although Jewell cut Broad into the hands of first slip, Madsen passed 50 for the fourth time this season to put his team in credit by the close.
West Ham United have replaced Graham Potter with Nuno Espírito Santo after agreeing a deal with the ex-Nottingham Forest boss earlier this week, but there was another intriguing option on the free agent market they ultimately failed to consider.
West Ham appoint Nuno Espírito Santo on a multi-year contract
Chairman David Sullivan had been in favour of appointing ex-manager Slaven Bilic on an interim basis until the end of the season (Pete O’Rourke), and the Croatian was even planning his coaching staff in the event he was chosen for the Hammers hot seat (ExWHUemployee).
However, despite some concerns surrounding the finances of a deal for Nuno (Sport Boom), the Portuguese has now won the West Ham job race and took charge of his first training session on Saturday afternoon — just hours after the club announced Potter’s departure.
He’s also put pen to paper on a multi-year contract, showing West Ham’s faith in the tactician.
The arrival of Nuno comes after his fairytale 2024/2025 season at Forest, where he transformed the Tricky Trees from relegation contenders to Europa League participants in under two years.
This culminated in Evangelos Marinakis handing the 51-year-old a new three-year contract in June, but a tense public fallout with the Forest chief meant that Nuno was forced to wave goodbye to the City Ground much sooner than he anticipated.
9. Sam Allardyce
30.7%
10. Julen Lopetegui
30%
11. Gianfranco Zola
27.8%
12 Graham Potter
26.1%
13. Avram Grant
18.9%
via StatMuse
Forest’s loss was West Ham’s gain, and there are many reasons why Nuno could end up being a very smart appointment.
Under Nuno, Forest became a lot more robust defensively and adopted a clear counter-attacking style, all whilst fixing their set-piece issues — which is something West Ham have been a real victim of this season.
Having conceded 7 of their 13 Premier League goals so far from corners, Nuno’s arrival could work wonders to solve this very concerning problem, and the fact he was a free agent meant the east Londoners didn’t have to pay a compensation fee.
Out of the fellow free agents linked with a move to the London Stadium — a list including Bilic, Gary O’Neil, Michael Carrick and Sean Dyche — Nuno’s name was clearly the most appealing, both internally and outside Rush Green.
However, Sullivan, Karren Brady and the board failed to consider one name — Sergio Conceicao.
West Ham missed out on appointing Sergio Conceicao
The 50-year-old left AC Milan at the end of June and is still a free agent now, meaning he was potentially up for grabs.
According to some reports, Conceicao privately expressed a preference to join West Ham last year, back when he was mentioned as one of the candidates to succeed Julen Lopetegui, and was regularly linked before the club went for Potter.
It begs the question, why didn’t West Ham consider him this time around?
Conceicao has 12 major trophies to his name after a glittering career abroad, including an Italian Super Cup triumph from his time at Milan, with the Portuguese also winning 11 pieces of silverware during his famed FC Porto era.
The coach, who once drew comparisons to José Mourinho, won three Primeira Liga titles with Porto and the 21/22 Manager of the Year award. Ultimately, his failure to qualify for Europe with Milan last season, combined with losing the Coppa Italia final to Bologna, cost him his job.
Nevertheless, he was definitely an option worth looking at, and Conceicao has attracted praise for his fast and aggressive style — which embodies the ‘West Ham way’ far more than Nuno’s pragmatic approach.
West Ham did have more candidates like Conceicao available to them, but perhaps the major worry of relegation among shareholders motivated the club into making a swift, and perhaps trigger-happy, decision.
On transfer deadline day, Liverpool celebrated the record-breaking acquisition of Newcastle United striker Alexander Isak, ending weeks of speculation and animosity over his future.
Isak had been desperate to sign for the Anfield side, and he has got his wish at the final hour. Liverpool have got themselves a gem, with pundit Alan Shearer remarking earlier in 2025, “Everything about his game is of the highest quality.”
However, it didn’t all go the Reds’ way, with their protracted summer pursuit of Crystal Palace centre-back Marc Guehi ultimately leaving them empty-handed.
It all looked like it was ready to be green-lit, with the Three Lions star having completed his medical with the Premier League champions, but external issues have left the 25-year-old stranded at Selhurst Park.
Why Liverpool wanted Marc Guehi
With Ibrahima Konate having entered the final year of his contract at Liverpool and skipper Virgil van Dijk having turned 34 in July, thus edging closer to the twilight of his career, it was crucial that fresh defensive faces were welcomed.
And sporting director Richard Hughes came ever-so close to making that arrival Guehi, having tracked the England international all summer and respectfully awaited the green light from Eagles chairman Steve Parish, which never quite came following Oliver Glasner frustration at having not signed a suitable replacement.
Remarked to have been “England’s best player” during the 2024 European Championship by analyst Ben Mattinson, Guehi’s cool and collected defensive presence merges with an effortless ball-playing game that suggests he would dovetail right into Slot’s Liverpool squad – or indeed any elite team worth their salt.
Though FSG will retain confidence in their rearguard options, Guehi would have added icing on the cake, especially with Slot looking to defend his Premier League title while challenging for silverware across further fronts too.
Matches (starts)
34 (34)
17 (14)
Goals
3
1
Assists
2
0
Touches*
64.9
46.9
Pass completion
84%
89%
Key passes*
0.5
0.1
Ball recoveries*
4.3
2.0
Dribbles*
0.4
0.2
Tackles + interceptions*
2.6
1.7
Clearances*
4.6
3.6
Duels (won)*
4.9 (59%)
2.5 (61%)
Errors made
2
1
Leoni is a top talent, and the hope is that he will one day stand where Van Dijk stood as a long-term star at Liverpool. However, he’s not the only teenage prospect the club boast, with an existing member of Slot’s squad perhaps ready to cover for the gap where Guehi should be.
Liverpool have already got their own Guehi
Make no mistake, Leoni is one of the most exciting defensive prospects in the business, and, only 18, has so much room for improvement over the next few years.
Napoli's Romelu Lukaku in action with Parma's GiovanniLeoni
However, the Italy international will also need time to develop his skills over the next few years, ultimately reaching a level that will see him thrive as a regular starter.
With Joe Gomez having stayed put despite transfer interest from elsewhere on deadline day, his experience will help Leoni ease into the way of things, and the same could be said for fellow teenager Amara Nallo.
Nallo hasn’t had a flawless start to life in Slot’s senior side, it must be said. In January, Nallo was sent off on his professional debut, entering the fray in the closing stages and hacking down Johan Bakayoko. It was unfortunate, but Slot said post-game that the youngster “will learn” from his mistake.
Though that remains Nallo’s sole senior showing for Liverpool, he sat three further first-team games on the bench across the 2024/25 season, and given his obvious quality in emerging from the academy, so strong and powerful and technically adept for one of his level, he could prove to be Liverpool’s own version of Guehi.
Admittedly, getting sent off on your big bow isn’t very Guehi-like, but the Palace man received an indirect card suspension himself last season, showing that he too has the capacity to make a blunder.
And Nallo won’t let a simple mistake define him, having been described by West Ham coach Carlton Cole in the past as being a “Rolls-Royce of a centre-back”.
Curiously, Nallo is two-footed and so could conceivably cover for Van Dijk and Konate across the course of the campaign. The England U19 international has also racked up 53 appearances for Liverpool’s youth sides across the two years he has been on Merseyside.
Liverpool wanted to sign Guehi for his quality and experience at the highest level, of course, but perhaps his ability on both sides of the central defence also captured Hughes’ attention. After all, the England star was described as “one of those versatile CBs who can play both sides equally as comfortably” by the aforementioned analyst Mattinson.
Nallo
While Liverpool’s failed attempt to sign Guehi will have frustrated the Reds fanbase, who came so close to seeing the defender wearing red, the likes of Leoni and Nallo will perhaps have given a silent cheer as they find themselves with a clearer pathway toward playing time over the months ahead.
Nallo might be something of a forgotten man at the moment, but he was entrusted with a first-team role on the big stage last season, and there’s every chance he could now take that next step.
In The Pipeline
Given his Guehi-like tactical tendacies, perhaps this is the big opportunity he needs to take that leap and prove himself worthy of a long-term role in Liverpool’s first team.
Now worth more than Isak: Liverpool wanted to sign "one of the best in the world"
With Alexander Isak joining Liverpool for £125m on deadline day, do the Reds rue missing out on “one of the best players in the world” worth more?
Philipe Sampaio concedeu uma entrevista exclusiva ao LANCE! e relembrou de um episódio que aconteceu no clássico entre Vasco x Botafogo, realizado em fevereiro deste ano. O zagueiro caiu desacordado no gramado do Maracanã e precisou ficar dias internado no hospital. Assista ao vídeo acima.
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+ Philipe Sampaio relembra chegada ao Botafogo, celebra nova fase do time, fala sobre Luís Castro e manda recado para torcida
– Foi difícil reagir, porque era uma oportunidade para mim entrar em um clássico contra o Vasco. Depois da parada técnica, eu comecei a me sentir muito mal. Aí eu vejo a minha vista mal. Na hora eu penso: “Não é possível. Me ajuda, Senhor. Eu quero estar em campo”. É um jogo que todo mundo quer jogar, né? Era um jogo contra o Vasco e o próximo era contra o Flamengo. Aí chegou uma hora que eu apaguei. Depois daquilo, eu não lembrei mais. Aí fica uma reflexão para mim: você está no Maracanã lotado e depois você vai para uma UTI. Não pude tomar banho, aparelhos ligados na cabeça e no coração, luz acesa, UTI… aí você faz uma reflexão da vida. Muitas vezes não é um jogo ou um campeonato, mas é a nossa vida e a nossa família – declarou Sampaio:
– A minha maior preocupação era minha esposa, que estava grávida. Quando eu acordo, eu já falo para o doutor: “Deixa eu jogar. Eu estou bem”. Eu não tinha noção do que tinha acontecido. Eu vi os aplausos depois. Foi um choque. Quando eu acordei, eu falei: “Nossa!”. Mas foi tudo superado. Mais uma lição da minha vida de que o trabalho, a consistência e as dificuldades aparecem, mas elas são sempre superadas com fé em Deus – completou.
+ Assista a entrevista completa de Philipe Sampaio ao LANCE!
Manchester United’s season begins this weekend, with Ruben Amorim’s side welcoming Arsenal to Old Trafford for a fiery curtain-raising clash in the Premier League.
So much hinges on this campaign for United, who have emerged from a disastrous year of struggle: slumping, losing Erik ten Hag, appointing Amorim, plummeting further, finishing 15th, losing the Europa League final.
Brighton & Hove Albion's CarlosBalebacelebrates scoring their first goal with Joao Pedro and Matt O'Riley
But INEOS and Jason Wilcox have refashioned the frontline and remain intent on bolstering further. Gianluigi Donnarumma has been targeted, though is also in Manchester City’s sights, but it’s an all-action midfield player who Amorim feels would have the most significant impact on his side.
Man United's chase for new midfielder
Man United’s interest in Carlos Baleba has been well-documented across the past few weeks, with the Brighton & Hove Albion star viewed as the perfect long-term option to complete Amorim’s midfield.
However, Baleba remains in first-team training with the Seagulls, who are going to resist with full force the Man United advances.
With much uncertainty around the 21-year-old’s signature, a different Premier League star has been earmarked too.
Indeed, according to talkSPORT’s Alex Crook, Amorim is a big admirer of Southampton talent Mateus Fernandes, who was one of the relegated side’s standout players last season.
Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
West Ham United are felt to have the lead in the battle, having opened talks with the south coast club, but United could surely sway the odds in their favour, should they raise their interest.
Southampton will demand in excess of £30m.
What Mateus Fernandes would bring to Man United
The 21-year-old Fernandes shone despite Saints’ woes last year, and he’s been described as having the tools to become the “ultimate Premier League midfielder” by former pro Jo Tessem.
Fulham's Ryan Sessegnon in action with Southampton'sMateusFernandes
Having joined Southampton from Sporting Lisbon for a smart £15m fee last summer, he has featured 44 times in total, starring across his outfit’s opening two matches of the current campaign, this time in England’s second tier.
Given that he is available for a portion of the price required for Baleba’s signature, Fernandes might be the perfect fallback, perhaps even a more prudent and economical signing – one which might still bloom ripe results for Amorim’s resurgence-seeking side.
Goals
0.06
0.10
Assists
0.12
0.03
Touches
54.45
57.40
Pass completion
79.9%
87.4%
Progressive passes
4.49
3.99
Shot-creating actions
2.41
2.23
Progressive carries
2.35
1.45
Successful take-ons
1.52
1.12
Ball recoveries
5.54
6.66
Tackles + interceptions
3.62
4.23
Blocks
1.33
1.59
Duels won
5.8
5.9
We are not, of course, advocating Fernandes as being a midfielder of superiority; Baleba has been valued in excess of £100m after all. However, there’s an exciting player in this Portuguese prospect, one who shares some of the Cameroonian’s tactical strengths and has plenty of room for development.
There’s a case to be made that Fernandes has a bit more completeness about his game. Given the trammels that were imposed on his skill set by a lifeless Southampton side, constantly weighted down by their opponents, he did a rather good job, protecting his backline as best he could while pushing play forward too.
With impressive strength and precision in front of goal, the rising talent truly might have the skill set to become the “perfect midfielder”, as has been noted by analyst Ben Mattinson.
Though Baleba is the talk of the town and is perhaps further down the line in his development than Fernandes, the latter man weathered a harsh storm at St. Mary’s Stadium last year and still managed to make a good impression.
His steely presence and underrated technical game suggest he could prove a shrewd signing indeed.
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Marcus Harris added 52 to his first-innings century to continue to build his case for a Test match recall but both sides bemoaned a lifeless Junction Oval surface as Victoria and Tasmania dawdled to a draw on day four in Melbourne.Harris made 52 off 70 balls in the second innings, after scoring 143 in the first, as Victoria cruised to 120 for 2 off 52 overs in their second innings on the fourth day after Tasmania had declared overnight with a 99-run lead. But given the surface had so little life in it, there was no prospect of Tasmania taking 10 wickets with time left to chase a target and the captains agreed to call the game off just before tea on the final day.Related
Harris and Handscomb make statements with twin hundreds
Timely centuries from Webster and Hope give Tasmania the lead
Harris played with similar fluency to his first innings, striking eight boundaries in his 52 before nicking a very full delivery from Kieran Elliott to potentially cost himself a chance at twin hundreds in the match.Ash Chandrasinghe was challenged by left-arm orthodox of Matt Kuhnemann, who tried to extract something from the footmarks outside the left-hander’s off stump. Chandrasinghe made 44 from 128 before Kuhnemann finally got one to bite from the dust to bowl him through the gate.Campbell Kellaway and Peter Handscomb blunted the bowling thereafter to thwart any chance of a collapse. Jordan Silk even tried himself for an over before the game was called off.Despite the flat nature of the pitch, player of the match Harris was pleased with his return. He had a brief conversation with Australia selector Tony Dodemaide on the ground after the match and revealed he looks set to play for Australia A against India A in a few weeks time.”He asked if I wanted to bat six and bowl seam up in the Test side,” Harris joked. “He was just talking about the Aussie A stuff. I think that’ll come out the next few days.”Australia A play two four-day matches against India A in Mackay and Melbourne before the Test season. Cameron Green’s likely absence from the XI opens the door for Harris to win a place in the side through performance, especially if Steven Smith moves back to No. 4 as expected.”It probably wouldn’t hurt if you made runs in it,” Harris said. “I’ve been in the situation a few times now where I’ve played those games. It’s not like it’s going to be the first time I’ve ever played for Australia A before a Test series. There’s obviously always a bit of attention around those games. Pressure wise, I’m not going to be trying to put the same pressure on myself as I had before. It will just be a great opportunity.”Victoria coach Chris Rogers and Tasmania coach Jeff Vaughan were left frustrated that a result was not possible. Silk and Handscomb had held discussions on the third day about trying to manufacture a result but could not find common ground, which both coaches stated was understandable given it was the first game of the season.There was no blame placed on the curator at the Junction Oval given the weather in the lead-in, but Rogers did not sugarcoat the result.”That’s not great for cricket and anyone involved,” he said. “We have a bit of a history here early on in the season of just having wickets that we we try different things, but we can’t seem to get anything out of it. So it’s frustrating.”Vaughan did not have an answer as to how to avoid these early season results, particularly in the two most southern states of Victoria and Tasmania.”I’ll feel for curators in that regards, because it is darn hard at this time of year to get high-quality result wickets,” Vaughan said.
Tottenham Hotspur are now “pushing to sign” a £70m “beast” who is “very open to a move to Spurs” this summer, Sky Sports reporter Florian Plettenberg has revealed.
Richarlison and Son Heung-min's futures up in the air
Despite an impressive 2023-24 campaign, it would be fair to say that Richarlison hasn’t exactly set the world alight since making the move from Everton, and the Brazilian once again struggled to make an impact last season after struggling with injuries.
Richarlison at Spurs
PL appearances
Goals
Assists
2022-23
27
1
4
2023-24
28
11
4
2024-25
15
4
1
As such, Tottenham have now made the decision to transfer list the striker, amid interest from Galatasaray and Saudi Arabia, with talks over a potential exit being held over the course of the past month.
Consequently, one of Thomas Frank’s main tasks this summer could be to bring in a replacement, and a £32m offer has now been submitted for Fulham’s Rodrigo Muniz, who is also attracting attention from newly-promoted Leeds United.
There has also been speculation surrounding Son Heung-min’s future, with the captain at one stage said to have been close to an exit, and Spurs are now looking at bringing in a long-term replacement for the South Korean.
According to an update from Plettenberg on X, Tottenham are now “pushing to sign” West Ham United winger Mohammed Kudus, who is “very open to a move to Spurs” this summer.
West Ham United's Mohammed Kudus against Nottingham Forest.
Negotiations are currently ongoing with West Ham, as Spurs “really want” to get a deal over the line, but there could be competition from clubs in the Saudi Pro League.
However, Kudus has aspirations of playing at the highest level in Europe, indicating the Lilywhites could be well-placed to win the race for his signature, with Champions League football set to be on offer at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium next season.
"Beast" Kudus could be exciting signing for Spurs
A deal for the Ghanaian is likely to be on the expensive side, with reports suggesting the Hammers could hold out for £70m, but there are plenty of signs that he could be an exciting addition to Frank’s squad.
The 24-year-old is a particularly impressive dribbler of the ball, placing in the 97th percentile for successful take-ons over the past year, when compared to other wingers, while he has also displayed an ability to create chances and score goals.
Offer made: West Ham now leading race to sign "powerful" £20m+ defender
The Hammers could be closing in on their first signing of the summer.
1 ByTom Cunningham Jul 6, 2025
Indeed, the West Ham star regularly contributed with goals and assists during his first season in England, picking up 17 goal contributions in the Premier League, while finding the back of the net five times in the Europa League.
Described as a “beast” by U23 scout Antonio Mango, Kudus could take his career to the next level at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, but there may be some reservations about shelling out £70m, given that he didn’t manage to kick on at West Ham last season.
Liverpool are marching their way through the summer transfer window like nobody’s business, with the signings made thus far fitting additions to a Premier League-winning team.
It’s a good thing too, for the Anfield side’s domestic rivals are looking to reel in impactful additions of their own as they look to challenge for the top-flight title next term.
FSG will slow down now, though, having signed two full-backs and Florian Wirtz (for a British-record £116m fee) to boot.
And there’s more still to come. The Merseysiders have placed themselves in a strong financial position after biding their time across recent transfer windows and claiming a windfall from sealing the league title.
Where might FSG strike next?
Where Liverpool are planning to strengthen
There’s plenty of noise surrounding Liverpool’s planned signing of a centre-forward, but with Bayern Munich plotting to sign Luis Diaz, we may see a left-sided winger arrive at the club in the coming month too.
The usual rumours linking Liverpool to Anthony Gordon have resurfaced; might we see the Three Lions star playing alongside Alexander Isak, his Newcastle United teammate, at Anfield next season?
After such a fierce wave of activity, Liverpool can now afford to be opportunistic, though there is still a pressing need for a central defender as Jarell Quansah prepares to join Bayer Leverkusen for £35m and Ibrahima Konate’s contractual uncertainty rumbles on.
Liverpool had attempted to bring Dean Huijsen over from Bournemouth, but that one’s off the cards.
Huijsen might have signed for Real Madrid, but Liverpool have shown they still want to sign a centre-back, and there’s one man in particular in Richard Hughes’ sights.
Liverpool agree personal terms for Premier League star
As per journalist DaveOCKOP, Liverpool have reached an agreement on personal terms with Crystal Palace defender Marc Guehi.
Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
Guehi is out of contract at the end of the 2025/26 season and Liverpool are planning to take advantage of the market opportunity, as confirmed by Fabrizio Romano, with talks been the clubs slated for this week.
Liverpool and Palace are apart on their valuations, so the coming days will prove crucial. The Reds hope to strike a deal for £30m.
Why Liverpool want natural leader Marc Guehi
With so much change taking place at Liverpool this summer, it would be good to sign an experienced Premier League star, and Guehi fits the bill in that regard.
Praised by England U21 coach Lee Carsley for showing “leadership qualities on and off the field”, Guehi may even find himself in contention for the armband down the line, having captained the Eagles in each of his 44 appearances across all competitions last season, leading his side to the FA Cup title after beating Manchester City in the final.
Crystal Palace's MarcGuehireacts after the match
In this regard, the England international might even become Liverpool’s next Jordan Henderson, arriving for a fairly large fee from a Premier League rival after demonstrating authority and influence to marry with the technical quality.
Guehi, it must be said, is one of the most composed and cultured ball-playing centre-halves in the Premier League, actually ranked among the top 12% of positional peers across Europe over the past year for shot-creating actions per 90, as per FBref.
His completeness and potential to guide Liverpool through a new era over the coming years speak of a certain similarity to Henderson, especially as he would play alongside a legend in Virgil van Dijk for the next few years as the Dutch captain approaches his twilight. In Henderson’s case, this was applicable to Steven Gerrard.
Liverpool signed Henderson from Sunderland for £20m back in 2011. He had already been capped by England and was considered a hugely promising midfield talent.
Former Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson
No one could have imagined what he would achieve. Across 492 matches for Liverpool, Henderson notched 91 goal contributions and captained Liverpool toward the Premier League, Champions League and many more.
Now, a new leader in Guehi can follow suit. He might be a little older, but the defender can emulate his compatriot, having established himself in a settled Premier League outfit, standing out.
Matches (starts)
25 (23)
34 (34)
Goals
0
3
Assists
1
2
Clean sheets
4
11
Touches*
61.6
64.9
Pass completion
87%
84%
Key passes*
0.3
0.5
Ball recoveries*
4.8
4.3
Dribbles (success)*
0.3 (64%)
0.4 (86%)
Tackles + interceptions*
1.8
2.6
Clearances*
3.5
4.6
Duels (won)*
3.6 (60%)
4.9 (59%)
It’s clear that this is a man of consistency and incremental, steady improvements. Regarded as a “monster in defence” by Palace reporter Bobby Manzi, the stocky defender won’t just be an exciting addition, but an instrumental one.
Liverpool, having lost Trent Alexander-Arnold and with Andy Robertson potentially on the move too, must ensure that they don’t create too youthful an underbelly to Slot’s title-winning squad, and Guehi will thrive in bringing his wealth of leadership qualities to the fold.
Crystal Palace's MarcGuehiin action
Liverpool might have two of the most talented central defenders in the game, but the Reds need to replace Quansah with a player capable of playing a bigger part, the England U21 star only handed four top-flight starts.
Guehi is clearly an upgrade across every facet, both from a technical standpoint and in regard to his maturity.
Moreover, he’s a natural-born leader, and coming from a divisional rival having carved success for himself, perhaps Slot will see his own version of Henderson welcomed to the ranks in the coming weeks or months.
He betters Isak in key areas: Liverpool make the "next Mbappe" a key target
Liverpool are interested in signing a new striker this summer.
With concerns increasing that Morgan Rogers could leave the club this summer, Aston Villa have reportedly stepped up their efforts to sign an instant replacement for their star midfielder.
Arsenal considering Morgan Rogers bid
Aston Villa find themselves in a vulnerable spot this summer. Their PSR concern is an open secret in the Premier League and their rivals know that they may need to sell at least one key man to comply with the financial rules by the end of June. And that could hand them an uphill battle to keep hold of Rogers if Arsenal come calling in the coming weeks.
There is no doubt that those in the Midlands would like to keep hold of such a talented player. After all, there’s very good reason why Rogers was nominated for the PFA Young Player of the Year and is a strong favourite to win the award. But they may have little choice in the matter if an offer in the region of £50m or above arrives for Rogers’ signature this month.
What has not helped ease Villa’s concerns about Rogers’ future are recent reports that Arsenal are seriously considering submitting an offer to sign the England international this summer after missing out on Nico Williams to Barcelona.
Aston Villa table bid to sign £24m star as release clause deadline emerges
They’re yet to get their summer business underway.
ByTom Cunningham Jun 18, 2025
It would undoubtedly rub salt in Aston Villa’s wounds if they not only lost one of their best players, but lost that player to a Premier League rival. Nonetheless, those in the Midlands are seemingly preparing for the worst and have already reportedly set their sights on signing a potential replacement for Rogers in the coming months.
Aston Villa step up efforts to sign Eze
In the event that Rogers leaves the club this summer, it looks as though the Villans will turn their focus towards South London. According to Football Transfers, Aston Villa are now stepping up their efforts to sign Eberechi Eze from Crystal Palace and have made the midfielder their priority target.
Premier League stats 24/25 (via FBref)
Eberechi Eze
Morgan Rogers
Starts
31
37
Goals
8
8
Assists
8
10
Key Passes
58
51
It certainly makes sense that Aston Villa are looking towards Eze to potentially replace Rogers. The Crystal Palace star almost matched his England teammate all the way in output last season whilst making fewer Premier League appearances and took his total to 14 goals in all competitions.
Like Unai Emery, however, Oliver Glasner won’t want to lose his key man this summer. The Crystal Palace boss was full of praise for Eze last season, telling reporters back in September: “Who’s a better player than Eze? For me he’s absolutely top, if he was luckier this season he would have five or six goals.
Crystal Palace's EberechiEzeposes with the player of the match trophy
“He’s always dangerous because he has the quality and ability at 1-1, he’s such an unbelievable finisher, in some situations he can improve, he’s a guy who can always score and he’s someone who everyone likes. This is why he’s on the pitch because he’s able to score goals.”
There is no getting away from the fact that this season has been a mostly disappointing one for Arsenal.
Mikel Arteta’s side might have made it to the club’s first Champions League semi-final since the 08/09 season, but they were out of the Premier League title race months ago and crashed out of the FA Cup in the Third Round.
However, all of that can be forgotten for the next few months, as with the summer transfer window about to open, the North Londoners have the chance to seriously improve the squad with some international superstars.
Arsenal manager MikelArtetalooks dejected after the match
Yet, it’s not all about incomings, and there are a number of first-teamers who should be sold or let go as well, including one who’s previously been compared to Patrick Vieira.
The Arsenal stars who should go
So, while the likes of Kieran Tierney and Jorginho are already confirmed to be leaving the club, with the former going to Celtic and the latter Flamengo, there are a few others in the squad who should probably be moved on, like Oleksandr Zinchenko.
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Alongside Gabriel Jesus, the Ukranian international’s arrival from Manchester City in the summer of 2022 represented the start of the Gunners’ recent resurgence, and for most of the 22/23 campaign, he was superb.
However, as his defensive fragilities became more apparent, he began to lose his place in the team and went from playing 2411 minutes in his first campaign to 2082 last year and then just 789 minutes this season.
Another signing from the same summer who should probably be moved on is Fabio Vieira.
The Portuguese midfielder joined the club from Porto for around £34m, but after two seasons, in which he scored just three goals and provided ten assists in 49 games, he was sent back to the Portuguese giants on a season-long loan.
While it’s been a reasonably successful spell back at his old club this year, ten goal involvements in 39 games is hardly prolific, so instead of giving him yet another chance in North London, Andrea Berta and Co should be ruthless and try and get back as much money as they can for him this summer.
That same ruthlessness should see them let another player leave, a player who’s been compared to the Gunners’ far more successful Vieira.
Arsenal's Vieira 2.0 must not play for the club again
So, given the situation of the squad at the moment, it’ll probably come as no surprise that the player we are talking about is Thomas Partey.
Now, the first thing to say is that this is no slight on the midfielder’s ability, as for much of his Arsenal career, he has been brilliant, so much so that back in 2020 after signing for £45m, Roy Keane, of all people, described him as “outstanding” and even compared him to one of the Gunners’ all-time great midfielders in Vieira.
Moreover, for much of this season, he was an important part of Arteta’s starting midfield, but even so, there are several reasons why he should be allowed to leave this summer and not offered a new deal, as reports suggest he will be.
The first is that at 31 and with his horrendous injury record, which has seen him miss 81 games for club and country since he moved to N5, and while he stayed remarkably fit this season, history tells us he cannot be relied upon to remain so.
This links to the next point: the finances.
Thomas Partey’s Arsenal injury record
Season
Number of injuries
Days missed
Games missed
2020/21
3
81
21
2021/22
3
152
19
2022/23
2
29
6
2023/24
2
143
34
2024/25
1
6
1
Total
11
436
81
All Stats via Transfermarkt
If Berta and Co do end up offering the former Atlético Madrid star a deal similar to the one he is on now, then that is around £200k-per-week tied up for at least a couple more years in someone who may end up missing huge chunks of the campaign.
Finally, following Fabrizio Romano’s update that Martin Zubimendi’s transfer to the club is practically complete, it once again feels like a waste of resources to be handing out big contracts to a player who could end up just being a squad player.
Ultimately, Partey remains a talented footballer and someone who has been a real asset to Arsenal, but as the club look to make the next step this summer, it makes sense to say thanks and let him leave, not hand him another expensive deal.