Chelsea have made contact over signing an “elite” player who could leave his club for just £34 million this summer, and he could be one of many new incomings with Enzo Maresca’s side ready to “spend big”.

Chelsea set for major summer transfer overhaul

Maresca’s side are likely to be very busy this summer, and could even get some of their business done in an early fashion.

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The Premier League confirmed that Chelsea will also have from June 1st-June 10th to sign players before the Club World Cup, so it wouldn’t be surprising to see BlueCo use this early opportunity to bring in upgrades with £100 million worth of prize money on the line.

Maresca’s squad will likely see a significant level of turnover when the window reopens, as Kepa Arrizabalaga, Alfie Gilchrist, Armando Broja, Raheem Sterling, David Datro Fofana, Renato Veiga, Carney Chukwuemeka, Ben Chilwell and Axel Disasi are all due to return to Stamford Bridge at the end of this season.

Ipswich Town (home)

April 13th

Fulham (away)

April 20th

Everton (home)

April 26th

Liverpool (home)

May 4th

Newcastle (away)

May 10th

Chelsea need to find permanent new homes for the aforementioned crop, as none appear to have a long-term future under Maresca, while concerns also surround some members of the Italian’s current squad.

They’re currently lacking a prolific striker, with Nicolas Jackson yet to score a league goal this calendar year and Christopher Nkunku out of form as well, prompting Maresca to use Pedro Neto as a makeshift option up front.

Robert Sanchez and Filip Jorgensen have also been subject to ferocious criticism at points, leading to Chelsea targeting new goalkeeping options this summer.

Reports in Italy claim Maresca has personally asked Chelsea to sign another keeper this summer, and they could turn to AC Milan star Mike Maignan for the role.

The France international is out of contract in 2026 as things stand, meaning he could leave for a cut-price fee of around £34 million, which is nearly half off from his previously reported £67 million valuation (TEAMtalk).

Chelsea ready to "spend big" with contact made over Mike Maignan

TMW reported this week that Chelsea have made an approach for Maignan, and now reliable journalist Simon Phillips has followed that up with his own update on the “elite” goalkeeper.

Phillips, taking to his Substack, writes that Chelsea have at the “very least” asked about Maignan, and the club are “ready to spend big” again this summer.

“I have now had it confirmed by my two top sources that the club are still very much in the market for a new goalkeeper but it does need to be the right profile and one that really improves what they have,” said Phillips.

“There is a budget for a new goalkeeper as Chelsea get ready to spend big again in the summer and match that spending with player sales.

We can confirm also that the noise about Mike Maignan at AC Milan is correct, Chelsea are absolutely watching that situation at the moment. There are some concerns about his recent form, but Maignan is a goalkeeper that is being monitored by Chelsea and sources confirm that the club have at the very least, asked for information. He is admired.”

The 29-year-old would be a steal at £34m, having taken the France number one spot from Hugo Lloris and proved himself on the big occasion time and time again. Despite his recent slump in form, Maignan is exactly the calibre of shot-stopper that Maresca needs.

New Arsenal sporting director Andrea Berta has personally reached out to another player alongside Nico Williams, amid credible reports that talks have been held with the latter’s representatives this week.

Berta holds Arsenal talks with Nico Williams' camp

Multiple reliable media sources have claimed that Berta has reached out to Williams’ camp over the last few days, as the Italian makes a fast start to his tenure as director and looks to tempt the Spain international with a Premier League move.

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Foot Mercato first broke news that Berta made contact with the 22-year-old’s agents in the last few days, with The Guardian’s Ed Aarons then backing this report in a statement made on X.

Arsenal’s links to Williams are nothing new, as it is rumoured Mikel Arteta was after him last summer as well, but the winger opted to remain at Bilbao for another campaign and further his development in La Liga.

However, his stance has now changed, and it is now expected that Williams will push for a Bilbao exit this summer in a boost for Berta and Arsenal. However, N5 is by no means his only potential landing spot, with Chelsea, Barcelona and Bayern Munich all contending for his signature.

The £200,000-per-week forward has a £48 million release clause written into his contract this summer, which would be quite the coup for a player who bagged 19 assists in all competitions for Bilbao last term and helped Spain to Euro 2024 glory.

The main obstacle to any transfer being completed is his reported wage demands, which some sources state to be in the region of £300,000-per-week.

Everton (away)

April 5th

Brentford (home)

April 12th

Ipswich Town (away)

April 20th

Crystal Palace (home)

TBD

Bournemouth (home)

May 3rd

While it is unclear whether Arsenal can strike a deal just yet, Berta is clearly stamping his authority just days after he was confirmed as the man to replace Edu.

Andrea Berta holds Arsenal talks with Martin Zubimendi

According to The Boot Room and journalist Graeme Bailey, the 53-year-old has reached out to another top transfer target – Real Sociedad midfielder Martin Zubimendi.

As per their information, Berta has also held Arsenal talks with Zubimendi, as he looks to get Williams’ international teammate over the line as well. The midfielder, who would come in to replace Thomas Partey and Jorginho, is expected to complete a move to Arsenal (Dharmesh Sheth), despite interest from Real Madrid.

Arsenal are planning to trigger his £50 million release clause and finally tempt him to England, one year after Zubimendi publicly rejected Liverpool. Called a “world-class” player by Gunners left-back Kieran Tierney, Fabrizio Romano also called Zubimendi the “perfect” midfielder for Arteta last summer.

“My personal feeling is that Zubimendi would be fantastic, even if Onana and Douglas have the advantage of both already knowing the Premier League,” said the reporter to CaughtOffside.

“Zubimendi is fantastic player, he can help with his vision, quality and intelligence on the ball – he’s the perfect midfielder.”

Celtic have had mixed success in the Scottish Premiership since the club returned to action after the final international break of the 2024/25 campaign.

The Hoops made a fast start to the last stretch of the season when they hammered Hearts 3-0 at Parkhead in their first game after the break, thanks to two goals from Daizen Maeda and one from Jota.

However, they followed that up by being beaten by bottom-of-the-league St. Johnstone away in the Premiership in their most recent match on Sunday.

It was a disappointing performance and result for the Hoops, who could have little complaints about the scoreline after they failed to produce the kind of quality supporters have become used to seeing from them in the final third.

The difference in Callum McGregor’s performance between the two matches illustrated the difference in Celtic’s play, and why the former Scotland international is so integral to Brendan Rodgers’ style of play.

Why Callum McGregor is integral for Celtic

In the 3-0 win over Hearts, the left-footed star completed a staggering 99% of his attempted passes – making 66 of 67 – and assisted Maeda for the opening goal with a through ball that split open the Jam Tarts defence.

The Scottish ace also won two of his three physical duels during the match, whilst also making two interceptions, and was not dribbled past a single time by an opposition player, which shows that he excelled in and out of possession.

This meant that McGregor was able to impact the game at both ends of the pitch, by effectively screening in front of the back four and using his quality on the ball to create the opening goal.

Against St. Johnstone, however, the captain played the full 90 minutes and did not create a single chance for his teammates despite having 79 touches of the ball and completing 94% of his passes.

Callum McGregor

Hearts (H)

St. Johnstone (A)

Minutes

64

90

Key passes

2

0

Assists

1

0

Pass accuracy

99%

94%

Duels won

2/3

1/6

Interceptions

2

0

Dribbled past

0x

1x

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, McGregor’s use of the ball and his actions defensively were nowhere up to the standards he set during the win over Hearts, as the Saints midfielders got the better of him far too easily in physical duels.

The difference in his performance correlating with the difference in results speaks to how integral he is to Celtic, because he is the heartbeat of the side and much of the team’s success depends on him playing to his level in the middle of the park.

McGregor, who has started 28 of his 29 appearances in the Premiership this season, provides a metronomic presence at the base of the midfield, controlling games for the Hoops, but allowed his level to drop against St. Johnstone and it contributed to the loss.

There is a former Celtic player, however, who has gone on to develop into being an even better player than the Hoops skipper in a deep-lying midfield role, as Ryan Christie has thrived since moving on from Parkhead.

How much Celtic sold Ryan Christie for

The Hoops reportedly sold the Scotland international to Bournemouth for a reported fee of £1.5m in the summer of 2021, having spent six years at Parkhead.

Christie made 151 appearances for the Premiership giants during his time in Glasgow, scoring 42 goals and providing 44 assists, before his move down south to the Championship – at the time.

During his time with the Hoops, the left-footed whiz predominantly played as either an attacking midfielder or as a winger as part of the midfield set-up, as he looked to impact games with goals and assists.

Christie was capable of the spectacular, as shown in the clip below, and even racked up an eye-catching tally of 21 goals and 16 assists in 45 appearances in all competitions during the 2019/20 campaign.

At that point, it seems unlikely that anyone would have predicted that Christie would go on to become an upgrade on McGregor in the number six position, as he was thriving as an attacker before his move to Bournemouth for £1.5m.

However, that is what has happened as the former St. Johnstone star has gone on to become an exceptional deep-lying midfield player in the Premier League at the Vitality.

Why Christie is now an upgrade on McGregor

Since signing for the Cherries, the bulk of the 30-year-old star’s appearances for the club have come as a defensive midfielder or a central midfielder, which is a big change from purely playing as an attack-minded midfielder or winger for Celtic.

If you compare Christie’s performances against McGregor’s over the past 365 days, whilst both now play in similar positions in midfield – unlike their time together at Parkhead, then it appears as though the left-footed ace would be an upgrade on the Celtic captain.

As you can see in the chart above, the Bournemouth star offers significantly more out of possession whilst also providing his team with more from an offensive perspective, when it comes to creating chances and building play that leads to shots.

Similar conclusions can be drawn by comparing Christie’s form in the Premier League to that of McGregor’s in the Champions League in the 2024/25 campaign, as shown below.

These statistics, this season and over the past 365 days, suggest that the former Bhoys ace would currently be an upgrade on McGregor in midfield, by doing more to help out his defence whilst also providing more creativity with his passing from a deep-lying role.

The Scottish ace was hailed by former Cherries defender Joe Partington earlier this year, as the former Celtic man was lauded for his consistency in the middle of the park.

Partington said: “Ryan Christie’s consistency this season is incredible. His level is so so high – his ability to look exceptionally in control of what he’s doing. I hope its not underwhelming to say he’s outstandingly basic.”

He added: “His touch is always perfect, his pass is always the right weight at the right time at the right angle – he plays the pass to the right player in the right moment into the right space.”

Christie, who has started 27 of his 29 appearances in the Premier League, has consistency to go along with his quality on the pitch, and consistency has been an issue – albeit over just two games – for McGregor since the international break.

However, there is no guarantee that he would have developed in the way that he has if Celtic had kept him at Parkhead, as the midfielder may have stuck to his role as an attacker, rather than being moved further back into a number six position.

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Therefore, the Hoops may not see Christie as one that got away from them from that perspective, but he was still a quality player who was sold for a relatively small amount of money, which should be frustrating for the Scottish giants.

Liverpool are believed to be “working on” tying down an “outstanding” player to a new contract alongside Virgil van Dijk, according to journalist Fabrizio Romano.

Salah signs new Liverpool deal

The news that Reds supporters have been dreaming of finally came true on Friday, with Mohamed Salah signing a new two-year deal at Anfield.

There have been concerns all season long that the 32-year-old Liverpool legend would leave the club, but he will now be on Merseyside until at least 2027, saying he intends to win more trophies there:

“If I don’t believe that, I would not have signed. I believe the team can win trophies and with the support of the fans and the city, and that the supporters always give us in the games, I believe we can win many trophies in the next years.”

Now, the hope is that other players will follow suit, with Trent Alexander-Arnold and Van Dijk also both out of contract at the end of this season.

While it looks increasingly likely that the latter will stay put and do the same as Salah, the former’s head appears to have been turned by a move to Real Madrid. That said, nothing has been confirmed over Alexander-Arnold leaving Liverpool at the peak of his powers.

Liverpool want new deal for "outstanding" ace

According to Romano in his newsletter for GiveMeSport, Liverpool are still looking to seal a new deal for Ibrahima Konate, as well as Van Dijk:

“They are in negotiations. Now the priority was obviously Salah and Van Dijk, but the next one could be Konate as Liverpool are working on it.”

Ensuring that Konate remains at Liverpool for the foreseeable future is of the utmost importance, considering he is still only 25 years of age and eight years Van Dijk’s junior.

The Frenchman is appreciated by so many at Anfield, from Arne Slot to the supporters, and captain Van Dijk also hailed him earlier this season, saying after their win away at Wolves in September:

“As you saw, he is important with the goal, he is defensively solid, a bit unlucky with the goal we conceded, but obviously the qualities he has are outstanding, in my opinion.

“He is learning, growing, getting better and looking after himself much better in order to be ready every three days as that’s what asked. And also we have a young player behind him in Jarrell, who is also doing well. We have to keep pushing each other and he is doing a good job.”

Relatively speaking, the £70,000-a-week wage that Konate earns is low compared to many of his teammates, so he deserves an improved contract to show that he is truly appreciated.

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Granted, injuries have hampered him at times in his career, so there is a slight risk involved in handing him an extension, but he should only get better in the coming years, and losing him at this point in his career could be a big blow to the Reds.

Celtic are through to the final of the SFA Cup after they cruised their way to a 5-0 win over Scottish Premiership side St. Johnstone at Hampden Park on Sunday.

The Hoops scored four times in the first half to blow their opponents away and seal their spot in the final with ease, thanks to two goals from Daizen Maeda and strikes from Callum McGregor, Adam Idah, and Jota.

There were a number of impressive performers on the pitch for Brendan Rodgers in this comfortable win, including Japanese forward Maeda.

Daizen Maeda's performance against St. Johnstone

The Japan international started the game on the left flank, with Idah through the middle as the centre-forward, and extended his tally to 33 goals in all competitions this season.

St. Johnstone (SFA Cup)

2

0

Kilmarnock (Premiership)

1

0

St. Johnstone (Premiership)

0

0

Hearts (Premiership)

2

0

Rangers (Premiership)

1

0

Hibernian (SFA Cup)

1

0

St Mirren (Premiership)

1

0

Aberdeen (Premiership)

2

0

Hibernian (Premiership)

1

0

Bayern Munich (Champions League)

0

0

As you can see in the table above, Maeda has been in exceptional form, particularly recently, with 11 goals in his last ten games in all competitions.

Both of his goals in this clash with St. Johnstone came in similar circumstances. The first was a pass from McGregor that provided him with a chance to roll the ball into the bottom right corner, before he faced up a defender and rolled the ball into the same corner for his second goal, just inside the box on the left side.

Maeda was not the only top performer at the top end of the pitch for the Hoops in this semi-final clash, though, as Reo Hatate was even better than him and proved why he is even more important than Engels.

Why Reo Hatate is more important than Arne Engels

The Japan international delivered a sensational performance in the middle of the park for the Scottish giants, particularly in the opening 45 minutes, and was even better than Maeda, as he was involved in three of the goals.

He was directly involved in the opening goal from Callum McGregor with a clever, inventive, backheel to the skipper on the edge of the box, teeing him up to find the back of the net.

Hatate, who earned a player rating of 8/10 from 67HailHail, then made a brilliant run down the left and delivered a perfect cross for Adam Idah for the third goal, putting the ball on a plate for the striker to convert.

The Japanese midfielder completed his hat-trick of assists with his play in the clip above, dribbling into the box to tee up Maeda for his second of the game. These three assists show that he was even better than his international teammate because he was at the heart of everything for the Hoops, whilst the winger provided the final action for just two of the goals and did not register any assists.

Hatate has now hit ten goals and nine assists in all competitions in the current campaign, and all of those goals came from open play. Whereas, Engels has scored two goals and provided 12 assists, excluding the eight penalties he has scored, which means that the Japan international has provided more at the top end of the pitch from open play.

Engels, who earned a player rating of 6/10 from 67HailHail against St. Johnstone, has not been as consistent as his midfield teammate as a goalscoring threat, as is to be expected of a young player in his first season in Scotland.

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In the here and now, though, Hatate is even more important than Engels on current form with his contributions at the top end of the pitch, after another stunning display on Sunday.

Rangers are now certain to end the Scottish Premiership campaign trophyless after bowing out of the Europa League on Thursday night, with all eyes now turning to the summer window and how Barry Ferguson’s side can rebuild.

Rangers out of Europa League after defeat to Athletic Bilbao

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One of Europe’s most in-demand young forwards was a nightmare to deal with, and sealed Bilbao’s place in the semi-finals with a late header at Ferguson’s expense – ending the 90 as deserved winners overall.

There are many pundits and supporters alike who are convinced Rangers should’ve been awarded two penalties, one for the glaring shirt pull on Cyriel Dessers, and another for handball inside the box. It’s hard to argue against their case, particularly for Dessers, so the game wasn’t without its controversy.

While they couldn’t quite get past Bilbao on the night, there were promising signs from Ferguson’s men, who fashioned chances of their own against very tough opposition in the La Liga heavyweights, but didn’t quite have the ruthlessness to finish them off.

“The work-rate was there, but the quality at times wasn’t, and I spoke about that to the players after the game,” said Ferguson on Rangers’ defeat to Bilbao.

“They understand that as well. It’s going to hurt, this one, but we need to go away and reflect a bit. That’s not just the players but myself too. Then we need to come on Monday morning and finish the season as strongly as possible. They’re disappointed because they know the qualities we’ve got.

“They worked hard enough and that’s never been in doubt since I’ve come through the door. It’s just that quality in the middle third, and final third that we just didn’t quite get right. I want them to hurt because I’m hurting. We’re all disappointed but we have five games not and we need 15 points.”

Rangers players tipped to leave as part of Ibrox overhaul

With the summer window looming, Rangers must now regroup and prepare for next campaign, where they will be looking to knock Old Firm rivals Celtic off their perch.

BBC journalist Tom English, speaking to Sportsround on Thursday night after the defeat to Bilbao (via Ibrox News), suggested that out-of-contract trio Tom Lawrence, Ianis Hagi and Neraysho Kasanwirjo – who all carry a market value worth of a combined £5 million according to Transfermarkt – could be in line for Ibrox exits, alongside Leon Balogun.

“Tom Lawrence is out of contract,” he said. “[Ianis] Hagi is out of contract, [Neraysho] Kasanwirjo, [Leon] Balogun, so they can maybe do something there, but they need to get rid of more, and they need to bring in more.”

However, before any new arrivals come in, the club must make a decision on whether to hand Ferguson the full-time manager role or employ another name for the hot seat. According to recent reports, Steven Gerrard is among the managerial names in contention for the Rangers job.

Crystal Palace and Steve Parish appear to be ahead of Brighton & Hove Albion in the race to sign a 6 foot 4 defender.

Crystal Palace latest as RB Leipzig eye Oliver Glasner move

The Eagles have enjoyed a solid season on the whole in what is Oliver Glasner’s first full campaign at Selhurst Park. A run to the FA Cup semi-finals has been the highlight for the Eagles, where they are preparing to take on Aston Villa at Wembley later this month.

However, there were fears Glasner’s stay in south London could be short-lived, with Bundesliga side RB Leipzig eyeing up a move for the Austrian.

It was even claimed that RB Leipzig and Red Bull chief Jurgen Klopp had made contact over a deal for Glasner. However, in a boost for Palace, it has since been added that Glasner can’t imagine leaving English football for Leipzig at this moment in time.

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He could therefore still be at the club over the summer, preparing for the 2025/26 season, and by the looks of things, Parish and those at Selhurst Park are eyeing up new signings for the current boss.

A number of names have been linked with moves to Palace, including Eintracht Frankfurt forward Hugo Ekitike and Liverpool winger Ben Doak.

Alongside attacking additions, deals for defensive targets are also on the agenda, and they are thought to be well-placed to sign a Ghana international.

Crystal Palace in lead to sign £5m+ Terry Yegbe

According to reports in Sweden, relayed by Sport Witness, Terry Yegbe is of interest to Crystal Palace, who are in the lead to sign the 24-year-old alongside Fulham and Championship promotion hopefuls Sheffield United.

There were rumours that rivals Brighton were on course to sign Yegbe for around €5.4m (£4.5m), however, it is stated that isn’t the case, with Palace, Fulham and the Blades best placed.

Elfsborg would want up to €6.98m (£5.9m) to sell Yegbe, who they only signed in 2024 for €550,000 from Finish side SJK Seinajoki.

Clearances

7.22

99th percentile

Interceptions

1.94

97th percentile

Shots blocked

1.25

95th percentile

Miscontrols

0.13

99th percentile

% of Aerials Won

68.4%

87th percentile

As can be seen, over the past 365 days, Yegbe, who stands at 6 ft 4, ranks highly in a number of defensive metrics, and he can also play as a left-back as well as a centre-back.

Now, a move to Selhurst Park could be one to keep an eye on, especially if Marc Guehi seals a Palace exit this summer amid links of a move to Premier League rivals Chelsea and Liverpool.

Liverpool are still hurtling towards the Premier League title, but recent results in the top division and outside of it have dampened Arne Slot’s side victory parade somewhat.

Losing the EFL Cup final to Newcastle bared some visible scars for the Reds, whilst a Champions League exit has also proven hard to take, before you even begin to closely examine the Anfield giants’ 3-2 loss to Fulham last time out in league action.

Of course, Mohamed Salah finally penning a new contract has undoubtedbly ramped up the happiness levels for the red part of Merseyside, but there are visible chinks beginning to appear in the once unbreakable armour.

Therefore, it isn’t a great shock seeing the soon-to-be Premier League champions be linked with a whole host of names to improve the squad, with a deal potentially back on the table for this midfield maestro.

Latest on Liverpool's search for a midfielder

As per reports in Spain, Liverpool are gearing up to make a spectacular move for Inter Milan ace Nicolo Barella in this approaching transfer market, having seemingly ‘intensified’ their interest in the Italy international.

Transfer Focus

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

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The report states that Slot’s men have a ‘clear objective’ in mind when hunting down gems to enhance their first-team personnel, culminating in the Premier League side singling out statement recruits in the central positions of the team.

Liverpool have shown interest in the Inter number 23 for some time, but this long-standing admiration has now intensified, with the Reds having to splash out around the £86m mark if they are to land the “top class” 28-year-old – as he was once labelled by ex-Reds great Jurgen Klopp – shortly.

Amazingly, there have even been comparisons drawn in the past between Barella and Merseyside icon Steven Gerrard, with Liverpool perhaps winning a star that possesses shades of their former icon’s game is a move is finalised.

How Barella possesses shades of Gerrard

Obviously, Barella won’t be expected to follow directly in the former Liverpool captain’s footsteps, with the now-retired midfielder one of Anfield’s most revered legends.

Gerrard would notch up a stunning 186 goals and 155 assists for his boyhood side from a bumper 710 clashes, meaning the Italian would have some catching up to do when joining to be remembered in a similarly glowing light.

Still – much like the Anfield hall-of-famer in his pomp in England – Barella has a long-range rocket up his sleeve playing in Italy, which is just one aspect of his game that makes the claims from La Gazetta Dello Sport back in 2015 that he is the ‘Sardinian Steven Gerrard’ more believable.

Moreover, the 5 foot 9 engine boasts an impressive 59 assists from 276 appearances at the San Siro, with his willingness to drive forward and expertly pick out a teammate further placing him on the same lofty pedestal as the great ‘Stevie G’..

Barella’s G/A record for Inter by season

Season

Games played

Goals scored

Assists

24/25

40

3

8

23/24

48

2

7

22/23

52

9

10

21/22

48

4

13

20/21

46

3

13

19/20

41

4

8

Sourced by Transfermarkt

The table above also shows how consistently excellent Barella has been over the years strutting his stuff in the Serie A, with 40 plus appearances tallied up all across his sterling six seasons for Inter, meaning he could be a great teammate for the likes of Ryan Gravenberch and Alexis Mac Allister to bounce off of.

A serial trophy winner at the San Siro too, Barella – who teammate Kristjan Asllani dubbed “one of the best midfielders in the world at the moment” – will further hope he can help Slot’s men pick up even more silverware on his potential arrival.

This has all the ingredients of being a top signing for Liverpool, with Barella going down as a crucial cog in Liverpool’s midfield machine like Gerrard before him.

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Liverpool defender Trent Alexander-Arnold stepped up to save the day for his side on Sunday with a terrific strike to beat Leicester City 1-0 at the King Power Stadium.

His second-half goal means that Arne Slot’s side are now only three points away from winning the Premier League title, which they could celebrate at Anfield against Tottenham Hotspur next Sunday.

As you can see in the highlights above, it was an emotionally charged celebration by the England international, who ripped his shirt off to passionately celebrate in front of the away supporters.

He is out of contract at the end of this season, with Real Madrid monitoring his situation, and refused to comment on his future when interviewed after the game.

One Liverpool player who has already committed his future to Anfield, however, is winger Mohamed Salah, who recently put pen to paper on a two-year contract extension.

Unfortunately, though, the former Chelsea and Roma forward’s performance against Leicester on Sunday was not one of his finest outings in red.

Mo Salah's struggles against Leicester

The Egypt international set the tone for what was to come in the opening minutes of the game when he found himself unmarked in the box and saw his low effort hit both posts and roll back out for a Leicester defender to make a clearance. It simply was not his day in front of goal.

Salah played the full 90 minutes against the Foxes and took seven shots on goal, six more after the initial effort that hit both posts, and failed to find the back of the net from any of them, only hitting the target once.

The left-footed magician missed four ”big chances’, more than any other player on the pitch, and will surely be gutted to have come off the pitch without a single goal to show for his efforts in the final third.

Minutes

90

xG

1.05

Shots

7

Shots on target

1

Big chances missed

4

Key passes

3

Big chances created

1

As you can see in the table above, Salah did create one ‘big chance’ for his teammates, though, which was not rewarded with an assist, as he was involved in plenty of actions – without success – in the Leicester box.

Salah has scored 27 goals and provided 18 assists in the Premier League so far this season, but this showing against the Foxes was a far cry from what supporters have seen from him throughout the rest of the year.

The Liverpool superstar was not the only player who underperformed in the 1-0 win over Leicester at the King Power, though, as Conor Bradley failed to take his chance to impress.

Conor Bradley's performance against Leicester

The Northern Ireland international was given the nod at right-back ahead of Alexander-Arnold, who is still coming back from injury and was not deemed ready to start.

Liverpool’s academy graduate played the opening 71 minutes of the game before being taken off for the English defender, who then went on to win the game for the Reds.

Bradley got off to the worst possible start early on in the game, just as Salah did with his miss, after he dawdled on the ball in his own box and was tackled by Wilfred Ndidi, who then failed to get a cross in before slipping out of play. That set the tone for the rest of what turned out to be a nervy showing.

Minutes

71

Tackles

0

Interceptions

0

Pass accuracy

79%

Big chances created

0

Duels won

6/14

Possession lost

17x

As you can see in the table above, the 21-year-old defender went on to lose the majority of his physical duels, whilst he also gave the ball away 17 times without creating any of the nine ‘big chances’ that Liverpool fashioned.

These statistics show that Bradley was just as bad as Salah due to his lack of quality on the ball and his weakness defensively, as both players underperformed on the right flank.

Chalkboard

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

FSG must, now, take note of this performance from the right-back because it proves that the board must spend millions on a new right-back if Alexander-Arnold does not put pen to paper on a contract extension.

Why FSG must sign a new right-back for Liverpool

The England international provided a timely reminder of the kind of quality that he can produce at his best. He is a full-back who has the ability to win a match on his day with his use of the ball as both a scorer and a creator at the top end of the pitch.

Liverpool will lose a huge attacking outlet in their squad if he moves on this summer as a free agent, and Bradley is yet to prove that he has what it takes to fill that void.

The young full-back’s lack of quality on the ball in the win over Leicester was just the latest sign that Liverpool must have plans for another right-back to come in and offer an attacking threat next season, should Alexander-Arnold move on.

Appearances

29

15

Goals

3

0

Big chances created

14

1

xA

6.72

0.58

Key passes per game

1.9

0.3

Assists

6

1

As you can see in the table above, the English dynamo offers significantly more than Bradley does with the ball at his feet, with 14 times as many ‘big chances’ created in the Premier League.

The Reds were linked with an interest in Bayer Leverkusen defender Jeremie Frimpong, who is valued at £34m, earlier this year, and the Dutch defender has scored 29 goals and provided 44 assists in 186 games for the German club.

He may have the kind of quality that Liverpool need to replace Alexander-Arnold with, due to his ability to score and assist goals from right-back, and that further proves that FSG will need to splash the cash and spend millions if they want to land a high-quality replacement for him.

It is now down to the board to spend the money required to bolster Slot’s squad if Alexander-Arnold decides to end his time at Anfield this summer.

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Newcastle United missed the chance to reinforce their lofty Premier League position as they were given a thorough hiding against Champions League-chasing rivals Aston Villa.

A switch flicked in December and United charged their way into the ascendancy, winning the Carabao Cup off Liverpool in March and underlining their elite-level credentials.

Still third in the top flight, Eddie Howe’s side now need to regroup ahead of the crucial final stretch of the season, their six-match winning run snapped.

However, this was a bruising display that will have left stand-in manager Jason Tindall seething. So often so strong, the centre-halves were taken to the shops against Villa Park’s slick frontline.

Newcastle's defence falls against Villa

Newcastle have been in emphatic form in recent weeks, turning Crystal Palace over 5-0 in midweek. However, the relentless fixture list, having forced United into three games over six days, claimed a top outfit in this one.

Fabian Schar equalised before twenty minutes after connecting with the in-form Harvey Barnes’ whipped delivery, but it was not a good evening for the long-serving Swiss centre-back, who disappointingly lost all five of his duels.

Likewise, Dan Burn has been a pillar of strength this term but he failed to produce his best performance, skewing Youri Tielemans’ lunge into his own net to all but seal the hosts’ victory. He also struggled to impose himself against a lively frontline, winning just one of five duels.

Both Schar and Burn will recover over the coming days and gear up for next weekend’s crucial clash against Ipswich Town at St. James’ Park.

Options have been sparse in defence, but there’s one man who may be dropped going forward after being exposed against Unai Emery’s men.

Newcastle must now drop stalwart

Even with Lewis Hall sidelined for the rest of the season, Kieran Trippier surely needs to be benched for the tough run-in, with Howe perhaps shifting Tino Livramento back into his natural right-back berth and giving Matt Targett some rare game time from the outset.

26/04/25

Ipswich Town (H)

18th

04/05/25

Brighton (A)

10th

10/05/25

Chelsea (H)

7th

18/05/25

Arsenal (A)

2nd

25/05/25

Everton (H)

13th

Following the loss, the experienced full-back was branded with a 4/10 match rating by The Chronicle Live, who noted that he was run ragged by the Lions.

Ceding possession 16 times despite only making one key pass, as per Sofascore, Trippier’s ball-playing skills weren’t at their best, but more concerningly he only won one of his four contested ground duels, having a tough time against the dangerous Ollie Watkins.

Newcastle writer Thomas Hammond even made the scathing comment that “Trippier’s legs gave up on him.” Aged 34 and a true veteran of the game, it’s hardly surprising that this might be the case for the vice-captain.

Schar and Burns suffered rare off-days and you’d think that all of a Magpies persuasion will be able to rally ahead of the stretch ahead, but if faced with such intensity again, Howe and Tindall might want to consider dropping Trippier, who was already at risk of being sold during the winter transfer window and may well be in the coming months.

The concern, of course, is that the Toon face a testing finish to the season, one which they will need to pass with flying colours if a place back at the continent’s prized tournament is to be achieved, lifting a stunning campaign even higher.

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