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The ECB has announced a spin-heavy England Lions training squad for a winter training camp in the UAE next month. Ten players have been drafted into the second-tier set-up for the first time.With the England men’s Test side travelling to India for a five-match series in January, eight spinners have been selected for this trip. These include Leicestershire’s Rehan Ahmed, who made his Test debut against Pakistan last winter, and Middlesex offspinner Josh De Caires, earning his first Lions call after taking 27 Division One wickets at 25.59.Other notable inclusions are Tom Lawes, whose 30 dismissals helped Surrey to the County Championship, and Somerset’s James Rew, who struck five centuries among 1086 runs, which earned him the PCA Young Player of the Year award. Fast bowlers Matthew Fisher, Matthew Potts, Josh Tongue and Brydon Carse, all of whom have international caps to their name, will also attend the camp, which runs from November 16 to December 7.The aim of the three weeks is as much to reward performances over the last season as it is to understand the depth of England’s pathway. Those selected are deemed “high potential players” and will focus primarily on developing red-ball skills, closely aligned to England’s future requirements ahead of the subcontinent tour at the start of 2024. Lancashire’s Tom Hartley and Sussex’s Jack Carson – left-arm orthodox and offbreak bowlers, respectively – are two such players who could be considered for the Test tour. Hartley made his England debut during the recent ODI series with Ireland, while Carson took 31 wickets this season.The focus on spinners in the short term is vital given the lack of options following Moeen Ali’s Test retirement at the end of the Ashes, and with Adil Rashid focussing solely on white-ball cricket. Lead spinner Jack Leach is continuing his recovery from a back stress fracture sustained at the start of the summer.Players and counties were consulted around selection, with several players not selected either because of pre-existing commitments or other opportunities overseas deemed more beneficial to their individual needs.England men’s performance director Mo Bobat said, “At the end of an enjoyable season and after close dialogue with players and counties, it’s exciting to confirm our group that will travel to Abu Dhabi for a training camp later this year.”The camp will provide an excellent opportunity for the players to develop their red ball game and allow us to learn more about them as people and players.”In selecting the group, we’ve carefully considered England’s short and long-term needs in Test cricket, particularly with sub-continent challenges in mind.”It’s quite a large group and it’s great that we can support player development in this way for what should be a fun camp.”The coaching and mentoring group accompanying the party will be announced in due course.England Lions training group: Rehan Ahmed (Leicestershire), George Balderson (Lancashire), Shoaib Bashir (Somerset), Josh Bohannon (Lancashire), Brydon Carse (Durham), Jack Carson (Sussex), James Coles (Sussex), Josh De Caires (Middlesex), Matthew Fisher (Yorkshire), Tom Hartley (Lancashire), Lyndon James (Nottinghamshire), Tom Lawes (Surrey), Dan Mousley (Warwickshire), Callum Parkinson (Durham), Matthew Potts (Durham), Rishi Patel (Leicestershire), Ollie Price (Gloucestershire), James Rew (Somerset), Ollie Robinson (Durham), Josh Tongue (Nottinghamshire), John Turner (Hampshire)

West Ham United have made an offer to sign a new forward for manager Graham Potter, according to the player’s agent.

West Ham eye new striker with permanent Ferguson deal unlikely

The Hammers brought in Evan Ferguson on loan from Brighton & Hove Albion back in January, however, the Republic of Ireland international is yet to score his first goal for the Irons.

The 20-year-old has only made five appearances and played just over 90 minutes for the Irons, and there have been reports that West Ham are unlikely to make Ferguson’s loan move permanent this summer.

As a result, the search for another new striker ahead of Potter’s first full season in charge at the London Stadium appears to be underway, and there has been a plethora of forwards linked with moves to West Ham.

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AS Roma’s Tammy Abraham, currently on loan at AC Milan, has been explored by the Hammers, whereas Potter is keen on Lille striker Jonathan David, who is on course to become a free agent in the summer.

Meanwhile, an approach has been made for Fiorentina’s Moise Kean, formerly of Everton, but one name who will be familiar to Irons supporters and West Ham transfer chiefs is Yuri Alberto.

The Corinthians striker has long been linked with the Hammers and reports last month said that talks were open ahead of a potential move this summer. Alberto has an £83m release clause in his contract, but it has been claimed that he could be sold for an initial £21m over the coming months, which is a £62m mark down.

West Ham make offer to sign 104-goal Alberto, says agent

Now, a fresh update has been shared on West Ham and Alberto by his agent, Andre Cury. As relayed by Sport Witness, Cury said that West Ham have made an offer for Alberto, alongside Wolves and Real Betis.

“Our job is to take the proposal to the club. We have already had offers from Wolverhampton, West Ham, from Betis, from Spain, from Italy.

“But the player is young, every player who is in South America thinks of playing in Europe and with Yuri is no different. If there is a good opportunity that is good for him and for the club, we will talk.”

Corinthians

165

64

18

Internacional

85

31

5

Santos

25

3

1

Zenit St. Petersburg

15

6

4

Brazil

1

0

0

Alberto is under contract with Corinthians until 2027, but by the looks of things, he could be on the move in 2025. This year could finally be the time West Ham get their 104-career goal attacking target, making this one to watch.

0.1, Holder to van Beek, FOUR runsWhat a start for Netherlands! Low full toss fired into off stump from around the wicket. Van Beek sits deep in his crease, gets enough power on his shot and shovels it through deep midwicket for four!0.2, Holder to van Beek, SIX runsClears the fence comfortably! Another low full toss outside off stump. Van Beek sits back to give himself enough leverage and absolutely clatters it over the long-on fence!0.3, Holder to van Beek, FOUR runsFour more! Short and wide outside off stump. Van Beek hops up onto his toes, gets on top of the bounce and smears it past deep midwicket. 14 off the over already!0.4, Holder to van Beek, SIX runsClean as a whistle! Right in the slot outside off stump. Van Beek plants his front foot, swings through the line and wallops it over the wide-long-on fence. Such clean ball striking, under such pressure – wow!Looks like the ball has taken so much of a pounding that it needs to be replaced0.5, Holder to van Beek, SIX runsThat is into the trees! Watch that ball sail! Another slot ball outside off stump and van Beek now seems to have gotten into the bowler’s head. Another free swing and it goes miles over the deep-midwicket fence!0.6, Holder to van Beek, FOUR runsFour to end the Super Over! Short and outside off stump. The ball seems to be ballooning over the batter’s head until… van Beek leaps into the air like a salmon and mousses it past deep midwicket!Phew, 30 runs came off that over. Holder, who has bowled so many overs under pressure, just could not handle van Beek. Edwards did not even have to face a ball and the West Indies will need something truly special to get past the line now.

It took Kolkata Knight Riders eight games to finally produce a cohesive team performance. They excelled with bat and ball, and were the better team in the field too, as they achieved only their third win of the season. It was the perfect way for them to start the second half of the league stage, beating Royal Challengers Bangalore for the second time in the season.KKR’s win was set up by their new opener Jason Roy, who laid the base for their total of 200 by smacking 56 off 29 balls. Nitish Rana pumped 48 off 21 to keep the momentum going through the middle overs, and Rinku Singh (18 off 10) and David Wiese (12 off 3) put on the finishing touches.RCB’s chase, though, was on while Virat Kohli was out there. He scored 54 off 37 to keep them on course. However, regular wickets from Suyash Sharma, Varun Chakravarthy and Andre Russell kept pegging them back, and RCB eventually ran out of gas and fell 21 short.

Suyash, Varun pull it back for KKR

Kohli and Faf du Plessis hammered 30 runs in two overs from Vaibhav Arora and Umesh Yadav to start the chase, forcing Rana to bring on spin in the third over. He chose to go to his least experienced spinner – Suyash Sharma – ahead of Sunil Narine and Varun, and was rewarded with du Plessis holing out to long on second ball.While Kohli kept finding the boundary, he failed to find support in the powerplay with Shahbaz Ahmed falling lbw to Suyash, while Glenn Maxwell holed out off Varun. With RCB three down in the powerplay, Kohli and Mahipal Lomror stabilised the chase by running hard and taking on Sunil Narine.Jason Roy gave KKR a fabulous start•Associated Press

Rana then went back to Varun, who had Lomror caught in the deep, and when Kohli was superbly caught on 54 by Venkatesh Iyer, diving to his left at deep midwicket in the 13th over, KKR were decidedly ahead in the contest. The dismissals of Wanindu Hasaranga and Dinesh Karthik in the space of four balls ensured RCB had no way back and Kohli, who was standing in as captain for du Plessis once again, said they had “gifted” the victory to KKR.

Rana makes RCB pay

Kohli’s scathing post-game comments were largely because of RCB’s fielding. They put down a tough caught-and-bowled chance off Roy, but it was the two reprieves that Rana received that really cost RCB. According to ESPNcricinfo’s Luck Index the two drops, by Mohammed Siraj in the 13th over and Harshal Patel in the 15th, cost RCB a total of 29 runs.

Roy fined for breaching Code of Conduct

KKR opening batter Jason Roy has been fined 10 percent of his match fees for breaching the IPL Code of Conduct. It appeared that he hit the bails with his bat after he was dismissed by Vijaykumar Vyshak. He admitted to the Level 1 offence, where the Match Referee’s decision is final.

The first chance came when Rana was on 5 off 5 deliveries and then second when he was on 19 off 12. He ended up scoring 48 off 21 balls. Rana’s innings included three fours and four sixes and it allowed KKR to wrest the momentum after sluggish innings from N Jagadeesan and Venkatesh.

Roy sets Knight Riders up

It was Roy’s innings, however, that set the tone for KKR’s night. After struggling for runs from their opening partnership all season, KKR finally had a strong start and it was all Roy. He smashed four sixes in the fifth over from left-arm spinner Shahbaz Ahmed to power them to 66 for 0 in the powerplay.So even though Vijaykumar Vyshak dismissed N Jagadeesan and Roy in the same over, KKR had a platform to build on, and this time Rana and the rest ensured that it was not wasted.

Australian Craig Howard, meanwhile, takes over as spin-bowling coach

ESPNcricinfo staff30-Nov-2022

Former New Zealand men’s international Dean Brownlie has been named batting coach of the New Zealand women’s team. Joining him in the White Ferns set-up is spin-bowling coach Craig Howard.Brownie, who retired at the end of the 2019-20 season with a total of 14 Test caps and 21 white-ball caps, was New Zealand men’s interim batting coach in March 2022 when the side played Netherlands at home. More recently, he served as network coach at Northern Districts and also joined the Black Caps coaching staff for the T20 World Cup in Australia.”I’ve been fortunate to experience cricket all around the world in different conditions, and I want to be able to share my knowledge of the game to help take this batting group to the next level,” Brownlie said via an NZC statement. “This batting group has a mix of world-class players and exciting young players coming through as well, so there’s a unique playing dynamic that I hope to add value to.”There’s some really experienced players in this group that know their game really well and will require support when needed, and there’s younger players who are just starting out on their international cricket journey who I can provide a bit more guidance with, so it’s individual with how I will contribute.”Howard, a former first-class cricketer with Victoria, will work closely with spinners Amelia Kerr, Eden Carson and Fran Jonas. He has been involved with the White Ferns on a tour-by-tour basis in the past, and will be with the side for the home series against Bangladesh and then stay on at least until next year’s T20 World Cup in South Africa in February. He has previously been spin consultant with Cricket Australia, South Australia and Adelaide Strikers, where he worked with Nathan Lyon, Georgia Wareham and Sophie Molineux.”With the World Cup around the corner we will mainly continue to work on their strategy and mindset in the different formats and phases – making sure they’re high percentage and giving them the best chance of performing their role which will be to limit the oppositions ability to score and take wickets,” Howard said.New Zealand are set to play Bangladesh at home for three T20Is and three ODIs starting December 2, and then go to the T20 World Cup where their first game is scheduled against Australia on February 11.

Turning their attention towards rising stars yet again, Chelsea have reportedly made contact in the race to seal a double swoop to sign a 17-year-old talent alongside a young midfielder.

Chelsea transfer news

It’s a rare day when the Blues aren’t in the transfer headlines and about to splash the cash. So far, however, spending that money under Todd Boehly is yet to take them back to the top of English football. But the American will persist with his transfer strategy nonetheless, with the focus set on finding the next generation of impressive stars.

It’s a strategy which has seen the likes of Aaron Anselmino and Marc Guiu arrive in the last year and one which is likely to see further young players make their way to Stamford Bridge. Currently tasked with putting a winning squad together using those talents, meanwhile, is Enzo Maresca who at least got his side back to winning ways over Southampton last time out.

When the summer arrives, the Italian is likely to receive even more backing in the form of rising stars, which could yet include two Greek talents in the coming months.

According to The Boot Room, Chelsea have now made contact to seal a double deal for Christos Mouzakitis and Charalampos Kostoulas this summer. The two teenagers have impressed at Olympiacos to create a line of top suitors ahead of the summer transfer window.

Chelsea leading race to sign "superb" £37m star keen on Premier League move

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Joined by Chelsea, Nottingham Forest, Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur are among some of Europe’s top clubs already setting their sights on Kostoulas and Mouzakitis – igniting quite the race for their signatures.

Mouzakitis, an 18-year-old midfielder, and Kostoulas, a 17-year-old striker, look set to have quite the decision to make when the summer transfer window swings open and those clubs potentially come calling.

Mouzakitis and Kostoulas are on the rise

It says an incredible amount about just how talented Mouzakitis and Kostoulas are that such a hectic line is already forming in pursuit of their signatures. It’s a line that Chelsea – among others – will be desperate to win in the coming months as they look to welcome two more young gems to add to a growing collection.

Both players have already been making their mark on senior football this season, even featuring for Olympiacos in the Europa League with Mouzakitis earning the praise of analyst Ben Mattinson for his “powerful” ball-striking and “tenacious” work off the ball. Now, there’s every chance that the teenager becomes the future of Chelsea’s midfield.

Kostoulas, meanwhile, has been quite the sensation himself – scoring six goals for the senior side in just 20 league appearances.

Scott McTominay is officially immortal, with one Napoli fan getting a special tattoo to honour the ex-Manchester United star’s exploits in Italy.

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• Scotland international left Old Trafford in 2024
• Has registered 11 Serie A goals this season
• Fan favourite in bid to land Italian top-flight title

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  A few eyebrows were raised when the Scotland international midfielder stepped out of his comfort zone at Old Trafford and headed to Naples in the summer of 2024. The only questions now are, why did United – given their ongoing struggles – agree to let him leave?

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• Getty
  

  DID YOU KNOW?

  That is because McTominay has been a revelation in Serie A. He has helped Napoli to the top of the table, registering 11 goals along the way and rewriting the history books. The 28-year-old is hoping to end his debut campaign with a title party.

• THE GOSSIP

  ‘McTominay Mania’ is now in full swing, with fans sporting kilts to games while a pizza has been named in his honour. The Scotland star’s girlfriend, Cam Reading, has been billed as ‘The Queen of Italy’, while some supporters have taken to getting unique body art.

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• TELL ME MORE

  Tattoo artist Vincenzo Poziello has revealed the ‘McFratm 8’ design that was asked to ink onto one customer. A nod is offered there to McTominay’s favoured nickname in Italy, which translates as ‘McBro’.

She will end her professional career after this season’s WBBL with Sydney Thunder

Andrew McGlashan14-Sep-2022Australia vice-captain Rachael Haynes has announced her retirement from international and state cricket. She will finish her professional career entirely after this season’s WBBL with Sydney Thunder.Haynes, a left-hand top-order batter, made her Australia debut in an ODI against England at Lord’s in 2009 and a few days later scored 98 on her Test debut at Worcester. In total she scored 3818 international runs with 2585 of them coming in ODIs, which also brought her two centuries.Related

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Haynes’ career can be divided into two parts: up to 2013 and then after her return in 2017. Having been dropped following the 2013 Ashes in England, Haynes was recalled for a tour of New Zealand nearly four years later and from that point averaged 45.07 in ODIs and 33.00 in T20Is with a strike-rate of 126.15. Her final international match was Australia’s gold-medal victory against India at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.Haynes captained Australia on 14 occasions when filling in for Meg Lanning, most notably during the 2017-18 Ashes when Lanning was ruled out with a shoulder injury.”One of the great things about having a long career is watching those around you develop,” Haynes said. “I’m extremely proud of the way this team has brought players in and nurtured their development. The ability to help players transition smoothly has been instrumental to our team’s success. To be a leader within this environment has been the greatest privilege of my career.”Haynes fell agonisingly short of the century mark three times during her Test career•Getty ImagesHaynes filled a variety of batting positions, finishing as an opener in Tests and ODIs – ending her one-day career at the 2022 World Cup where she was the second-highest run-scorer behind Alyssa Healy – and became Australia’s middle-order safety net in T20Is, a role never better exemplified than against Sri Lanka, in Perth, during the 2020 T20 World Cup after Australia’s tournament had been left on a knife-edge following the opening defeat against India.A Test-match century agonisingly eluded her: apart from her 98 on debut, she also made 87 at Taunton in 2019 (ended by a dubious lbw decision) and 86 in Canberra against England earlier this year.

Thank you Rach! I had the honour of receiving my ODI cap from you and my NSW cap. You’ve been a fantastic leader in all teams you play for and certainly had a huge impact on the game of cricket. You will be sorely missed but I look forward to playing you one last time in the WBBL pic.twitter.com/iLuNyiN9eT

— Ashleigh Gardner (@akgardner97) September 14, 2022

She had addressed the retirement question over the past year and during the World Cup in New Zealand said: “At the end of every series I play I ask myself the question, ‘do I still have that passion and desire to continue on’ and ‘am I still playing at a level which is contributing to the team’s success?”On Thursday, she thanked all those who had played a part in her career.”Playing at this level isn’t possible without the support of many people,” she said. “From clubs, states, coaches, family and friends, I’m so grateful to those who helped me along the way. In particular, I want to thank my parents Ian and Jenni, and partner Leah for their unwavering support.”To all the team-mates across my career, you are the reason I’ve played as long as I have. You’ve inspired me to be better every day. I’ve learnt something from all of you, on and off the field. You’ve challenged me as a player, helped me grow as a person and most importantly, made cricket fun.”Haynes captained Australia on 14 occasions when filling in for Meg Lanning•ICC via Getty ImagesHealy, who put on 160 with Haynes in the ODI World Cup final earlier this year, paid tribute to her team-mate.”I feel so fortunate to have been able to spend most of my career playing with Rach,” she said. “In the early years I played against her when she was at Victoria, and we have been rivals in the WBBL, but it’s pretty obvious that it’s better being on her team than trying to get her out.”To have the privilege of being at the other end watching some of her greatest innings, and it [is] those times, as well as the times off the field travelling around Australia and the world, that I will always cherish.”

Thanks Rach!!

Thanks for everything you’ve done for me, for the game and for everyone around you. Miss you already!! @RachaelHaynes pic.twitter.com/mDael0vHMs

— Alyssa Healy (@ahealy77) September 14, 2022

Nick Hockley, the Cricket Australia chief executive, said: “On behalf of everyone at Cricket Australia I’d like to congratulate Rachael on an amazing career and also recognise the outstanding contribution she has made off the field.”Rachael’s calm and assured leadership has played a key role in Australia becoming one of the most successful sporting teams in history. She will go down as a great of the game.”Rachael has been an inspirational figure for kids coming into the game and to her many teammates and has played an integral part in the advancement of cricket as a sport for women and girls, both here in Australia and around the world. We look forward to watching Rachael in the WBBL this season and hope she maintains a close connection to the game in coming years.”In the WNCL, where Haynes played for Victoria and New South Wales, she scored 4528 runs at 43.12 with nine centuries. For NSW she sits fourth on the all-time run scoring list behind Alex Blackwell (4788), Lisa Sthalekar (3414) and Lisa Keightly (3081).

Liverpool are believed to be keen on completing the signing of a player who has been described as “one of Europe’s most pleasant surprises” this season.

Liverpool transfer news

The Reds are being linked with plenty of potential new signings, with the club reportedly submitting a bid for Real Madrid midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni. The Frenchman was a target prior to joining the Champions League holders from Monaco in 2022, but it looks as though their interest hasn’t gone away.

Another possible midfield option for Liverpool is VfB Stuttgart ace Enzo Millot, who could be a cheaper alternative to the Madrid man. The 22-year-old has already developed into a key man for the Bundesliga side, bagging four goals and two assists in the league this season.

It could be that some current Reds players move on in the near future, however, with the club reportedly considering accepting a £60m offer for Darwin Nunez at the end of the season. The Uruguayan continues to flatter to deceive at Anfield, with his finishing and all-round game constantly under scrutiny, so it may make sense to cash in on him.

Should Nunez be moved on, a superior replacement will need to be found in Liverpool’s attack, with Lille star Jonathan David emerging as a rumoured target for the Merseysiders. The 24-year-old is enjoying another prolific season in France, scoring 11 goals in 16 Ligue 1 matches.

Liverpool plotting move for exciting 22 y/o

According to a new report from Football Insider, Liverpool are “plotting a move” for Feyenoord forward Anis Hadj Moussa, with the Reds watching him “closely” after an impressive start to life at his current club.

It is claimed that the 22-year-old “has been identified as a potential backup for Mohamed Salah”, with Federico Chiesa struggling to be a good option in that right-sided role, proving to be unavailable too often and, like Nunez, also in danger of being moved on.

Moussa could be an ideal long-term addition for Liverpool in the summer transfer window, initially coming in as a squad option behind Salah, assuming the Reds legend signs a new deal.

The three-cap Algeria international has scored six goals in the Eredivisie and Champions League combined this season, netting three times in the latter despite only starting twice. Meanwhile, football talent scout Jacek Kulig has hailed him as “one of Europe’s most pleasant surprises” recently.

Planning for the future is vital for Liverpool, not allowing star players to grow old without finding a replacement, so snapping up Moussa at the end of the season would be shrewd business.

Liverpool submit bid to sign their best defensive midfielder since Fabinho

Liverpool have made a stunning bid for one of Europe’s standout midfielders.

1

By
Angus Sinclair

Jan 7, 2025

At 22, he is still a raw talent who is maturing as a footballer, but his performances this season are extremely promising, especially the impact he is having in the Champions League.

Liverpool are in the driving seat for the Premier League title, six points clear of second-placed sides Arsenal and Nottingham Forest while yielding a game in hand.

After Darwin Nunez came up trumps in the dying embers at the Gtech on Saturday, Brentford manager Thomas Frank conceded that Liverpool are the “best team in the world” right now and a “level above” their closest challengers in the top flight.

It’s true that the Bees missed several promising chances across a hard-contested fixture, but Liverpool’s 37 shots told the tale of the tape, with their last-gasp goals vindication after 90 minutes of profligacy.

It was an off day for the Premier League’s finest frontline, but Nunez proved that Liverpool have title-winning strength in depth, even if window-related noise suggests that the Reds should invest this winter.

Arne Slot has been predictably coy when quizzed on transfer and contract-related issues, but FSG do have some targets on their shortlist and there’s one in particular who might join the cause this month.

Liverpool's January transfer plans

Lyon playmaker Rayan Cherki has reached an agreement with his club regarding his prospective sale this month. The Ligue 1 side are engulfed in financial issues and would ease their burdens by cashing in on the 21-year-old.

Fabrizio Romano has relayed the news, confirming that Cherki could be available this month for a bargain €22.5m (roughly £19m) fee.

While the transfer guru doesn’t explicitly mention Liverpool as suitors, Spanish reports have confirmed that the Anfield side are gearing up to make their move, following their own recent vein of eye-catching opportunities – the signings of Wataru Endo and Federico Chiesa, for example.

The report notes that the Reds are ‘willing’ to meet his asking price and that they are now the ‘main candidates’ to sign the Frenchman having intensified their efforts to sign him this month.

As such, it’s suggested that if ‘all goes according to plan, Cherki could be wearing a Liverpool shirt in the next few days.’

What Rayan Cherki would bring to Liverpool

Some might feel that Cherki’s profile is not of the greatest importance to Liverpool given the supposed lack of depth at centre-back and the ongoing decline of Andy Robertson.

But this is a talent – for a shrewd price – who cannot be allowed to pass by. This season, Cherki has enjoyed prolific success across all competitions, posting five goals and eight assists over 22 outings and serving as his team’s creative talisman.

Described as “one of the most skilful players on earth” by pundit Frank Lebouef, Cherki would certainly bring some flair to a Liverpool frontline blessed with dynamism and depth.

Cherki’s playmaking prowess and capacity to mix things up across a variety of positions issue a strong remark on his chances of excelling on English shores, providing relief across a range of areas for Slot’s side.

Attacking midfield

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While Liverpool already have an elite up-and-coming architect named Harvey Elliott, Cherki could be the perfect attacking midfielder to complete the set, with a dribbling skill that differentiates him from his age-mates.

As per FBref, Cherki ranks among the top 1% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for shot-creating actions, the top 4% for passes attempted, the top 1% for progressive passes and the top 1% for successful take-ons per 90.

His big personality on the field and doggedness in making things happen on the ball could serve the resurgence of Nunez neatly indeed over the coming months, with the Uruguay international’s brace reopening the door to an important role as the Slot machine churns on.

24/25

16

4

1.6 (0.6)

3

23/24

36

11

3.0 (1.3)

27

22/23

29

9

2 9 (1.3)

20

Though we’re extrapolating from a far more narrow data pool, it’s curious to note that Nunez’s woes this season have not come as a result of wastefulness, comparatively to the past two seasons, but rather, a decreased output. It’s like that this is a by-product of Slot’s lack of trust in Liverpool’s club-record striker.

Nunez, to be sure, is a player who runs on frenetic energy, on chaos. His tenacity and willingness to ruffle feathers with innate predatory movements is something that cannot be easily replaced. Diogo Jota, in this sense, is his inverse, all cool and calculated finishing.

Alongside Cherki, Nunez could take centre stage as a key man in one of the Premier League’s most unpredictable strike forces, bringing dynamism and destructive energy to Slot’s team.

Slot, of course, will always champion control, but when combining the rawness of such a forward with the Dutch coach’s sharp tactics, Liverpool might unlock new levels to their attacking line, with Nunez darting forward to latch onto Cherki’s surgical passes – hopefully with a refined ball-striking sense.

Nunez has shown that he can thrive when placed in reactionary, high-octane situations. Well, in Cherki, a player who journalist Dean Jones has lauded for his “outrageous” skills, he might just find the perfect partner.

Perfect signing: Liverpool chasing their next Fabinho in £50m "warrior"

FSG are willing to spend big and complete Liverpool’s midfield at the end of the season.

ByAngus Sinclair Jan 20, 2025