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Liverpool have now launched their first approach to sign a much-needed right-back target, who could arrive at Anfield or in North London as a free agent.

Arne Slot admits shock at "ridiculous" Liverpool form

It has been a disastrous run for Liverpool, with their 3-0 loss against Nottingham Forest proving to be their most shocking result yet. After eight defeats in 11 games, the champions are on course for one of the worst title defences in Premier League history, despite spending over £400m in the summer.

With PSV Eindhoven up next, Arne Slot has admitted just how shocked he’s been by his side’s form and went onto describe it as “ridiculous” in his pre-match press conference.

The Champions League has often been a saving grace for Liverpool this season. Their victory over Real Madrid last time out proved to be somewhat of a false dawn before their Premier League return, but the Reds now have the chance to pick up where they left off in Europe, at the very least.

They will, however, be without an out-and-out right-back yet again following Conor Bradley’s injury to join Jeremie Frimpong on the sidelines. It is a problem that Liverpool must solve and one that could yet see Zeki Celik arrive.

Liverpool launch approach to sign Zeki Celik

According to TeamTalk’s Rudi Galetti, Liverpool have launched an approach to sign Celik in a transfer battle with Arsenal, Manchester City, Manchester United and Chelsea, all of whom have made contact.

The right-back is on course to become a free agent when his contract expires next summer and could yet provide a solution for Slot by finally replacing Trent Alexander-Arnold.

The 28-year-old, at the peak of his powers, recently earned the praise of Turkey manager Vincenzo Montella, who told reporters: “He’s the perfect player for any coach.

“Celik is professional, reliable, does his job wherever you play him. In a locker room it is always needed to have guys like him.”

Perfect for Isak: Liverpool make £122m sensation their "dream target"

Liverpool need to make changes in the transfer market once again.

ByAngus Sinclair Nov 25, 2025

The AS Roma man is also capable of playing centre-back in what would kill two birds with one stone for Slot, who currently has just three senior centre-backs to choose from which includes the injury-prone Joe Gomez.

Instead of Gakpo: Liverpool can unlock Isak by unleashing homegrown Semenyo

Having played just four T20s before Monday, the left-arm seamer became the first Indian to take a four-for on IPL debut

Vishal Dikshit31-Mar-20251:36

Aaron: ‘Skiddy’ Ashwani quicker than batters expected

Ashwani Kumar hails from Jhanjeri, a village in the Mohali district of Punjab. He belongs to a humble family that couldn’t afford to pay for his cricket. He still found ways to get around Punjab to play the game and did well enough to earn a first-class debut at the age of 18. But then a hamstring injury took him off the field.Two seasons later, he returned to the Punjab side but got just one game in the Ranji Trophy and one in the 50-over Vijay Hazare Trophy. And then another three white-ball games in the 2022-23 season. He was too “raw” then, not very fit, and Punjab had enough pace options in the side at the time.Ashwani then joined the Launching Pad Cricket Academy in Chandigarh in 2023. Soon after that, he got picked for the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy in the 2024-25 season as a back-up in the pace attack led by Arshdeep Singh. But, even before he could get a game, came the IPL mega auction. In 2024, Punjab Kings (PBKS) and Chennai Super Kings (CSK) had already spotted something in Ashwani to bring him on board as a net bowler, and PBKS even pulled some strings to ensure he went to their camp and not CSK’s.Related

• Calm Ashwani fills the gaps in MI's Bumrah-centric bowling plans

• Ramandeep: 'Being picked by KKR has changed everything for me'

• Rickelton: 'The pressure internally is big but externally is huge' at the IPL

• Rookies Ashwani and Rickelton lead MI to first win

• Best figures on IPL debut: Ashwani the first Indian with a four-for

Before the auction ahead of IPL 2025, Ashwani appeared for trials at both CSK and Mumbai Indians (MI), and the MI scouts are believed to have been impressed by what they saw: his ability to rush batters despite not being express and the ability to swing the new ball as well as pound it into the pitch, as well as other variations. MI’s scouts – whom captain Hardik Pandya credited after Monday’s win over Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) – were on the prowl before the auction and made sure the MI management picked two domestic unknowns for INR 30 lakh each to bolster the pace unit – Satyanarayana Raju and Ashwani, who had played only five domestic games at the time.Before IPL 2025 started, Ashwani went back to the academy in Chandigarh to spend time with his coach Varinder Singh and specifically worked on his fitness, his non-bowling arm, and his strength and conditioning. The Ashwani that showed up in the MI camp a couple of months later had a stronger action and a more athletic body.One of the first things Ashwani’s Punjab coach Wasim Jaffer and team-mate Ramandeep Singh – who was his opponent on Monday night – mentioned was his work ethic. “He works tirelessly in the nets, he’s very sincere and he wants to keep improving,” Jaffer told ESPNcricinfo. “He has a lot of things – he can hit 140kph, he has a bouncer, a yorker, a slower ball. I’m so happy he went to the right franchise.”Ashwani Kumar celebrates after having Rinku Singh hole out•Associated PressWhen IPL 2025 started, MI had to deal with Jasprit Bumrah’s absence and two losses in their first two games. Being the only team without any points before Monday’s game, MI could have played it safe by retaining Raju in the XI – he at least has some IPL experience to show. But they took a punt by leaving Raju out and named a fourth IPL Indian debutant in three games, after Raju, Vignesh Puthur and Robin Minz.Playing at home, where conditions are better for their bowling attack, Trent Boult and Deepak Chahar finally struck in tandem. But even though Chahar got the big wicket of Quinton de Kock in his first over, Hardik replaced him with Ashwani for the fourth over. Ashwani had known earlier in the day about his imminent IPL debut, and he was so nervous he could barely have lunch. When Hardik gave Ashwani the ball, he asked him to “enjoy yourself”. And that Ashwani did by striking with his first ball in the IPL in front of thousands of home fans and went on to become the first Indian to bag a four-for in his maiden IPL appearance.That he got Ajinkya Rahane and Rinku Singh as his first two wickets wasn’t even the best part of his day at work. Three balls after he had sent Rinku back, in the 11th over, Ashwani sent one down with a slightly scrambled seam at just short of 137kph. But the way the ball curved from outside leg to hit the top of leg stump, making Manish Pandey look late on the shot, showed that the 23-year-old had a trick or two up his sleeve.”He’s a lot quicker than people recognise at first,” Ryan Rickelton said of Ashwani. “I think that’s a great attribute to have. He can swing the new ball. I know it’s obviously quite tough – we’ve got two specialist bowlers with the new ball as well – but to have a second plan for that swing factor was really impressive. He’s a lot quicker than you think and he rushes you a little bit as well.”Ashwani Kumar is mobbed by Suryakumar Yadav and Hardik Pandya after his first-ball strike•Associated PressAnd then Ashwani did it again in his next over. Against the might and muscle of Andre Russell, Ashwani bowled one at 140.7kph – another scrambled-seam delivery that took the top of middle stump, and the Wankhede was in raptures because the crowd knew that with KKR 88 for 8, the game was almost done.”[When] we played a practice game, [we saw] he had that zip, he had that little late swing, something off the wicket, and had a different action and plus, he was a lefty,” Hardik said of Ashwani’s arsenal at the presentation. “This wicket offered a little more and we thought that Ashwani can come and bowl the way he bowls, and I’m really, really happy for him.”Ashwani could hardly believe that he was taking home the Player-of-the-Match award. “This is a very big thing for me that I got an opportunity like this,” he said. “I didn’t think I would be the Man of the Match in my first match. I just wanted to follow my process and do my bit, that’s it, but it turned out very well. I was completely confident [about performing in front of a big crowd] but still I was a little nervous before the match. It was just a little bit of ‘what will happen’.”The MI management “backed him” like they backed Puthur and Raju, and even Hardik all those years ago. You never know what turn life takes – to fast-track an unknown from a small town to Mumbai and make thousands of fans scream your name in a packed stadium, whether you are Puthur, Raju or Ashwani. He has shown the potential and has the support of one of the most successful franchises in T20 cricket, but as Ramandeep said after the game, “he has a long way to go.”

The three players will start with their new state by playing in the Uttarakhand Premier League

ESPNcricinfo staff14-Sep-2025Left-arm spinner J Suchith, opener Prashant Chopra and batter Bhupen Lalwani have moved to Uttarakhand ahead of the domestic season in 2025-26. The three players will start with their new state by playing in the Uttarakhand Premier League.Suchith, who represented Karnataka before playing for Nagaland, first played domestic cricket in April 2014 in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy before going on to make his List A and first-class debuts in the coming seasons. He played for Nagaland only for one season, in 2024-25, where picked up 43 wickets in six first-class matches and was the highest wicket-taker in the Plate group.Chopra, meanwhile, made his debut for Himachal Pradesh as an 18-year-old in the Vijay Hazare Trophy in February 2011, and has represented them in his entire domestic career so far. Last season, he made 386 runs in seven first-class matches, which included 171 against Uttarakhand. Overall, he has played 81 first-class matches and scored 5093 runs and hit 14 hundreds. He has also notched up 4012 runs in 103 List A games at an average of 41.79, and 2035 runs in 70 T20s at a strike rate of 114.58.Lalwani has represented Mumbai and Chhattisgarh in a short domestic career so far that started in January 2020. He switched to Chhattisgarh ahead of the 2024-25 season, where he played just two first-class matches for them. Overall, he has played 16 first-class matches and three List A games.The change of teams continue a bunch of transfers ahead of the upcoming domestic season, the most notable among them being Karun Nair returning to Karnataka, Harshal Patel switching back to Gujarat from Haryana, and Jalaj Saxena moving from Kerala to Maharashtra.

The 2026 IPL auction will take place on December 16 in Abu Dhabi. This will be the third successive year when the IPL auction is being held overseas. The 2024 auction in Dubai was the first time it was held overseas. The two-day mega auction for the 2025 season was held in Jeddah in November 2024.Like all mini auctions, the 2026 edition, too, will be a day-long exercise. Franchises have to first sort the list of players they want to release and retain from their 2025 squads, by 3pm IST on November 15. After that they will be sent a registered pool of players to shortlist. That long list will then be pruned for IPL to finalise the auction pool.The trading window, which opened after the 2025 season, will continue until a week before the auction and then resume to go on until a month prior to the IPL start date in 2026. The 10 franchises cannot trade a player who will be bought at the 2026 auction.So far there have been four confirmed trades among five teams. That includes the most high-profile player swap in IPL history which involved five-time champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK) getting Indian wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson from Rajasthan Royals, who have traded in the allrounder pair of Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran.On Thursday, Mumbai Indians, also five-time champions, procured India allrounder Shardul Thakur and Sherfane Rutherford in all-cash deals from Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) for INR 2 crore and Gujarat Titans (GT) for INR 2.60 crore, respectively. In a separate trade, LSG got Arjun Tendulkar at his base price of INR 30 lakh from MI.The tentative window for IPL 2026 is March 15 to May 31.

The trade is likely to be an all-cash deal worth INR 10 crore

Nagraj Gollapudi14-Nov-202511:57

Is time running out for Mayank Yadav at LSG?

In another deal involving a high-profile India player, Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) have agreed to trade Mohammed Shami to Lucknow Super Giants (LSG).ESPNcricinfo has learned that it is likely to be an all-cash deal, with LSG paying SRH INR 10 crore (US$1.12 million approx.), the price Shami was bought for at the IPL 2025 mega auction.It is understood that both franchises have agreed in principle on the trade, pending Shami’s consent. The IPL has set 3pm on November 15 as the deadline for the franchises to submit the list of players they want to release from their 2025 squads.Related

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RR to trade Samson to CSK for Jadeja and Curran

Shami, 35, has not regained his spot in the India team since he played the Champions Trophy final in March. While he has been playing for Bengal in the ongoing Ranji Trophy, Shami admitted he was going through a “difficult phase” after he was not picked for the home Test series against West Indies in October and the ongoing two-Test series against South Africa.He was not considered for the five-Test tour of England as well this summer, immediately after he had a poor IPL season. Shami played only nine of SRH’s 14 matches and took six wickets at an average of 56.16 with an economy rate of 11.23. His economy in Hyderabad, SRH’s home venue, rose to 12.35; he also conceded 75 runs in a wicketless game there against Punjab Kings – the second-most expensive spell in IPL history.SRH had bought Shami for INR 10 crore at the auction ahead of IPL 2025 after he had made a strong impact in the powerplay during his stint at Gujarat Titans (2022-24). In IPL 2022 and 2023, he took 28 wickets in the first six overs; the next best in that phase was Trent Boult (20) and Mohammed Siraj (15). He missed IPL 2024 with injury, and his powerplay performance in IPL 2025 was woeful: five wickets in nine innings with an economy of 10.3.Mohammed Shami will team up with Bharat Arun at LSG•BCCIWith Shami struggling with his fitness, rhythm and speeds, the question about whether SRH would keep him for IPL 2026 or not had come up. It is understood the franchise’s think tank, led by head coach Daniel Vettori, had been deliberating the decision until the trade offer from LSG came this week.At LSG, Shami is set to rejoin forces with former India bowling coach Bharat Arun, who is the head of talent development at the franchise. Arun had played an important role in India developing one of the most successful bowling units of the last decade when he worked closely with the group comprising Shami, Jasprit Bumrah, Ishant Sharma, Umesh Yadav and Mohammed Siraj.It’s likely that Shami’s addition could be linked to the fitness of LSG’s Indian fast bowlers Avesh Khan, Mayank Yadav and Mohsin Khan. All three are currently in rehab from various injuries and not playing domestic cricket. Mayank had surgery in June to deal with a lower back injury; Mohsin is recovering from an anterior cruciate ligament tear he suffered in December while playing for Uttar Pradesh in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy; Avesh is recovering from a cartilage issue in his right knee.The Shami deal is the second big-player trade in the past week. The first involved Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals, who agreed to swap Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran with Sanju Samson. Like with that trade, this one also requires SRH, LSG and the player to complete the necessary paperwork before it gets ratified by the IPL. Both teams have been contacted for a response.

Mitchell Starc has been included for the ODIs against India but Glenn Maxwell remains sidelined from the T20Is with his wrist injury

Andrew McGlashan07-Oct-20254:12

Was replacing Rohit as captain the right call?

Marnus Labuschagne has been dropped from Australia’s ODI squad to face India with his Queensland team-mate Matt Renshaw in line for a debut in the format.Labuschagne’s omission is not a huge surprise as he has a top score of 47 in his last ten ODI innings. He may not have featured against South Africa in August had Matt Short, who is included in this squad, not been ruled out with a side strain. A benefit of his omission is that he can continue to push for a Test recall in the Sheffield Shield, having started the season with 160 against Tasmania.Renshaw’s call-up comes off the back of an impressive run in List A cricket, which included a century for Australia A against Sri Lanka in Darwin during the winter. While he is currently opening in red-ball cricket – and could be an outside contender for the Ashes – he has flourished largely as a No. 3 and No. 4 in the 50-over game. Since November 2021, he has averaged 48.68 with six of his seven career centuries, and has also developed into a very effective middle-order T20 batter.He was previously included in an ODI squad to face Pakistan in 2022 but didn’t get a game.ESPNcricinfo LtdMitchell Starc, who hasn’t played ODIs since last November, has also been included in what is a full-strength squad from the players available. Alex Carey will miss the opening game of the series in Perth so he can play the second round of Sheffield Shield for South Australia, having missed the first match after his call-up to the T20I squad in New Zealand.Fellow wicketkeeper-batter Josh Inglis has recovered from the calf strain that kept him out of that series and is part of both the ODIs and T20Is. The initial squad for the T20Is is only for the first two games of the series with some management of multi-format players likely to happen for the final three games for those involved in the Ashes.Glenn Maxwell remains unavailable for the T20Is due to the broken wrist he suffered ahead of the New Zealand series.Cameron Green has been included for the ODIs but won’t feature in the T20Is as he prepares to face England, and will likely play more Shield games for Western Australia.Matt Renshaw has impressed in white-ball cricket over the last few seasons•Getty Images”We have named a squad for the ODI series and first two games of the T20 series as there will be some management through the back end of the series as individuals prepare for the summer through Sheffield Shield cricket,” chair of selectors George Bailey said. “The majority of the T20 squad will remain together as it’s an important period in the build towards the World Cup next year, however we are trying to strike a balance to ensure we simultaneously prepare certain individuals for the Test series ahead.”Allrounder Cooper Connolly, who took 5 for 22 against South Africa in Mackay, retained his place in the ODI squad. He has enjoyed a productive tour of India with Australia A, making two half-centuries in the three-match one-day series.Mitchell Owen also has a chance to make an ODI debut having been ruled out of the South Africa series after a concussion.Mitchell Starc will play his first ODIs in nearly a year•Getty ImagesNathan Ellis returned to the T20I squad after missing the New Zealand tour for the birth of his first child. There is no room for Sean Abbott in the ODI group but he has kept his T20 spot.The ODIs against India will take place in Perth (October 19), Adelaide (October 23) and Sydney (October 25). The first two T20Is are in Canberra (October 29) and Melbourne (October 31) before the final three matches in early November.Australia ODI squad vs IndiaMitchell Marsh (capt), Xavier Bartlett, Alex Carey (wk), Cooper Connolly, Ben Dwarshuis, Nathan Ellis, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis (wk), Mitchell Owen, Matt Renshaw, Matthew Short, Mitchell Starc, Adam ZampaAustralia T20I squad vs India (first two matches) Mitchell Marsh (capt), Sean Abbott, Xavier Bartlett, Tim David, Ben Dwarshuis, Nathan Ellis, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis (wk), Matthew Kuhnemann, Mitchell Owen, Matthew Short, Marcus Stoinis, Adam Zampa

Liverpool are now reportedly exploring a deal to sign Jarrod Bowen after West Ham United shared what it would take for them to sell their star man in 2026.

Those at Anfield have set their sights on another attacking addition with their summer spending yet to come good. Club-record signing Alexander Isak has scored just one goal in all competitions and has largely faced fitness issues during his time at Anfield so far. Meanwhile, Florian Wirtz – although gradually improving – is yet to find the back of the net.

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Suddenly, after a major spending spree, the Reds have looked out of ideas going forward at times. On paper, an attacking blend of Wirtz, Mohamed Salah, Hugo Ekitie and Cody Gakpo should result in endless goals. In reality, however, it’s a combination which simply hasn’t worked so far.

Former Manchester United defender and Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville didn’t hold back after Liverpool’s recent 3-0 defeat against Manchester City either, claiming that Wirtz is a “problem” for Arne Slot.

The November international break has handed the Premier League champions some much-needed reprieve and it’s a break that must see Slot come up with a solution for his side’s problems.

As much as Neville has criticised Wirtz, the truth is that the German hasn’t been Liverpool’s greatest problem in recent weeks. No player in the Premier League has created more chances than the former Bayer Leverkusen man in all competitions, yet the numbers show that he’s got just one assist to his name. For the most part in recent weeks, he’s played his part.

Instead, the big problem lies with those ahead of him who have been wasteful. It’s sparked concerns that Salah could be past his best and those at Anfield are already reportedly eyeing his replacement as a result.

Liverpool exploring Jarrod Bowen move

As reported by Football Insider’s Pete O’Rourke, Liverpool are now exploring a move to sign Bowen ahead of 2026. Whilst West Ham are expected to turn down any advances at this stage, they would reportedly consider selling their captain if an interested party submitted an ‘irresistible’ offer.

Liverpool proved that they’re not afraid to splash the cash in the summer just gone, so the Hammers’ stance should give them a glimmer of hope that they could yet sign Bowen, who shares an agent with Andy Robertson.

As for the forward, himself, if anyone deserves a big move it is him. Bowen has dragged West Ham to European glory, kept them in the Premier League and become an undisputed legend at the London Stadium. Now, if Liverpool come calling, he should grab hold of the opportunity with both hands.

The 28-year-old has already experienced what it’s like to score at Anfield with West Ham, but could yet get the chance to celebrate in front of The Kop week in, week out in 2026.

Jurgen Klopp called Bowen his “favourite player” in 2023 and could watch from afar as the West Ham man completes a move to Merseyside three years later.

Liverpool and Arsenal scouting new right-back who pocketed Gakpo

Left-armer will lead Australia’s pace attack in the opening Ashes Test in the absence of Cummins and Hazlewood

Alex Malcolm19-Nov-2025The last man standing of Australia’s big three, Mitchell Starc, says he may take on a little bit of extra responsibility as the senior man in their new-look pace attack. But he believes Scott Boland’s experience and Brendan Doggett’s form will hold them in good stead in the opening Ashes Test in Perth.Starc, 35, is Australia’s ironman having not missed a Test through injury since he broke his finger on Boxing Day in 2022. He reached his 100th Test and took his 400th Test wicket in Australia’s last Test match in July. He will lead the attack in the absence of Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood in Perth and remarkably will be the only one of Australia’s quicks to have bowled in a first-class game at Perth Stadium, with Boland and Doggett having only played BBL matches at the venue.Related

• Hazlewood out of Ashes opener with hamstring injury

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But Starc is confident both men will handle the big occasion at the start of the series. “I think we’re all pretty clear on what our roles are,” he said on Wednesday.”Obviously I’ve got a little bit more experience there. Scotty’s been around for a fair while now, so it’s not like I’m telling him what to do. We’ve got Patty in the sheds with us anyway. So yeah, I may take on a little bit of an experienced role, if you like. But we’ve all been around the traps for a while, so it’s just staying together as a group.”Starc believes Doggett will be able to handle the pressure of an Ashes series as he seems certain to debut as Australia’s third quick in the attack. Starc first met Doggett in 2018 when they toured the UAE together for a series against Pakistan and believes he has come a long way since his first tour with Australia’s Test squad.”Brendan was a lot younger and rawer then,” Starc said. “We knew what he was about, and since then he’s made the change to South Australia. I think he’s come in red-hot. He’s had a good couple of weeks. We as a group know what he’s capable of, and the skills that he presents. And being a little bit older than back in 2018, he’s probably a little bit more comfortable in his own skin and around the group. So really excited if he gets his opportunity this week to see what he can do on a Test arena. Having had him around the group for a while over the years, I think he’s certainly in a great headspace.”Starc and Doggett put on a clinic in the Perth Stadium nets on Wednesday morning under overcast skies after Australia’s training was delayed briefly due to a lightning strike.Brendan Doggett and Mitchell Starc warm up at Australia training•Getty Images

The Perth Stadium nets have been tough work for batters all week and the pair peppered Steven Smith, Jake Weatherald, Usman Khawaja and Cameron Green in a hour-long spell. Starc nicked off Smith and looked in superb rhythm having rediscovered something during his recent Sheffield Shield outing after shaking out some rust in the ODI series against India.He admitted he didn’t bowl as well as Cummins did in the nets on Monday. Cummins did not bowl on Wednesday but was at training after missing the optional session on Tuesday. The injured skipper is edging closer to a return in Brisbane having pulled up well from his eight-over spell on Monday.”Probably understand why he doesn’t train much, because when he does, he makes us all look silly,” Starc said. “He was really, really sharp the other day. Sounds like he’s pulling up pretty well. So very positive.”Cummins’ absence with the ball is a major blow but his absence with the bat is arguably harder to cover. Doggett’s first-class average is just 8.57 and he’s never made a half-century although he has a top score of 49. He will likely bat at No. 11 behind Boland with Nathan Lyon elevating to No. 9 and Starc returning to No. 8, a spot he has been trying to avoid for a number of years as his batting has declined quite steeply since his significant early career contributions.”I’ve been trying to get rid of No. 8 for a while, and now I have to go back there,” Starc said. “You all think we fight about getting higher up the order. We all fight to get lower.”We know how important, how beneficial contributions there can be to first innings, second innings, setting up a total, whatever it may be. That’ll play a part. I will keep working on it.”

Liverpool are in advanced talks to sign a 19-year-old speedster who’s even quicker than Mohamed Salah, according to reports.

Saudi still eyeing Salah move

When Salah finally ended any rumours by signing a two-year contract extension at Liverpool last season, it looked as though that would be that. Anfield’s Egyptian King looked destined to steal the headlines for at least another couple of years and perhaps even retire in Merseyside.

Things haven’t gone quite as smooth sailing since that new deal, however. Having been dropped by Arne Slot in Liverpool’s victory over West Ham United, serious questions have been asked about Salah’s place in Liverpool’s best side as they look to return to their most clinical form. And, as such, rumours surrounding his future have once again emerged.

This time last season, Salah was arguably the best player in the world. He was leading Liverpool’s shock title charge. One year on, though, he’s arguably becoming more disposable at Anfield than ever before.

Slot will be hoping that a recent blip is not the beginning of a steep decline, but it is something that Michael Edwards and Richard Hughes are already preparing for.

Ferdinand says he spoke to manager in the Middle East this weekend about joining Liverpool

Arne Slot is still under pressure.

ByTom Cunningham Dec 2, 2025

The Anfield chiefs already smashed their transfer record twice in the summer to reshape their attack around Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz. Whilst neither have been at their best quite as yet, their arrivals were sign of things to come.

Now, ahead of 2026, Liverpool are reportedly in pole position to sign Yan Diomande and add to their frontline once again.

Liverpool in advanced talks to sign Yan Diomande

According to Sky Sports’ Sacha Tavolieri, Liverpool are now in advanced talks to sign Diomande, forcing Barcelona to retreat in the race to sign the RB Leipzig winger.

Battling alongside Tottenham, the Reds could land their next top speedster in the new year. To put into context just how quick Diomande is, the Leipzig star has clocked a top speed of 35.98 KM/H in the Bundesliga season, which betters Salah’s 33.7 KM/H speed in the Premier League this time last year.

What’s more, only Oliver Burke has recorded a quicker speed than Diomande this season, showcasing exactly why he’s found himself on Liverpool’s radar.

As Leipzig’s managing director, Marcel Schafer, reiterated though, the winger is not just all about speed. The 19-year-old star is also a fine finisher with four goals so far this season and is an excellent dribbler.

In pole position for his signature, Liverpool should push on and secure Diomande’s arrival when 2026 arrives.

FSG could see £75m bid accepted to sign Liverpool their best LW since Mane

Sean Williams, the veteran Zimbabwe batter, will not be considered for national selection and his central contract will not be renewed after Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC) said he disclosed to them that he has been struggling with drug addiction.In a statement, ZC referred to “a history of disciplinary issues and repeated unavailability, which has impacted team preparations and performance”.Williams, 39, has played 273 matches for Zimbabwe across all formats in an international career spanning more than 20 years, but ZC confirmed that his contract will not be renewed beyond the end of 2025.Related

• Williams released from Zimbabwe squad for T20 WC Africa Qualifier

• Sean Williams has been around the block and then some

Williams had most recently withdrawn from the Zimbabwe squad on the eve of the Men’s T20 World Cup Africa Qualifiers, citing “personal reasons”. On Tuesday, ZC revealed that they had conducted an internal investigation to understand the reason for his unavailability, after which Williams had disclosed to the board that he has been struggling with drug addiction, and had voluntarily entered into rehab.”ZC expects all contracted players to uphold the highest standards of professionalism, discipline and compliance with team protocols and anti-doping regulations,” the board said in its statement. “While ZC commends him for seeking rehabilitation, withdrawal from team commitments under circumstances involving potential testing raises serious concerns regarding professional and ethical standards.”Since making his international debut in 2005, Williams has scored more than 8000 runs across all formats for Zimbabwe. He was most prolific in ODIs, making 5217 runs at an average of 37.53, with eight hundreds and 37 fifties. Earlier this year, he overtook James Anderson to become the longest-serving active international cricketer.Williams, however, was also never far from controversies or from a fractured relationship with ZC. Although he led the U-19 side in the World Cup in Sri Lanka in February 2006 – the highlight being a win over England – there were rumours both before and after the tournament that he was not happy with the board. Williams subsequently turned down a central contract the following month, opting to look for a more settled career overseas. However, he changed his mind three months later, thus returning to play for Zimbabwe. The on-off farrago resurfaced in 2008 when he again quit for a contract in South Africa, only to return weeks later.In late 2014, despite being one of Zimbabwe’s best players of spin, Williams was not considered for the tour of Bangladesh after interruptions in his involvement in a training camp, and an aborted disciplinary hearing.”ZC sincerely acknowledges and appreciates his immense contribution to Zimbabwean cricket over the past two decades,” the board said. “Williams has played a pivotal role in some of the most significant moments in our recent history, leaving a lasting legacy both on and off the field. ZC wishes him strength in his recovery, and every success in his future endeavours.”