Southampton could be set to add another new face to their ranks this summer as they are reportedly in talks to sign a Dutch international ace.

Saints loe Premier League opener

Russell Martin's side fell to a 1-0 opening day defeat against Newcastle United on their return to the Premier League, with a goal from Joelinton proving to be the difference between the sides.

Their defeat came in spite of the fact that they played an hour of the match against 10-man opposition, with Fabian Schar having been shown a red card for a coming together with Ben Brereton-Diaz.

After Fernandes: Southampton want perfect £100k-p/w Walker-Peters partner

Southampton are continuing to be busy in the transfer window.

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The goal came from a Southampton mistake rather than a piece of brilliance from the Magpies though, with goalkeeper Alex McCarthy giving the ball away close to his own goal and seeing it fly past him moments later. After the game, Martin defended his shot-stopper, who is deputising for the injured Gavin Bazunu.

"It doesn't bother me – Al will be fine. The problem is the few minutes before that and the throw-in shouldn't even end up back at him. He made one mistake, and we've been punished – but it's not just him. It's on me for asking him to play that way, and it's on the players for going back to him in the first place."

Now though, they could be set to land a potential upgrade.

Southampton in talks with Dutch goalkeeper

That comes as transfer guru Fabrizio Romano reveals that the Saints are in talks with Feyenoord over a potential move to sign goalkeeper Justin Bijlow this summer.

The 26-year-old, who has eight caps for the Netherlands and was part of their EURO 2024 squad, has been linked with Arsenal and Manchester United in recent transfer windows, but both clubs appear to have since looked elsewhere.

And it is now a move to the south coast outfit that seems most likely, with Romano explaining that the goalkeeper is keen on the move to the Premier League and that he is high on Southampton's list of potential additions.

Currently earning £48,000-a-week in the Netherlands, Bijlow's arrival on a similar wage could make him one of the club's highest earners, but the 6ft 2 shot stopper certainly brings an ability to play out with his feet.

Alex McCarthy vs Justin Bijlow 23/24 domestic season [via Fbref]

Justin Bijlow

Alex McCarthy

Appearances

17

5

Save %

65.9%

65.4%

Passes per game

38.2

28.6

Pass completion %

87.4%

81.8%

Part of Arne Slot's title-winning side, Bijlow made more passes than McCarthy on average in 2023/24 and is perfectly comfortable playing with a high line and press, ranking in the top 1% of all goalkeepers for defensive actions outside the penalty area, while he also ranks in the top percentile for crosses stopped, claiming 13% of all balls into the box compared to a paltry 4.1% from McCarthy.

Should he arrive at St Mary's before the transfer window slams shut, he may quickly become one of the most important players in Martin's side.

Justin Langer retains hope that Tim Paine will return to international cricket after terming the former Australia captain “one of the best people in the game” following his whistle-stop visit to Hobart ahead of the Ashes.Langer made the trip south after being released from quarantine last week with Paine’s captaincy having come to end while he was with the group of players and staff returning from the T20 World Cup.Having initially remained available for selection for the Ashes, with all indications he would have been picked had he proved his fitness after neck surgery, Paine then opted to step away from the game to manage his mental health which has led to a debut for Alex Carey.Related

• Paine out of Ashes after taking indefinite break from the game

• Carey determined to keep focus in 'the biggest game I'll play' as Test debut locked in

• Gilchrist sees similarities between his Test ascension and Carey's

It has created the possibility that Paine has played his last Test and while Langer said the immediate priority was his health and family he did not believe it had to be the end.”He absolutely loves cricket,” Langer said. “He’s 37, he’s as fit as any athlete, certainly in our squad and we’ve got some fit athlete’s. He looks after himself so well. Who knows. His No. 1 priority at the moment is his family and that’s how it should be. Not sure we’ve seen the end of him but we’ll wait and see, that will be his decision.Justin Langer visited Tim Paine last week•Getty Images

“He’s one of my really close friends and someone I admire enormously. Certainly in this generation of players he’s one of the best people I’ve met in the game. He’s been our captain for a long time, me and him have been through a journey like we have with all this group, so it was nice to see him.”Langer confirmed that he first knew of the text messages in mid-2018 as the squad was heading to England for a limited-overs tour and added he had not heard about them again until shortly before Paine stepped down.Paine has not put a timeframe on his break and Australia have named a squad for the first two Ashes Tests. It had been considered likely that this series would mark the end of his Test career.Langer, who came into the role after the ball-tampering scandal, also lamented the situation Paine had been left in”We live in a world of perfectionism, don’t we? We’re a very judgemental society,” he said. “As I said at my very first press conference when I was asked about Steve Smith and David Warner and Cameron Bancroft, there’s not one person asking questions or watching this who hasn’t made a mistake in their life.”There’s not a single person. And our captain, one of the best, made a mistake and is paying a heavy price for it.”

Mohammad Yousuf, meanwhile, has been roped in as batting coach for the home series against Australia

ESPNcricinfo staff09-Feb-2022

Saqlain Mushtaq was appointed as Pakistan’s interim coach in September last year•Getty Images

Saqlain Mushtaq is set to continue as Pakistan’s head coach on an interim basis for another 12 months, while the PCB has also named former Australia quick Shaun Tait as fast-bowling coach for 12 months. Former Pakistan batter Mohammad Yousuf, meanwhile, has been roped in as batting coach for the Australia series which is scheduled to begin on March 4 in Rawalpindi.Saqlain, along with Abdul Razzaq, was appointed as interim coach following Misbah-ul-Haq and Waqar Younis’ exit in September last year.The PCB had given an advertisement for five coaching positions – national high performance, batting, bowling, power-hitting and fielding – in December last year and had set a deadline for application as late January.Tait is the only one to have taken up the position via this process for now; the other appointments were made on the basis of internal arrangements – instead of hiring new coaches based on the advertisement, the PCB promoted coaches from the high performance centre to the national set-up on an interim basis. ESPNcricinfo understands there were at least 12 applications for the various coaching roles overall but only the individuals who had applied for the role of bowling coach were shortlisted and interviewed, out of which Tait was finalised.Since Ramiz Raja’s appointment as the chairman of PCB, there have been many changes in the set-up starting with Misbah and Waqar leaving their roles ahead of home series against New Zealand. Saqlain, who was the head of international players’ development at the high performance centre in Lahore at that time, was promoted as head coach but his initial tenure ended with the Bangladesh tour in December.ESPNcricinfo understands that Saqlain had submitted his resignation following the tour but Ramiz persuaded him to continue in the role for another year, with at least eight assignments including the T20 World Cup and Asia Cup coming up. While Yousuf and Abdul Majeed (fielding coach) have been appointed just for the upcoming series, it is understood the PCB will make assessments during the Australia series before appointing anyone on a full-time basis.The position of power-hitting coach is yet to be filled.Pakistan’s support personnel: Mansoor Rana (manager), Saqlain Mushtaq (head coach), Shahid Aslam (assistant to head coach), Mohammad Yousuf (batting coach), Shaun Tait (bowling coach), Cliffe Deacon (physiotherapist), Drikus Saaiman (trainer/strength and conditioning coach), Abdul Majeed (fielding coach)

Dale Steyn doesn’t aim to just hit the “right areas” in one-day cricket, he goes out there to attack the batsmen, and the results are there for all to see

Sidharth Monga in Johannesburg09-Dec-2013A day before the start of this ODI series, South Africa had a long training session. Towards the end of it, Dale Steyn went in to bat, and struggled. The metal stumps were rattled at least once, the attempted big hits didn’t go far, and the timing just wasn’t there. Steyn’s cursing of himself reverberated through the empty practice facility at the Wanderers. As he was leaving, clearly frustrated with his batting, he absolutely demolished a set of stumps in one of the nets with his bat. His coach and other support staff were there, and his captain was there. Nobody spoke a word. They all just quickly stepped aside.Steyn was angry, no one wanted to bother him, but they must have known it was a good space for Steyn to be in before a big series. It works with Steyn. He once said, jokingly, if somebody ever manages to make his friend and team-mate Morne Morkel angry, he will become the best bowler in the world.Steyn has let out all that anger on the white Kookaburra in this series, which has conveyed the message to the India batsman. In 15 high-quality overs, he has conceded just 42 runs, and taken six wickets. More importantly, by the time he finished his first spells, the matches were over as a contest. For a young batting unit with little experience of these conditions – an A tour on flat pitches cannot count – it is quite possible Steyn has left a few intimidated. And Steyn says that he has seen that in the batsmen’s eyes.Alternatively, in Steyn’s eyes you can see that he knows he has the batsmen at his mercy. That he can continue to play with them. Wickets are important, but he is not desperate to get them immediately. Going past the bat, or bowling bouncers that the batsman can do nothing to, is giving him as much joy. “I’ve got you now. You’re mine,” Steyn once said of the helplessness he sometimes spots in the batsmen’s eyes. Sometimes torturing the batsman for a period in the public eye can leave a deeper scar than actually getting him out first ball.Steyn did that to Rohit Sharma in the first match with his searing quick outswingers. For 15 deliveries Rohit couldn’t touch the ball. He knew he couldn’t chase them. When he tried, he was beaten. The pace had been set. India were now chasing the game. For a shorter period in the second game, Steyn did the same to Ajinkya Rahane. This time with bouncers. They were quick, they were high, but not higher than the shoulder. Steyn was telling him, “Go ahead, try to hook them. If you don’t, I will keep bouncing you, and you won’t even get a no-ball.” What do you do to such bowling if you haven’t been facing such pace and skill all your life?Hard as it is to believe, this is a new start for Steyn. He has played just 79 ODIs. In the past, Steyn has been used sparingly in ODI cricket by South Africa. They usually keep him for big events such as the World Cup. Which is why this year, with 27 wickets at 15.85 and an economy rate of 3.65, has been his most successful in 50-overs cricket. There is a clear shift in the philosophy. South Africa want Steyn in ODIs, even bilateral series. They might rest him in dead rubbers, but they want him to be part of the core group as they approach the World Cup.It is going to be a refreshing change in the world of right areas that ODI cricket is. Steyn doesn’t just run up and put the ball in the “right areas”, he goes out there to attack the batsmen. There can be days when he gets too full or too straight. There can be days when the pitch might be a little flat and slow, which makes his natural, aggressive length hittable. Like it happened in Gwalior when Sachin Tendulkar hit the first ODI double-hundred. Steyn went for 89 in his 10 overs that day. The theory that Steyn might not make that good a limited-overs bowler was perpetuated by his first two or three years in the IPL.However, when South Africa’s ODI ranking began to fall – even as they became the best Test side in the world – they began to preserve their best bowler a little less. Not that they might need to: Steyn is one of the fittest athletes in cricket today, and his action is so pure and smooth he is the least likeliest of the fast bowlers around to get injured. His inclusion back into the ODI side has given South Africa something other teams lack: a genuine strike bowler you absolutely need to play out for little returns if you want to keep wickets in hand.The results are there for all to see. South Africa can now afford to rest him for the inconsequential third ODI, but Steyn’s importance to the ODI side, and ODI cricket in general, has been established. It might help South Africa further if every now and then their bowlers in the nets keep pinging Steyn’s stumps.

Cornwall fell on what turned out to be the last ball of the day

Madushka Balasuriya23-Nov-2021Rain washed out the final session and pretty much the entirety of the second session – only four overs were completed after lunch before the groundstaff was called into action – as West Indies ended the third day on 224 for 9, still 162 runs behind Sri Lanka’s first-innings total. Play will begin 15 minutes earlier on the fourth and fifth days, provided the rain stays away.In the end, the rain proved a welcome reprieve for the visitors on a day that had otherwise begun rather promisingly, with Jason Holder and Kyle Mayers taking the attack to the home side. It ended, however, with Rahkeem Cornwall being dismissed off what turned out to be the final ball of the day.For Sri Lanka, Praveen Jayawickrama added to his wicket tally from the previous day to finish the day with figures of 3 for 38, while Dhananjaya de Silva and Suranga Lakmal also got in on the act. And despite Ramesh Mendis, the pick of Sri Lanka’s bowlers on the second day, being unable to reproduce the same control he had shown the previous evening – his 11 overs on the third day went for 52 runs with no wickets to show for it – Sri Lanka nevertheless remained in firm control of the Test.But for the first hour or so in the morning, West Indies had looked rather threatening. Both Mayers and Holder showed they were unafraid to use the depth of the crease against the spinners, while Holder in particular used his extra reach to consistently get to the pitch of the ball and smother the considerable spin on offer – two delicious drives through cover for boundaries were the pick of his shots. Mayer, meanwhile, was content to rock back whenever possible, thrice flaying deliveries short and wide past point for four.In between, the pair rotated the strike with ease, as Sri Lanka’s spinners gradually lost their early confidence in flighting the ball and resorted to flatter trajectories. The breakthrough eventually came courtesy some outstanding catching – first from captain Dimuth Karunaratne and then Dushmantha Chameera.The first to go was Mayers, who failed to get to the pitch of one from de Silva that held up a touch and bounced up off a length. Mayers, who was already through an attempted drive, could only pop it up in the direction of short extra cover, where Karunaratne threw himself full pelt to his weaker right side to complete the take.Chameera followed suit a little later, diving forward – again at full stretch – from point, to hold on to a cut that Holder had failed to keep down. Once more it was the extra bounce off a length that proved to be decisive.Cornwall and Joshua Da Silva then proceeded to put on 49 for the ninth wicket, but just as that partnership was beginning to look promising, Cornwall top-edged a pull off Lakmal to square leg on the last ball of the 80th over. The second new ball was available but rain ensured there would be no more action.

da poker： Chelsea's summer business has been chaotic to say the least. There have been some impressive captures with the likes of Pedro Neto and Joao Felix both arriving.

da realsbet： That said, there has been some controversy surrounding player exits. Conor Gallagher, Chelsea through and through, was alienated from the playing squad before joining Atletico Madrid.

Now, there is the curious case of Raheem Sterling on transfer deadline day. There are two possibilities; he stays at Stamford Bridge or heads off to Arsenal following a reported phone call with Mikel Arteta.

A striker continues to elude the Blues, although they could yet launch a late swoop for Victor Osimhen. However, in their endeavours to replace the potentially departing Sterling, they've found a winger.

Chelsea make deadline day bid

With transfer deadline day reaching its conclusion, the transfer team at Chelsea have launched a late move to bring in another attacking player.

That happens to be Jadon Sancho, the man at the centre of Sterling's future in west London.

That's according to Fabrizio Romano who stated on Friday afternoon that they were now speaking with Manchester United regarding a deal.

Here's what the ever-reliable transfer insider said…

How Sancho is similar to Willian and Hazard

Now, going from one underperforming winger in Sterling to another in Sancho might defy belief. However, this is Chelsea we're talking about. They don't do things by the book.

That said, the former Borussia Dortmund man is a captivating prospect and at his best is one of the finest wide forwards in the game.

You only need to look back at his performances in last season's Champions League when his loan side, Dortmund, reached the final.

In the semi-finals against PSG, he was electric. During the first leg, the Englishman completed 12 dribbles. That was the most by any player in a Champions League semi-final since Lionel Messi in April 2008 against United (16).

On that evidence, it's hardly a surprise that he was once described as the “the next Eden Hazard” back in 2020 by former Liverpool star Steve Nicol.

Eden Hazard's Chelsea career in numbers

Season

Games

Goals

Assists

2012/13

62

13

21

2013/14

49

17

8

2014/15

52

19

12

2015/16

43

6

7

2016/17

43

17

7

2017/18

52

17

13

2018/19

52

21

17

Stats via Transfermarkt.

Hazard was renowned as one of the finest dribblers in the Premier League during his spell on English shores. In 2017/18, the Belgian ranked in the top 1% of positionally similar players in the top flight for progressive carries and successful take-ons per 90, illuminating how good he is at beating a player.

It's a quality he clearly shares with Sancho, who could well become Hazard incarnate by making a late move to London this summer.

What's interesting is that the United outcast is also comparable to another ex-Chelsea forward in Willian. FBRef notes that the Brazilian is the fourth-most similar player based on data across the last 365 days. Why? Well, as we can see in the graphic below, their passing metrics are largely rather alike, making a similar number of progressive passes per 90.

So, with Todd Boehly and Enzo Maresca making one last-gasp dart to sign a new player before the deadline, Sancho feels like a no-brainer on a loan deal for the rest of the campaign.

Related Chelsea can forget Osimhen & Toney with last-gasp move for £25m "monster"

The Blues’ transfer window is going to the eleventh hour…

Posts ByAngus Sinclair Aug 30, 2024

Former France midfielder Emmanuel Petit is worried about Kylian Mbappe's current situation at Real Madrid amid his ongoing struggles at his new club.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Mbappe having rough time at Madrid
• Missed a penalty in the losses to Liverpool and Athletic
• Petit concerned about lack of friends at the club

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• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Former France midfielder Emmanuel Petit has shared his concerns about Kylian Mbappe's situation at Real Madrid and believes the star forward is all alone in the Spanish capital, having no friends in the team. Petit also shed light on how his overall image in the media hasn't helped his cause, especially after all the drama that has unfolded with the France national team following his expulsion by Didier Deschamps for the November games.

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• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Ever since his move to Madrid last summer, Mbappe has looked a shadow of the player that led France to back-to-back World Cup finals in 2018 and 2022. Mbappe has scored just 10 goals in 20 appearances in all competitions for Madrid and has evidently looked unsettled on the pitch. Additionally, reports from Spain have kept mentioning how his dynamic with the rest of the team is broken. Case in point, how Mbappe was apparently ignored by Jude Bellingham in the tunnel at Anfield last week.

• WHAT EMMANUEL PETIT SAID

  "I think Kylian Mbappe is so lonely at Real Madrid," Petit stated in an interview with Gambling Zone. "I saw Jude Bellingham ignoring him and it doesn’t even look like he has any help or any friends at the club.

  "He’s been hammered by the press and doesn’t seem like he has friends in Paris or Spain and he’s also gone to a public enemy number one in France because of what happened in the last international break. He’s so far away from his level this season, too. I know he’s scored ten goals but it’s just stats and he doesn’t look like himself.

  "I just say what I feel when I look at him and he looks miserable on and off the pitch. He was the king in France and could do whatever he wanted at PSG and with France and now it’s not the same anymore.

  "He’s lonely and with top players, the biggest game is against yourself and you have to be able to solve your problems on the pitch."

• Getty Images
  

  WHAT NEXT FOR KYLIAN MBAPPE?

  Following another toothless performance against Athletic Club on Wednesday, in which he missed another penalty, Mbappe took to Instagram to post a story in which he vowed to come back stronger and show the player he is. “Bad result. A big mistake in a match where every detail counts. I take full responsibility for it. A difficult moment but it’s the best time to change this situation and show who I am," Mbappe wrote on Instagram.

  Real Madrid fans will indeed be hoping for Mbappe to turn things around in LaLiga as Los Blancos will be travelling to Catalonia to take on Girona in a tricky away game on Saturday, December 7.

MatériaMais Notícias

da imperador bet： Com o título do Campeonato Carioca, a emoção tomou conta do Maracanã e a torcida do Fluminense, enfim, pôde soltar o grito de campeão estadual, que estava entalado desde 2012. Cria de Xerém, Martinelli celebrou o primeiro título entre os profissionais da equipe tricolor e exaltou o apoio da torcida.

RelacionadasFluminenseFelipe Melo, do Fluminense, passará por cirurgia no joelho direito: ‘Estarei de volta o mais breve possível’Fluminense04/04/2022FluminenseCano diz que vive ‘momento especial’ e projeta estreia na Sul-Americana: ‘Fluminense pode chegar muito longe’Fluminense04/04/2022FluminenseSem camisa, Cano vibra com música em provocação ao Vasco após título do FluminenseFluminense03/04/2022

da blaze casino： – Nem nos meus melhores sonhos eu acho que imaginava viver isso. É muito emocionante. Quando a torcida está conosco, não tem como explicar. Estou muito feliz com o título. Tenho certeza de que é o primeiro de muitos com essa camisa. Vamos conquistar mais coisas nesta temporada. A torcida pode esperar isso desse time – disse.

+ Confira e simule a tabela da Copa Sul-Americana

Essa conquista marcou também o coração de outras joias da nova safra tricolor.Calegari, André, Luiz Henrique, Gabriel Teixeira e Matheus Martins também levantaram o primeiro troféu no time profissional sob o comando do técnico Abel Braga.

Com a casa cheia, o Tricolor garantiu o título com o empate por 1 a 1, com mais um gol de Germán Cano. O argentino já havia marcado os dois tentos da vitória no primeiro jogo e disse que vive um ‘momento especial’ com o título e a comemoração que tomou conta da torcida – o “L” em homenagem ao seu filho Lorenzo.

+Evolução! Trajetória do Fluminense no Carioca indica novas ideias e time base para a temporada

O Fluminense volta a campo nesta quarta-feira, às 19h15, novamente no Maracanã, para a estreia na Copa Sul-Americana, diante do Oriente Petrolero, da Bolívia. No sábado, o adversário será o Santos, na primeira rodada do Campeonato Brasileiro, às 16h30, também no Rio de Janeiro.

The ex-Reds defender has portrayed the players with expiring contracts as the problem at Anfield when the truth is that the club is to blame

Liverpool versus Manchester United at Anfield – it's always a massive match regardless of the context. But Sunday's showdown is of even greater significance than usual for the hosts. Liverpool are leading the Premier League but their lead could be cut to just three points by the time the game kicks off. Victory is imperative and should be the sole focus – but it's not.

Just as much attention – if not more – will be given to Trent Alexander-Arnold and Mohamed Salah. Whereas a win over arguably the worst United team of the past decade is considered something of a formality, there is now a very real fear that Liverpool will lose their tug-of-war with Real Madrid for the game's most gifted right-back, while the best player in the world right now has just declared that this will be his final season on Merseyside.

After all, the battle has already officially begun for Alexander-Arnold's services and the mere fact that player contracts are overshadowing the biggest fixture in English football (at least from Liverpool's perspective) only goes to prove that they also have the potential to derail the Reds' title hopes. So, who's to blame here? Alexander-Arnold and Salah? Their representatives? Or is this a mess all of Liverpool's making?

Getty Images SportMadrid make their move for Trent

Liverpool ended 2024 top of not only the Premier League but also the Champions League – and yet they didn't even get to fully enjoy New Year's Eve.

Just a few hours before the clock struck 12 on December 31, Real Madrid made their move for Alexander-Arnold, prompting predictable panic among the club's supporters.

Sooner or later, one way or another, Florentino Perez nearly always gets what he wants (the dreadfully drawn-out Kylian Mbappe saga is a case in point) and it's clear that the president of the most powerful club in football is desperate to sign Liverpool's homegrown hero, who now has less than six months left on his current contract.

The Reds haven't given up hope of holding onto Alexander-Arnold but it now feels as if they're fighting a losing battle. Of course, there's no way they'd even consider losing such an important player at this stage of the season but a free transfer looks like a formality.

AdvertisementGetty Images Sport'Only a matter of time'?

Michael Owen knows all about leaving Liverpool for Madrid and he is no longer in any doubt that Alexander-Arnold is bound for the Santiago Bernabeu this summer.

"The very fact that Real Madrid have now made their intentions clear towards signing Trent Alexander Arnold leads me to believe that it's only a matter of time before he signs for them," the former England international wrote on X.

"If he was going to sign a contract extension, Madrid wouldn't have officially made their move. Secretive talks will have taken place. Huge news."

One of Owen's former team-mates, Jamie Carragher, is just as convinced that the formal New Year's Eve approach to sign Alexander-Arnold during the winter window was all part of the plan.

"I love Trent as a lad [and] a player," the defender-turned-pundit posted on X, "but his team would've told Real Madrid to bid [and] also would've known [Liverpool] would turn it down. It's to try to cover themselves when he leaves for free."

Carragher's appraisal of Alexander-Arnold and Madrid's motives certainly seems spot on, and he was also right to point out that "The most important thing for [Liverpool] in 2025 is winning the Premier League. No-one's contract or future should come in the way of that!"

It's also true that the transfer talk is "something the club/fans don't need with a huge game coming up" on Sunday.

However, the implication that the club deserves as much sympathy right now as the supporters is ludicrous. Liverpool definitely didn't "need" this distraction – but they did allow it to happen.

AFPNot one but three expiring contracts

As if anyone needs reminding, Alexander-Arnold is not an isolated case at Anfield. Liverpool don't just have one key player in a position to sign a pre-contract agreement with an overseas club – they have three. And that's not unfortunate, it's unforgivable.

Let's be honest, if United actually had any players of the calibre of Alexander-Arnold, Salah and Virgil van Dijk and allowed them to enter free agency territory, a combination of INEOS and the Glazers would be getting absolutely slated by supporters and the media right now.

So, why should FSG, Michael Edwards and sporting director Richard Hughes be given a pass, particularly after a summer in which only one new face arrived at the club? It's not as if a contingency plan is in place to deal with the potential loss of three men who were utterly integral to the club winning a sixth Champions League, in 2019, and a first English title for 30 years the following season.

It's bizarre, then, that an extremely well-informed pundit like Carragher and many others within the press have attempted to portray the players – and their representatives – as the problem here.

Getty ImagesIs Salah really being 'selfish'?

When Salah first went public with his frustration over the lack of progress over a new deal, Carragher labelled the Egyptian "selfish", accusing him of thinking only of himself "and not the football club".

But Salah's contract is expiring and he clearly wants to stay. At 32 years of age, is he not entitled to think about his future and push for a new deal? Hasn't he already done enough for Liverpool to deserve an extension? Loyalty should be a two-way street at the end of the day.

Granted, in an ideal world, none of this would be played out in the media but football is a murky business populated by people motivated by making as much money as possible. Pursuing individual interests is very much a part of a team game, and arguably always has been. Did Liverpool really think, then, that the three players' representatives would be happy to let the negotiations play out on the club's terms?

Furthermore, their contractual situations had been a constant topic of debate even before Salah became the first to speak out, while it's also worth noting that Alexander-Arnold – just like Van Dijk – has been true to his word in that he's still said nothing remotely inflammatory to the press about his particular predicament.

Carragher, though, has devoted more column inches and airtime appealing to Alexander-Arnold's sense of belonging in the hope of convincing him to reject Real's advances, than addressing the real root of the problem – the club's lack of foresight, which can be attributed to the recent disruption behind the scenes at Anfield caused by the departure of a succession of influential figures.

Leeds United needed to dip into the market to bolster their options at the top end of the pitch during the recently closed summer transfer window.

Daniel Farke led the team to the final of the play-offs, after a third-placed finish in the Championship, and lost to Southampton at Wembley last season.

This meant that the Whites were vulnerable to clubs coming in to poach their best players, ahead of a second season in the second tier, and they lost a number of key players.

Archie Gray, Glen Kamara, Crysencio Summerville, and Georginio Rutter were snapped up by Tottenham Hotspur, Rennes, West Ham United, and Brighton & Hove Albion respectively.

The departures of Summerville and Rutter meant that the club had to go out and bring in attacking reinforcements to bolster Farke's options in the final third.

Leeds went and signed Manor Solomon on a season-long loan move from Tottenham and secured the permanent signing of Largie Ramazani, who came through the academy set-up at Manchester United, from Spanish side Almeria.

They were, however, reportedly interested in bringing one of their former players back to Elland Road for a second stint in West Yorkshire – Jack Clarke.

Leeds failed to land Jack Clarke

It was claimed that the Whites were eyeing up a late swoop to sign the English forward from Sunderland towards the end of the summer transfer window.

Leeds sold Clarke to Tottenham Hotspur for a reported fee of £8.5m in the summer of 2019, after he had emerged through the academy set-up at Thorp Arch, and attempted to bring him back five years later.

Unfortunately, though, they failed in their pursuit of a deal for the left winger as they faced Premier League competition from Ipswich Town, who swooped in to sign him for a fee of £15m, with £5m in add-ons.

As you can see in the table below, Clarke proved himself to be a huge threat at the top end of the pitch in his two full seasons at Championship level with the Black Cats.

Appearances

45

40

Goals

9

15

Assists

11

4

Big chances created

7

12

Dribbles completed per game

2.0

3.7

He is a winger who can offer regular quality as a scorer of goals down the left flank, cutting in onto his favoured right foot to cause damage in the final third.

Clarke had also started the current campaign in fine form, with one goal and one assist in two Championship games, before his big-money switch to Leeds.

The 23-year-old came up through the academy system with Leeds and Farke has already shown, with Mateo Joseph and Archie Gray, that he is willing to give young players a chance to impress in the first-team.

With this in mind, the Whites may have a player at Thorp Arch with the potential to develop into the German's own version of Clarke in the future, with U18s starlet Marley Wilson.

Marley Wilson's impressive academy form

The 18-year-old put pen to paper on his first professional contract with the club this summer, signing a one-year extension, and this could be a huge season for him in his development.

Wilson featured on the bench for the U21 team last season and his aim for the current campaign should be to break into the side on a regular basis.

If he can do that, whilst carrying over his form from U18 level, then it will give Farke a decision to make over his involvement in the first-team moving forward.

The left winger, who has been at the club since the age of 10, has made three appearances for the U21s so far in his career, having made the step up because of his terrific performances at U18 level.

Wilson racked up an eye-catching return of 18 goals and five assists in 39 appearances for the U18s, with the bulk of those strikes coming last season.

The talented young whiz, who is currently out with a back injury, produced 12 goals in 14 matches in all competitions during the 2023/24 campaign, to end the term as the top scorer for the U18s.

That haul included three goals in four FA Youth Cup outings and seven goals in eight U18 Premier League appearances, as the electric winger showcased his ability to find the back of the net on a regular basis.

Wilson's goalscoring return was particularly impressive when you consider that he scored more goals for the U18s than Farke's current winger, Wilfried Gnonto, managed for the first-team.

Wilfried Gnonto's goalscoring record last season

The Italy U21 international featured heavily for Leeds in all competitions during the 2023/24 campaign, predominantly playing on the right side.

He ended the season with a return of nine goals and three assists in 44 matches for the Whites, which included a return of eight goals and two assists in 36 regular season outings in the Championship.

Gnonto failed to hit double figures for goals in the division, or in all competitions combined, and this suggests that he did not offer a regular goal threat for Farke in the final third.

Appearances

36

xG

5.36

Goals

8

xA

3.81

Big chances created

5

Assists

2

The 20-year-old flanker, who has produced one goal in four league appearances this term, will need to improve his output to be relied upon as a star at the top end of the pitch for Leeds.

Wilson, if he can continue to develop and translate his form to U21 and then first-team level, could eventually emerge as a more prolific option on the flank.

The 18-year-old star has proven his goalscoring quality at U18 level, as a player with the potential to be Farke's own Clarke on the left flank, and it is now down to him to take the next step and shine with the U21s this season, to earn a long-term contract.

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If he can do that then the German boss may take a look at him in pre-season next summer, with a view to him emerging as the next star from the academy.