Australia are preparing to face Pakistan in Colombo after their second match was washed out

Andrew McGlashan06-Oct-20252:21

‘Tough to make a case against Australia winning the lot’

Megan Schutt has been termed the “ultimate professional” for the way she responded to being left out of Australia’s opening ODI World Cup match against New Zealand. She does, however, face a further wait to see if she will be included against Pakistan in Colombo.Due to the washed-out match against Sri Lanka, it will be a seven-day gap for Australia when they take on Pakistan. Head coach Shelley Nitschke did not confirm whether Schutt would have featured in that abandoned contest after Darcie Brown’s pace had been preferred against New Zealand.Related

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Bugs halt play between India and Pakistan in Colombo

Schutt: 'I didn't have the skill or work ethic, I just happened to be able to swing a ball'

Schutt has 10 wickets in nine ODIs against Pakistan although she did go wicketless in the two most recent matches, at home, between the two sides in early 2023. Brown, meanwhile, has five wickets in two outings – figures of 2 for 21 and 3 for 32 in Brisbane – but she was taken for 52 off four overs against New Zealand in the World Cup opener.”She [Schutt] is obviously the ultimate professional and she took it very well,” Nitschke said on Monday. “We sort of looked at the match-ups and the performances coming in, but certainly I understand that Megan’s got a big role to play for us moving forward. We’ll have another look again at the match-ups and the conditions at Premadasa before we take on Pakistan and see if she’s in that right sort of team to best match up to them to hopefully win.”Speaking to ESPNcricinfo prior to the World Cup, Schutt said she had hoped to feature throughout. “I’d like to think my previous performances have kept me in good stead for that,” she said. “Obviously if it doesn’t work out, I will completely understand the balance of the squad and run drinks as best as I can if I’m not in the XI. But ideally I’d love to be out on the field doing what I do with people that I love. I like to think I’ve got pretty good awareness to know if that’s not going happen but ideally, I’d love to play all the games and get right through.”Sophie Molineux was outstanding on her return•Getty Images

The other key selection call Australia made for the opening match was preferring Alana King ahead of fellow legspinner Georgia Wareham. The fact there wasn’t room for both was because of Sophie Molineux’s return to the side which saw her take 3 for 25, including the wicket of Suzie Bates in her first over and the final removal of Izzy Gaze who was flying on 28 off 18 balls alongside a dominant Sophie Devine.It was Molineux’s first international since last December and Nitschke confirmed the left-arm spinner will need to be looked after as she continues to regain strength from knee surgery.”She [Molineux] was fantastic in that first round,” Nitschke said. “To open the bowling first game back and return figures like she did was unbelievable and a credit to her and the work she’s done to get her back to being available to play for us.”I think her knee is just ongoing management and seeing how it responds to training and games and looking at her availability from there. We’ll make sure that we’re doing the right thing by her and hopefully having her available when we need her.”When a decision needs to be made between King and Wareham, Nitschke said “sometimes it’s actually not about one or the other, like they bring different things to the table. I think Alana probably spins the ball a bit more and she’s a bit more attacking. Georgia can find a really good defensive length and [has] got a few variations that she goes to.”They both offer different things so it’s also about what we think we need in the game. Alana makes things happen, like I said, she’s an attacking bowler, as does Wolf [Wareham], but she also plays a lot of T20 and knows how to hit a really good defensive length at times as well.”The match in Colombo on Sunday between India and Pakistan saw play suspended for 15 minutes while the ground was fumigated against flying insects. It’s a problem Australia have not experienced during their training sessions in the city.”I’m not sure if that’s relative to the conditions and the bit of moisture that’s around,” Nitschke said. “But hopefully the fumigators are out and ready to go if that’s the case.”

Phil Foden spared Manchester City's blushes as he struck late to snatch a 3-2 win after his side had chucked away a two-goal advantage at half-time. Foden scored in the very first and last minutes of the game, rescuing all three points for Pep Guardiola's side which could prove vital at the end of the season. Josko Gvardiol bundled in a second goal in a dominant first half from the hosts.

But everything changed after the break as relegation-threatened Leeds put up a fight for their under-pressure boss Daniel Farke. They produced a spirited comeback and even believed in victory themselves but Foden diminished that, deciding the game with a brilliant finish from outside the area in the first of the 10 minutes of additional time. 

The England forward scored the fastest Premier League goal of the season to give City the lead after 59 seconds, firing in first time after a cross from Matheus Nunes. The midfielder was denied a second goal by a brave block from James Justin, who threw himself in front of the ball from close range, and then by a super save from Lucas Perri. 

Leeds could only resist the City dominance for so long, though, and the second eventually arrived from a corner, Gvardiol sliding in to stab home following Nico O'Reilly's knockdown, helped by some abject goalkeeping from Perri.

City had the bit between their teeth and pushed for a third before half-time but to no avail, with Bernardo Silva and Tijjani Reijnders having shots blocked and Perri repelling a strike from Nico Gonzalez, while O'Reilly headed wide.

Leeds came out for the second half with a double substitution and a totally different mindset and they immediately pegged City back. They fired out a warning minutes after the restart when Donnarumma patted a free-kick away only for it to land at the feet of Ethan Ampadu, with Reijnders making the block. One minute later Dominic Calvert-Lewin halved the deficit, losing the ball on the turn then snaffling it back off Nunes to strike. City's nerves began to set in and Leeds then won a penalty when Gvardiol rushed into a tackle on Calvert-Lewin and sent him flying.

Donnarumma guessed right to parry Nmecha's penalty but the rebound fell straight back to the German forward for him to tap in the leveller. The Etihad fell silent but when Foden buried the ball in the bottom corner after dribbling across the outside of the box, the stadium erupted and secured a valuable three points for Guardiola and his troops.

GOAL rates Man City's players from the Etihad Stadium…

• AFP
  

  Goalkeeper & Defence

  Gianluigi Donnarumma (5/10):

  After a placid first half he didn't transmit much confidence under pressure. Flapped at a free-kick, did the hard part saving the penalty but sent the ball to the worst place possible.

  Matheus Nunes (4/10):

  His bright forward play which led to the lightning-quick opening goal was cancelled out by his clumsy defending gifting Calvert-Lewin the goal that made Leeds believe. His botched clearance gave Leeds possession again and then after tackling Calvert-Lewin he surrendered the ball to him.

  Ruben Dias (5/10):

  Had a flawless first-half display but couldn't show the necessary leadership when Leeds grew in confidence.

  Josko Gvardiol (4/10):

  Like Nunes, his poor defending undid his good work in doubling the lead. Couldn't communicate with Nunes for the first goal and then produced an awful tackle for the penalty.

  Nico O'Reilly (6/10):

  A strong physical display, showing his hunger by attacking Perri from the corner and setting up Gvardiol. 

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• AFP
  

  Midfield

  Bernardo Silva (5/10):

  Didn't really put his usual stamp on the game.

  Nico Gonzalez (6/10):

  Dominated the first half, barely giving Leeds any glimpses behind him. Struggled to adapt to the visitors' changes.

  Tijjani Reijnders (6/10):

  Contributed his share in defence and attack although was the first to come off when Guardiola wanted a reaction.

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Attack

  Phil Foden (9/10):

  Dangerous and decisive from start to finish. Could have had a hat-trick in the first half and when everyone else had lost belief he grabbed the game by the scruff of its neck and won it.

  Erling Haaland (5/10):

  Failed to score for the third game in a row, barely getting a chance in front of goal. He obediently did his defensive work, though, and was a useful presence nullifying Leeds' ariel threat.

  Jeremy Doku (5/10):

  Couldn't do his useful damage and struggled to prise Leeds' defence open down his left flank.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  Subs & Manager

  Rayan Cherki (6/10):

  Gave City a bit more guile going forward and gave the ball to Foden for the crucial strike.

  Omar Marmoush (N/A):

  Saw a header saved by Perri one minute after coming on.

  John Stones (N/A):

  Brought on in the 95th minute to run the clock down.

  Pep Guardiola (6/10):

  A very strange game for the coach to digest, pure dominance followed by a loss of composure and belief. To his credit, his changes helped swing the game back in City's favour, even though he owes Foden a massive pat on the back for digging him out of the hole.

The Boston Red Sox parted ways with their longest-tenured active player by trading Rafael Devers to the San Francisco Giants on Sunday. Devers, who signed with the Red Sox as a free agent at the age of 16, spent his entire major league career with the Red Sox from 2017 until Sunday, when he was sent to San Francisco.

The surprising trade took place months after the Red Sox signed Alex Bregman, who replaced Devers at third base. Devers initially stated that he would only play third base, before later agreeing to serve as the team's designated hitter. Tension re-emerged when the Red Sox asked Devers to play first base following the injury to Triston Casas, which frustrated Devers. Devers remained the team's designated hitter, up until the Red Sox agreed to trade him over the weekend.

Though the end of Devers's tenure in Boston was marred by the rocky end, he had many great moments over his time with the Red Sox, from becoming a three-time MLB All-Star, signing a 10-year, $313.5 million extension with Boston, and winning the World Series in 2018.

Following the trade, Red Sox manager Alex Cora posted a picture of him and Devers after winning the World Series nearly seven years ago, capturing one of the special moments Devers had as part of the franchise. Cora simply captioned the post, "Gracias," and tagged Devers.

As Devers heads to San Francisco, Cora and the Red Sox have to say goodbye to one of their biggest stars in recent years. Devers will see with his former team very soon though, as the Giants are set to face the Red Sox from Friday to Sunday.

Los Angeles Dodgers star Mookie Betts returned to the lineup on Tuesday night after fracturing his toe last week after stubbing it in the dark on the way to the bathroom in his home.

Betts was joined by New York Mets star Pete Alonso on his podcast with and hilariously told the story of how it happened, which included some advice for Alonso and the listeners.

"You should always use a flashlight when you're walking in the dark," Betts said on his podcast with Pete Alonso of the New York Mets. "You know how many times people stub their toe on a wall, or on a bed or whatever. And you never think anything about it. Man, it really sucked. I remember the seconds right when you hit your toe and it doesn't start hurting yet, and then the pain comes. I knew I got it on a good one," Betts added.

Betts went 2-for-5 in his return on Tuesday, as the Dodgers beat Alonso's Mets 6-5 in 10 innings.

Betts is hitting .257 with eight home runs and 31 RBI in a slower-than-usual start to the season for him at the plate.

Tottenham Hotspur improved after the break, but the damage had been done following Fulham’s early flurry in north London, two goals to the good after six minutes.

Thomas Frank spoke before the game about the importance of starting with confidence, but the performance was anything but assured, with Sky Sports co-commentator Alan Smith remarking that it was “chaos in Tottenham’s defensive line” early on.

It wasn’t just the defenders who flattered to deceive, though, with Guglielmo Vicario’s ill-judged rush from his box to deal with a clearance leaving Harry Wilson to curl home and double the Cottagers’ lead just moments into the match.

Guglielmo Vicario is letting Spurs down

Vicario has been an astute piece of business for Tottenham over the past several years, but he has left plenty to be desired this season, with his error-strewn performance against Fulham sadly not an outlier, his costly mistake the third of the Premier League campaign, and 11th since he arrived in 2023.

There is a case to be made that the Lilywhite defenders needed to drop back and protect the yawning goalmouth, but Vicario, 28, has much to answer for, only making one save besides, as per Sofascore.

Whether Vicario reprises his starting berth between the sticks going forward is another matter, but it’s certainly one Frank will chew on as he looks to arrest this slump and bring Spurs back into the ascendancy, stringing together some strong winter form to challenge for a reprisal of their ongoing Champions League campaign.

However, changes clearly need to be made, and Frank does not have long to enact any shuffling, with Newcastle United awaiting at St. James’ Park on Tuesday evening.

There may actually be an outfield Tottenham star who must be dropped for that crucial top-flight clash, having lacked dynamism in the middle of the park this season.

5/10 Spurs star was as poor as Vicario

The boos chorused around the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium at full-time, and Joao Palhinha was among the dejected players in white after a disappointing midfield display that saw him hooked on the hour mark.

The loanee, brought in from Bayern Munich in the summer, was ineffective against his former London outfit, with football.london criticising ‘one of his shakier performances’ and branding him with a 5/10 match rating.

Vicario might suffer from crises of judgement, but Palhinha is beginning to solidify as a centre-midfielder lacking in key areas; namely, he is limited in possession and he is not mobile enough.

As per FBref, the Portugal international ranks among the bottom 9% of Premier League midfielders for progressive passes and progressive carries per 90.

These flaws were accentuated against Marco Silva’s side, who only had 37% of the ball but made it count. Palhinha’s inability to break lines and influence in the attacking half played into this.

You would hope, at least, that the tough-tackling midfielder would win his tackles, but Palhinha’s one attempted tackle saw him come up short, lunging into the grass.

The fact that the 30-year-old failed to create a chance and made just the one recovery further emphasises the poor display, too one-dimensional and sedentary in the middle of the park.

Tottenham need more energy and electricity and enthusiasm. Sure, key playmakers are sidelined, but this isn’t good enough.

Change is needed, and it might be time for Frank to repackage his engine room with a new combination.

Frank can unearth his own Dembele by unleashing "generational" Spurs gem

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By
Dan Emery

Nov 29, 2025

Despite a few poor results, this season is starting to shape up nicely for Chelsea.

Enzo Maresca’s side are currently second in the Premier League and have the chance to cut the gap to Arsenal to just three points when they play them on Sunday.

However, for the West Londoners to have any chance of beating the high-flying Gunners, they’ll need to have their shooting boots on, and Liam Delap will have to show why the club signed him in the summer.

However, Chelsea might already be having second thoughts about the Englishman, as reports are linking them to another exciting young striker, someone with shades of Didier Drogba in their game.

Chelsea target Delap upgrade

Given Chelsea’s propensity to spend big in the transfer window, it’s not been much of a surprise to see reports already linking them with a host of talented players ahead of the January window.

Transfer Focus

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

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For example, Athletic Bilbao’s incredibly exciting Nico Williams has been touted for a £62m move to Stamford Bridge, and Nottingham Forest’s Murillo has also been heavily linked.

However, as talented as these two internationals are, neither can be compared to Drogba, nor would they be a threat to Delap’s place in the team, unlike Robinio Vaz.

Yes, according to a recent report from Caught Offside, Chelsea are one of a few teams interested in the exciting French talent.

In fact, the report has revealed that the Blues have already established contact with Marseille over a possible move that could cost as much as €30m, about £26m.

However, sides like Arsenal, Borussia Dortmund, Sevilla and Napoli are also said to be interested in the youngster.

It could therefore be a costly and complicated transfer to get over the line, but given Vaz’s ability and potential, it’s one Chelsea should fight for, especially as he could be an upgrade on Delap and has shades of Drogba in his game.

How Vaz compares to Delap and Drogba

Okay, so before looking at how Vaz compares to Delap, let’s examine the shades of Drogba in his game and this potential move.

The first and most significant would be that, so long as this transfer happens, the youngster would be following in the legendary striker’s footsteps, who moved from Marseille to Chelsea in 2004.

Another trait he appears to share with the iconic centre-forward is that he’s more than a goalscorer.

While he certainly can put the ball in the back of the net, the teenage sensation is also someone who can create chances for his teammates through, in the words of respected analyst Ben Mattinson, an ability to “hold up the ball.”

With all that said, how does his output stack up to that of Delap’s this season?

Vaz vs Delap

Player

Vaz

Delap

Appearances

14

7

Minutes

331′

294′

Goals

4

0

Assists

2

0

Goal Involvements per Match

0.42

N/A

Minutes per Goal Involvement

55.16′

N/A

All Stats via Transfermarkt

Well, despite still being just 18 years old, the “lethal” number nine, as one analyst dubbed him, has scored four goals and provided two assists in 14 appearances, totalling just 331 minutes this season.

That comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 2.33 games, or far more crucially, one every 55.16 minutes.

In contrast, the West Londoners’ summer signing has failed to score a single goal or provide a single assist in seven appearances across all competitions, totalling 294 minutes.

Granted, he has been out injured, but the Englishman has almost played as many minutes as the youngster and arguably for a far better team.

UltimatelyUltimately, it’s still early in his career, but as one analyst puts it, Vaz looks like he’s “going straight to the top,” and therefore Chelsea should sign him, even if it’s bad news for Delap.

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Posts ByJack Salveson Holmes Nov 24, 2025

Newcastle United fans will be growing extremely restless with how poor their beloved side’s away form continues to be.

The inconsistent Magpies must wish they could play in front of their passionate St James’ Park masses every week, with another away day loss in the Champions League against Marseille meaning the Toon have lost their last four matches on the road.

In stark contrast, Eddie Howe’s men have won their last six matches in a row back on home soil.

Of course, home advantage is a common phrase uttered in football – hence the labelling of certain home grounds as fortresses – but this Jekyll and Hyde form will seriously be worrying Howe, with TNT Sports pundit Joe Cole saying “there’s too much of a gap” between the strugglers at their very best and their very worst, after the defeat in France.

Anthony Gordon is seriously letting his side down wherever they’re lining up at the moment, though, with a regret now possibly in the air that PIF didn’t cash in on the up-and-down performer when they could’ve.

Latest on Gordon's future at Newcastle

Indeed, during the summer of 2024, Liverpool were reportedly keen to tempt the England international to Anfield, with last summer also seeing them come back with more interest, as he was touted to have a bumper £100m price-tag above his head.

Gordon warranted all this fervent interest, too, with 37 goals and assists coming his way across two campaigns for Howe’s men.

His confidence was so sky-high that the Liverpool-born forward even labelled himself a “nightmare” for defenders to contain, amid interest also coming from top-flight rivals Arsenal.

Now, however, he has thudded back to reality, with zero goals or assists coming his way from seven Premier League games so far this season, with just 40% of his dribbles accurately completed, as per Sofascore, as he continues to look a worrying shadow of his former self.

Consequently, Liverpool have moved on to another batch of high-profile targets in attack in the form of Michael Olise and Antoine Semenyo, with writer Thomas Hammond stating that a forthcoming sale of Gordon would be “favourable”, just to get him off the books, concerning his ongoing no-shows.

While he has contributed massively to his own downfall, his Newcastle career could be in even more tatters by the emergence of this promising star on Tyneside, who PIF signed on a free transfer earlier this year.

The "explosive" star who can end Gordon's career

Howe could soon have to be bold with what he does in the St James’ Park hot seat, with the current state of affairs unfolding, leading him down the unwanted path of a dismissal.

For the tie at the Orange Velodrome, Howe did bravely decide to gift 16-year-old Sam Alabi a chance from the substitutes bench, with Antonio Cordero another promising star that might be in line for some first team chances soon, partcularly if Gordon continues to frustrate.

For the time being, the former Malaga winger is out on loan in Belgium with KVC Westerlo, but when he returns, he will have even more senior action under his belt, as he attempts to unsettle Gordon, with his standout time in the senior squad at Malaga, leading to one analyst page hailing him as an “explosive” talent.

Despite only being 19, Cordero – who has also been labelled as “exciting” by former Magpies sporting director Paul Mitchell – managed to tally up a weighty 60 appearances for the senior side, with goals and assists aplenty also coming his way.

LW

33

5 + 6

RW

16

2 + 3

AM

2

0

RM

1

0

Looking at the table above, Cordero would manage to tally up a blistering 11 goal contributions for his former employers down Gordon’s usual left-hand side from just 33 appearances.

The hope will be that Newcastle landing the teenage sensation for nothing proves to be a masterstroke in time, with Cordero further capable of also playing as a right winger, or as a number ten if needed.

The promising youngster has even been noted as being “like Gordon” by analyst Ben Mattinson, with Newcastle perhaps better served now to look to the future and put their energy into the Spaniard, than persisting with Gordon to come good.

In a few years, he might well be a household name on Tyneside, with the ex-Everton attacker off the Magpies roster, subsequently.

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ByKelan Sarson Nov 26, 2025

On Thanksgiving Thursday in the United States, Celtic supporters across the world are thankful that their side has finally won an away European match.

In the Europa League’s early kick off, despite falling behind inside 11 minutes, Martin O’Neill’s side fought back to beat Feyenoord 3-1; Yang Hyun-jun and then Reo Hatate on target in double-quick time, before substitute Benjamin Nygren lashed home a clinching third late on

Before this, the Hoops had failed to win any of their previous 16 European away matches, dating back to a 3-2 victory over Ferencváros in Budapest in November 2021; Kyōgo Furuhashi, Jota and Liel Abada the scorers for Ange Postecoglou’s side back then.

In the context of this campaign, it takes Celts’ points tally up to seven from five Europa League games, boosting their knockout phase hopes, with fixtures against Roma, Bologna and Utrecht still to come on their schedule.

By the time the current Serie A leaders visit Glasgow in a fortnight, there could well be a new face in the home dugout, so which forgotten figure staked a claim in Rotterdam to be a key figure under Wilfried Nancy?

Reo Hatate's magical night

Plenty of Celtic players deserve praise following a famous win in Rotterdam, but Hatate was the star of the show.

The Japanese midfield maestro spectacularly set up the equaliser, before cooly slotted home the vital go-ahead goal, gently passing the ball into the net having been gifted possession by goalkeeper Timon Wellenreuther, after some excellent, trademark closing down by Daizen Maeda.

Since arriving in January 2022, Hatate has been one of Celtic’s best and most beloved players throughout; scoring twice in a thumping Old Firm victory mere weeks after joining helps!

However, his position in the starting lineup has come under scrutiny, given the Celts’ do have other good central midfield options, namely Nygren, Arne Engels, Luke McCowan and Paulo Bernardo.

However, Hatate’s mercurial talent and exquisite ability makes him a dream for any manager and, based on how his Columbus Crew team like to play, Nancy will surely make the Japanese international a central figure in his team, once he does arrive.

Meanwhile, which usually less heralded figure will also surely have impressed the incoming manager with his display at De Kuip?

Celtic's "world class" talent stars vs Feyenoord

There were many heroes bedecked in green and white hoops during Thursday’s victory over Feyenoord.

Teenaged full-back Colby Donovan was immense, Luke McCowan was excellent out of position, despite his inexplicable early miss, while Daizen Maeda worked his socks off as always.

Meantime, one of the surprise starters when the team sheets dropped was Yang, chosen over Sebastian Tounekti, Nygren and Michel-Ange Balikwisha by O’Neill, but the Korea Republic international certainly repaid the manager’s

Yang lashed home Celtic’s equaliser on the half-hour mark, connecting with Hatate’s looping cross, the ball squirming in between Wellenreuther and the post.

This was only Yang’s second goal of the season, also on target against Partick Thistle in the League Cup in September beforehand, but this one was rather more important.

Overall, he was a constant threat at De Kuip.

Goals

1

1st

Attempted dribbles

3

2nd

Completed passes

25

16th

Duels contested

6

15th

Touches

43

15th

SofaScore rating

7.3

4th

Since arriving from Gangwon FC in July 2023 under Brendan Rodgers, Yang has flattered to deceive, showing glimpses of quality but only doing so on a very irregular basis.

Upon making the move, Gangwon’s then-club president Kim Byung-ji stated that he had “world class” potential, backing him to become as good as the national team’s all-time leading scorer Son Heung-min.

Speaking during commentary for TNT Sports, Joe Hart, a former teammate of Yang, said that “there’s an excellent player in there”, but that he just has to show it on a regular basis, while manager O’Neill stated that he needs to now replicate his form in training in matches.

Thus, with Nancy seemingly poised to arrive, every member of the Celtic squad will have a clean slate, which will surely be good news for Yang, looking to become a key figure under the new manager, hoping to force his way into Hong Myung-bo’s South Korea squad ahead of next summer’s World Cup.

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ByBen Gray Nov 21, 2025

يرى الرئيس التنفيذي السابق لنادي إيفرتون، كيث وينيس، أن نادي ليفربول لن يستطيع إبرام صفقة ذهبية إلا عن طريق التخلي عن النجم المصري محمد صلاح.

ووقع محمد صلاح على عقد جديد مع ليفربول في أبريل الماضي، حيث سيستمر بمقتضاه رفقة بطل الدوري الإنجليزي حتى صيف 2027.

ورغم ذلك، انتشرت التكهنات في الفترة الأخيرة حول مستقبل محمد صلاح وإمكانية رحيله عن صفوف ليفربول في يناير أو الصيف المقبل، نظرًا لمستواه المتراجع ذلك الموسم.

من جهة أخرى، يرى كيث وينيس الرئيس التنفيذي السابق لنادي إيفرتون أن ليفربول لن يستطيع التعاقد مع فيتينها، نجم باريس سان جيرمان، إلا إذا تخلى عن محمد صلاح مطلع العام الجديد.

وقال كيث وينيس، في تصريحات نشرتها شبكة “فوتبول إنسايدر” الإنجليزية: “أعتقد أن الأمر سيكون صعبًا على ليفربول، أعتقد أن ريال مدريد مهتم به (فيتينها) بالفعل، لقد سمعت بعض القصص المتداولة حول هذا النوع من الانتقالات”.

اقرأ أيضًا | كواليس غرفة ملابس ليفربول بعد النتائج الكارثية وموقف اللاعبين من آرني سلوت

وأضاف: “أعتقد أن الأمر صعب على ليفربول وآرسنال، وبالنظر إلى ليفربول حاليًا أيضًا، أعتقد أن هناك الكثير من التساؤلات المالية المطروحة الآن”.

وواصل: “أعتقد أن الخيار الأنسب هو السماح لـ محمد صلاح بالانتقال إلى السعودية، لا أعلم إن كان ذلك ممكنًا في يناير، وذلك من أجل توفير بعض الأموال”.

واستدرك: “لكن هذا السؤال مطروح بالتأكيد، فنظرًا للنفقات التي صرفها ليفربول على صفقاتهم الصيفية، أعتقد أنهم سيضطرون إلى استعادة بعض الأموال لتبرير صفقة مثل فيتينها”.

واختتم: “أعتقد أن آرسنال يبدو مستقرًا نسبيًا في الوقت الحالي، لا أعتقد أنهم سينفقون هذا القدر من المال حاليًا على فيتينها، لذا أعتقد أن إسبانيا هي الخيار الأنسب لهم”.

كان فيتينها قد حصد المركز الثالث في جائزة الكرة الذهبية، لعام 2025، متفوقًا على محمد صلاح الذي حل في المركز الرابع.

Arsenal are now prepared to break the bank to sign Vinicius Jr, amid a major new update on the forward’s future at Real Madrid.

The Gunners should be well-positioned to start competing for the signatures of some of the world’s best players once again, having announced themselves as serious contenders for the Premier League title as a result of the 4-1 victory at Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday.

Signing the Real Madrid star would certainly be a major statement of intent, given that he is still regarded as one of the best wingers in world football, despite narrowly missing out on the 2024 Ballon d’Or, finishing as runner-up behind Manchester City star Rodri.

Interestingly, an exciting new report has now suggested that the move could be a realistic possibility, following a major new update on the Brazilian’s future at the Santiago Bernabeu…

Arsenal prepared to break the bank for Vinicius Jr

According to a report from Spain, Arsenal are now prepared to break the bank to sign Vinicius Jr, with the Emirates Stadium now one of his most likely destinations, having informed Real Madrid chairman Florentino Perez he does not currently wish to sign a new contract.

The winger’s unwillingness to put pen to paper on a new deal stems from a difficult relationship with manager Xabi Alonso, and negotiations have now stalled, which could open the door for a move to north London, and Stan Kroenke & co clearly mean business.

However, the Gunners may need to be willing to make the Brazil international one of their highest earners to get a deal over the line, given that he has been demanding a very high salary to extend his stay with the Spanish club.

In truth, the 25-year-old isn’t having the greatest of seasons, failing to score or assist in his last 10 matches for club and country, so it is no surprise he has fallen down the pecking order at Madrid, most recently being benched for his side’s 2-2 draw against Elche.

The forward’s attacking output has been very impressive previously, however, having contributed a whopping 111 goals and 87 assists in 339 matches for Real Madrid, and Liverpool manager Arne Slot sung his praises earlier this month.

With Arsenal looking to lift the Champions League for the first time in their history this season, it would make sense to bring in Vinicius Jr, who has won the competition twice, and ranks very highly in the 2026 Ballon d’Or Power Rankings…

Where Vinicius Jr ranks in the 2026 Ballon d'Or Power Rankings Ballon d'Or 2026 Power Rankings

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