All posts by n8rngtd.top

Chelsea's chief revenue officer has departed the club after failing to agree a new multi-year shirt sponsorship deal. The Blues remain the only Premier League side without a shirt sponsor but they are reportedly in talks with interested parties as they look to secure a huge revenue boost in their bid to avoid breaking Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR).

• Chelsea not expected to suffer setback despite exit

  Casper Stylsvig has left Stamford Bridge less than two years after arriving in November 2023. Stylsvig previously held roles at Barcelona, Manchester United and Milan in various capacities. While Stylsvig has now moved on, Chelsea’s pursuit of a new front-of-shirt sponsor is not expected to be affected. According to The Telegraph’s Matt Law, Todd Kline – who leads Chelsea’s commercial operation and worked alongside Stylsvig – will continue ongoing discussions with a host of companies who are interested in linking up with Chelsea.

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  What's Chelsea's asking price in shirt sponsor discussions?

  In a separate report from the , Chelsea are believed to have received a number of offers but a deal is yet to be clinched. The report adds that Enzo Maresca’s side are reportedly looking for around £65 million-a-season (€75m/$89m) from any prospective agreement, with a new Saudi airline rumoured to be linked.

• Chelsea had short-term shirt sponsor in 2024-25

  Chelsea had no shirt sponsor in 2024-25 until they agreed a short-term deal with Damac – a Dubai-based property firm. They also started 2023-24 without a shirt sponsor before reaching a £40m (€46m/$54m) agreement with U.S tech firm Infinite Athlete.

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  Chelsea's next match: Blues face Bayern in Champions League

  Chelsea face a tough test when they travel to Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich in their Champions League opener this evening. The west Londoners are competing in Europe's premier club competition for the first time since 2022-23.

Everton’s pre-season preparations have left plenty to be desired. Still, David Moyes proved his wherewithal upon replacing Sean Dyche last season and will remain confident that a successful season lies ahead.

Against the backdrop of the Premier League’s heavy expenditure this summer, Everton has forked out comparatively little. A new striker has been signed in Thierno Barry, while an initial £25m deal has been agreed with Chelsea for the transfer of robust midfielder Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall.

However, there was a blue-shaded exodus on Merseyside in June, with so many unwanted players filtering out. Two of those players were Jesper Lindstrom and Jack Harrison, whose loan deals remained temporary.

Now, a replacement is needed.

Everton submit bid for new attacking midfielder

Dewsbury-Hall, 26, will add impetus to the Everton midfield. He’s strong, cultured and confident on the ball, having starred during Leicester City’s promotion-winning campaign of 2023/24, posting 12 goals and 15 assists under Enzo Maresca’s wing that year.

His time at Stamford Bridge might not have worked out, but he stands a fantastic chance of becoming a mainstay in Moyes’ Everton system, potentially forging a neat partnership with another top target.

According to The Athletic’s David Ornstein, Everton have tabled a second bid for Southampton prospect Tyler Dibling worth £40m including add-ons.

An earlier summer offer has already been rejected, and the 19-year-old is also on Aston Villa and Newcastle United’s radar. Southampton, it is felt, want £50m for their prized playing asset.

This said, Everton will not – cannot – pay over the odds for this talented teenager, and the Friedkin Group are prepared to walk away if Saints fail to reduce their exorbitant valuation.

Why Everton should sign Tyler Dibling

Southampton suffered a wretched return to the Premier League last season, narrowly missing out on the unwanted record of bearing the division’s all-time lowest points total.

But they were relegated all the same. However, Dibling shone as a beacon of solace throughout, making good on the praise from Southampton’s academy manager, Andy Goldie, that he is a “world-class talent.”

He scored four goals and supplied three assists across the 2024/25 campaign, but, as per Sofascore, to have completed 84% of his passes and averaged 4.2 successful duels in the Premier League, in a rotten Southampton side, that’s an indicator of sky-high potential.

And he’s dynamic in a positional sense too.

He’s versatile all right. But given the lack of depth on the right flank at Everton, coupled with his blistering speed and ability to manipulate tight spaces, it’s clear that Moyes wants to field him on the wing.

Especially with the Merseysiders set to wrap up a move for Dewsbury-Hall, who is very much a central midfielder. But he’s a creative one at that, hailed by former Leicester City boss Brendan Rodgers in the past as being a player who “typifies everything we want to be,” bringing energy and intensity and creativity.

The Englishman ranked among the top 5% of centre-midfielders in the Conference League last term for progressive passes and the top 9% for shot-creating actions per 90, as per FBref, highlighting the smooth passing game which could open up a world of opportunity for the fleet-footed Dibling as he surges forward, into the danger area.

With these kinds of signings, Everton are bound to evolve, and Moyes’ vision for the future might just begin to take shape.

As exciting as Ndiaye: Everton in the race to sign "powerful" £10m talent

Everton targets Ligue 1 starlet and close friend of Khvicha Kvaratskhelia in hunt for Reinforcements

By
Will Miller

Aug 5, 2025

There is no doubt that, as things stand, Bukayo Saka is Arsenal’s most important player.

Despite still being just 23 years old, the Hale End icon has already amassed a staggering tally of 70 goals and 71 assists in 263 appearances for the club.

On top of being a bona fide star for Mikel Arteta, the mercurial number seven is also one of England’s most important players and already has 44 senior caps to his name.

We are sure that there isn’t another player in the Three Lions squad the Arsenal faithful would rather have in their team, although we’re equally sure they wouldn’t mind nabbing Chelsea’s Cole Palmer as well.

So they should be delighted about reports heavily linking them with an international star who has been compared to both Saka and Palmer.

Arsenal target Saka & Palmer hybrid

There is still just under a month left until the summer transfer window comes to a close, but Arsenal have already been far busier than usual.

Transfer Focus

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

Andrea Berta has made six first-team additions so far, with the likes of Christian Norgaard and Noni Madueke coming to bolster the squad, while Viktor Gyokeres and Martin Zubimendi have made their way to North London as marquee signings.

However, even though the Gunners have been more active than most fans expected they would be, the club still appear keen on making more additions to the team.

At least that is according to a recent report from Football Transfers, which reaffirms Arsenal’s concrete interest in Eberechi Eze.

In fact, it goes further than that, revealing that even though the potential sale of Fabio Vieira to VfB Stuttgart would have to be sorted first, an offer for the Crystal Palace star is ‘imminent.’

Interestingly, while the England ace has a release clause worth £68m in his current deal until August 15th, stories from earlier this month claimed that the North Londoners’ first offer will likely be worth around €60m, which is about £52m.

It’ll likely be a costly and complicated transfer to get over the line, but Eze has proven he’s worth the effort, especially as he’s been compared to both Saka and Palmer.

How Eze compares to Saka and Palmer

In this instance, the primary comparisons to Palmer and Saka stem from FBref, which analysed players in similar positions in the Premier League last season and concluded that the Crystal Palace star was the fourth most similar attacking midfielder or winger to the Chelsea ace and the ninth most similar to the Hale End gem.

You can gain a better understanding of how these comparisons were made by examining the underlying numbers in which the Englishman ranked closely to his two compatriots.

In the former Manchester City gem’s case, these metrics included non-penalty goals plus assists, goal-creating actions, successful take-on percentage, interceptions and more, all per 90.

In the case of the North Londoners’ crown jewel, the underlying numbers included metrics such as non-penalty expected goals, passing accuracy, live passes, shots, tackles won, clearances, successful take-ons and more, all per 90.

The comparisons to Saka are particularly encouraging as it paints a picture of a player who has the ability to be just as devastating in attack, while also being willing and able to help out in defence, which sounds like just the sort of attacker Arteta loves.

With all that said, while the comparisons to his two compatriots are certainly a positive sign, they aren’t the only reason the Premier League runners-up should be going out to sign the former QPR gem.

Another, just as important reason would be his output last season, as in just 43 appearances, totalling 3303 minutes, the midfield “magician,” as dubbed by pundit Micah Richards, was able to score 14 goals and provide 11 assists.

In other words, the 27-year-old maintained an average of a goal involvement every 1.72 games, or every 132.12 minutes, for a team that finished the season in mid-table.

Ultimately, it might not be an easy transfer to pull off, but Eze is such an incredibly gifted player that Arsenal should be doing all they can to sign him, especially given the comparisons to Saka and Palmer.

Arsenal can hand Arteta his own Isak-level signing in £100m Eze alternative

The incredible international could be a real game-changer for Arsenal.

By
Jack Salveson Holmes

Aug 6, 2025

Marseille sporting director Medhi Benatia shed light on the departure of Adrien Rabiot, who joined Serie A giants AC Milan, following the Frenchman's brawl with ex-teammate Jonathan Rowe. Benatia expressed his regret over the midfielder's exit, revealing that he tried to build the bridges again, but also pointed fingers at the player's family for complicating things further.

• Benatia opens up on Rabiot's departure

  Benatia has revisited this heated episode that marked the start of the club's season. In an interview with on Tuesday, the Marseille sporting director confirmed his close relationship with the French international, but did not hesitate to criticise the attitude of those around him, accusing them of aggravating the situation. These comments bring a sensitive issue back to the table, just a few weeks after Rabiot's transfer to AC Milan.

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  The brawl between Rabiot and Rowe

  Marseille's season got off to a turbulent start, with controversy overshadowing their opening Ligue 1 defeat to Rennes. The match was quickly forgotten as an explosive incident off the pitch took centre stage, when a physical altercation broke out between Rabiot and Rowe. The situation escalated to the point where security had to intervene to break up the fight. The confrontation took a darker turn when 17-year-old Darryl Bakola, who was caught in the middle of the chaos, was left unconscious. In response to the shocking events, head coach Roberto De Zerbi confirmed that both Rabiot and Rowe were suspended and placed on the transfer list as part of the club’s disciplinary action. Club president Pablo Longoria described the incident as “completely unheard of in the world of football.” However, in an unexpected twist, De Zerbi hinted at the possibility of a return for Rabiot, with the player's mother, Veronique, also reversing her initial stance and expressing a desire for her son to remain at Marseille.

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  Benatia wanted to reconcile with Rabiot

  "I am very close to Adrien, whom I like very much. I have always said so, before, during and after the episode. But unfortunately, there was this incident which, for me, went too far and then escalated when his family got involved," said Benatia. 

  "It's a shame, because he's a wonderful person and a great professional. We would have liked to see it resolved differently. On a personal level, I'm just sad that I won't see him anymore when I arrive here… That's it, I wish him all the best."

  These words show that Rabiot's departure was not a choice planned by Les Olympiens, but rather the consequence of a climate that had become unmanageable after the brawl in Rennes.

  Despite the incident, Benatia says he considered keeping the player. "Either Adrien decided to do what was necessary so that we could reinstate him, or we made it easier for him to go elsewhere. I spoke with him for a good hour a few days before he left to join the national team. I sensed that he was attached to Marseille, but at the same time he felt he had done everything he could to mend fences… So it was better to consider his departure," said the sporting director.

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• The Rabiot family's version

  Rabiot's mother, Veronique, defended her son after it was announced that Marseille wanted to sell him, saying: "What does 'unprecedented violence' mean? No one was injured, no one went to hospital, there were no broken noses, no split lips, no stitches, so I don't really understand. 'Unprecedented violence', I don't believe it." 

  Her comments caused some unease, as Marseille's leaders were already seeking a way out of the crisis. In the same interview, she launched a scathing attack on president Longoria, De Zerbi, and Benatia.

Sunderland marked their return to the Premier League with a statement 3-0 win over West Ham. While some of the new signings, like Granit Xhaka, put in excellent performances, it was the players who got promoted that won them the game.

Following goals from Eliezer Mayenda, Daniel Ballard and Wilson Isidor, manager Regis Le Bris spoke about their significance to the team: “It’s really important for two reasons at least, the first one they showed they can step up today. We’ll see later, but today it was the case. At the same time, they are really important because they keep the identity of the club and the way we worked last season.”

One of the ways Sunderland were most impressive against West Ham was defensively, with the London side only managing shots that valued a total of 0.56 xG.

However, Le Bris is looking to strengthen his defensive unit even further as the club readies a second bid for their top centre-back target.

Sunderland is not giving up on signing Lucumí

Sunderland are planning to put in a second bid for Bologna centre-back Jhon Lucumí. Le Bris’s side previously placed a bid worth just over £24 million for the Colombian, which the Italian side rejected.

The bid that Sunderland placed was equal in value to the release clause that Lucumí’s contract previously held. This clause expired in mid-July, and the Black Cats are now expected to place a bid of higher value, according to Italian reports, via Sports Witness.

Bologna have already sold Lucumí’s centre-back partner, Sam Beukema, to Napoli this summer, and there are reports that because of this, the club see Lucumí as unsellable. The report goes on to say that Bologna are hoping to extend the defender’s contract, but as a “contract renewal appears complicated”, the Serie A side may be willing to let Lucumí go for a high enough bid.

On the personal side of the deal, Lucumí is reportedly “keen” on the move, and Sunderland already has a history with Lucumí’s agency, as he is with Wasserman, who also represent three current Sunderland players – Simon Moore, Dennis Cirkin and Dan Neil.

Why Sunderland might make Lucumí their club-record signing

Six of Sunderland’s top ten most expensive transfers have come in this window, and if they sign Lucumí, that number will rise to seven. The first bid they placed for the Colombian would have made him the club’s second most expensive player, and depending on the increase in value of the second bid, he could become the club’s record signing.

Last season, Lucumí stood out in Serie A as a ball-playing centre-back who excelled at stopping opposition counter-attacks. For Serie A centre-backs, he ranked in the top 9% for passes completed per 90 and accurate long balls per 90. Additionally, Lucumí averaged just over six ball recoveries per 90, which was in the top 4% of centre-backs. This means that when his side lost possession, he was often there to rectify the situation.

After the opening match, West Ham boss Graham Potter spoke about Sunderland’s performance and somewhat dismissively said, “It wasn’t a result – with the greatest respect – of Sunderland pushing us back and playing well. It was an action, a cross from 30 or 40 metres we should be happy to defend.”

While Sunderland didn’t dominate possession, only having 37% of it, they got the result from well-executed moments and hitting West Ham on the break.

Lucumí’s skill set will allow them to pull off this kind of result more often, as he is both accurate and progressive with the ball, allowing his team to counter quickly, and he specializes in stopping opposition counter-attacks, which will allow his team to exploit them in the transition of play.

Nico O'Reilly said it is very "special" to sign a new long-term deal with Manchester City. The 20-year-old has been at the club since the age of eight and has become an important player in Pep Guardiola's first-team. Following him putting pen to paper on a deal until 2030, the versatile talent spoke about how important his mum has been in support of his football journey and career.

• The rise of O'Reilly at Man City

  O'Reilly joined City 12 years ago and in the 2022-23 campaign, he captained their Under-18 side to a third successive national title and ended the season by winning the Players' Player of the Year award. The youngster, who has played at left-back and in central midfield over the past year, made his senior City debut in the 2024 Community Shield and has since gone on to make 27 appearances, scoring five goals in the process. The England Under-20 international admitted that he wouldn't have got to this point without his mum, Holly.

  He told City's website on Friday, "I'm so happy, I feel really good to have signed this contract with this amazing club. It's made my family proud and yeah; it's an amazing day. My mum has been making sacrifices for me since I was a baby, and she has put her life into mine and I'm so happy she was able to do this and just hope one day I can pay her back. She's so proud and obviously she has to take a lot of credit as well because I wouldn't be here without her, so I'd like to say thank you to my mum."

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  New Man City contract for O'Reilly is very 'special'

  After signing this five-year deal, O'Reilly thanked the club, his family, manager Pep Guardiola, and more.

  He added, "This is a day I will never forget. I have been at City since the age of eight, and to have made it into the first team and have played matches is a dream come true. To be rewarded with a new contract really is special. I am really proud and so is my mum!

  "But in truth, this is just the beginning for me. I have come so far, but I want to keep pushing now, improving every day, and become the best player I can be. Here at City, with Pep as manager, I know I can do that. This is the best place for a footballer to be. I want to thank everyone who works in the Academy, all my teammates, Pep, the coaching staff and the City fans because without all those people supporting me along the way, none of this would have been possible for me."

• O'Reilly a shining example for Man City academy

  City's director of football, Hugo Viana, believes that the 6ft 4in player is a great role model for many other youth players dreaming of graduating to the club's first team. 

  He said: "Everyone at Manchester City is proud of our Academy, and Nico is a great example of why that is. Any young City player should look to Nico and learn from how he conducts himself on and off the pitch. If they do that, they won’t go far wrong.

  "He is technically assured, intelligent, and a brilliant reader of the game. His progress since stepping into the first team has been excellent, and we feel he has so much more to offer. He really does have huge potential. Nico is also a fantastic person. He is so focused on his football, which is what we want from our young players. I am delighted for him and his family, and we are looking forward to seeing him develop further in the coming years."

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  More to come from O'Reilly at Man City

  O'Reilly has made six appearances for City this season, four of which have been starts. He has his sights set on becoming a regular under Guardiola and it is clear he has no intention of just making up the numbers. 

  He said: "I'd just like to say thanks for all the support I've had so far, and there's a lot more to come. Hopefully, I can keep [our fans] happy, win games, win lots of trophies and we'll all be happy.

  "It's crazy how fast things have gone but I know my ability. I don't just want to be a squad player, I’m here to fight for my place and I want to be in the team week in, week out.  That's my aim and that's what I'm going to try and do. I think I've improved. Playing in big games in big stadiums and crowds, it's something you're not used to in the Academy.

  "The experience has helped me a lot and playing a new position, learning how to defend properly. It's all helped me massively. [My target is to] play as much as I can. I want to play every game, win trophies and titles, try and get an England call-up and make the squad in the summer. I've got a lot of goals this season and I'm going to try and achieve them."

A FIFA vice president said that U.S. President Donald Trump cannot decide which cities host games in the 2026 World Cup. Victor Montagliani, who is also president of CONCACAF, was speaking at a conference in London after Trump suggested he could move games away from cities he thought might be "even a little dangerous for the World Cup.”

• Montagliani reiterates FIFA's authority

  Montagliani made the comments to an audience at The Summit, part of Leaders Week London. The Canadian was clear in his message to the Whitehouse; they have no jurisdiction over which cities will host games in the 2026 World Cup. 

  "It's FIFA's tournament, FIFA's jurisdiction, FIFA makes those decisions," he said. "With all due respect to current world leaders, football is bigger than them and football will survive their regime and their government and their slogans." 

  The 2026 World Cup will be hosted jointly between Canada, the U.S. and Mexico. 

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  Policies cause problems for FIFA officials

  The Trump administration has pursued a number of policies which could cause issues for  football's governing body. Montagliani was specifically responding to comments Trump made last week about San Francisco and Seattle. At a news conference in the Oval Office, Trump was asked about safety ahead in those cities ahead of the World Cup. 

  Trump said, "It will be safe for the World Cup. If I think it isn't safe, we'll move it to a different city. If any city we think is going to be even a little bit dangerous for the World Cup, or for the Olympics, but for the World Cup in particular, because they're playing in so many cities, we won't allow it to go. We'll move it around a little bit." 

• The American cities hosting the 2026 World Cup

  The majority of the tournament's fixtures will be held in the U.S., with 78 of the 104 games, including the final, played across 11 host cities: Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Miami, New York/New Jersey, Philadelphia, San Francisco and Seattle. 

  Seattle and San Francisco will host six games during the tournament, with Los Angeles hosting eight fixtures. 

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  Trump and FIFA

  The comments come as the latest intervention from Trump ahead of FIFA's marquee event. In March, he claimed the political and economic tensions between the US and its co-hosts Canada and Mexico would be a good thing for the tournament.

  During the summer, Trump sparked headlines by inserting himself into Chelsea's celebrations after winning the Club World Cup at MetLife Stadium, the New Jersey stadium which will also host the World Cup final. 

Celtic could now sign a summer transfer target for a “relatively small fee” this summer, in a potential boost for Brendan Rodgers.

Celtic closing in on Balikwisha signing

Royal Antwerp forward Michel-Ange Balikwisha has been heavily linked with a move to Parkhead before the summer transfer window slams shut, with an agreement even reportedly in place.

The 24-year-old has met with the club over a move to Celtic this summer, and it looks increasingly like it is a matter of time until his move is made official, with a medical pencilled in for this week.

Balikwisha would be just what the doctor ordered for Celtic, in terms of providing Rodgers with extra firepower, aiding their Champions League push and ensuring that they are once again crowned Scottish Premiership champions in 2025/26.

It looks as though the Hoops may not be done there, though, with another attacking player now mentioned as a strong option for them over the next week.

Celtic could sign Calvin Stengs on the cheap

According to Football Insider, Celtic could sign Feyenoord winger Calvin Stengs for a “relatively small fee” and thus afford him as well as Balikwisha this week, with journalist Pete O’Rourke sharing the latest.

“We know that Celtic are looking to bring in a new wideman. Stengs is a player that has emerged on Celtic’s radar – he had a difficult season for Feyenoord, a few injury problems, so that may be a concern for Celtic.

“He’s into the final two years of his contract with Feyenoord, so could be available for a cut-price fee this summer. Celtic are looking at that, seeing there could be real potential to land a former Dutch international for a relatively small fee with a bid imminent.”

The £5m-rated Stengs would be such an eye-catching signing for Celtic and Rodgers, arriving at the peak of his powers and providing impressive levels of end product in the final third.

The 26-year-old has already scored three goals in just eight caps for the Netherlands, looking to be a key figure heading into the 2026 World Cup next summer, and 54 goal contributions in 119 Eredivisie appearances is an impressive return.

Most adept in an attacking midfield role, Stengs can also do a good job on the right wing, with such versatility a bonus for Rodgers, and there is no reason why he couldn’t hit the ground running from the off.

Nygren repeat: Celtic agree personal terms to sign "creative" forward

Celtic are reportedly closing in on a deal to sign a star who could be a Benjamin Nygren repeat.

2

By
Dan Emery

Aug 24, 2025

The Dutchman has proven himself in a good league, also playing in the Champions League, and has the ability to help take Celtic up another level, should the move go through in the near future.

Viktor Gyokeres has discussed his recent blanks for Sweden following their dismal World Cup qualifying loss against Kosovo on Monday. The defeat led to the sacking of manager Jon Dahl Tomasson as the Swedes are virtually out of contention to qualify for the tournament in North America next summer. This was Sweden's second consecutive home loss during the October international window.

• Gyokeres and Isak's struggles continue

  Sweden started with Gyokeres and Alexander Isak up top. The signings by Arsenal and Liverpool respectively were among the most talked about transfers in the Premier League as they were picked up for a combined £185 million ($247m). However, the pair flopped spectacularly when it mattered most for their country as they fired blanks in Sweden's back-to-back World Cup qualifier losses against Switzerland and Kosovo.

  The consecutive losses mean Sweden continue to languish at the bottom of the group and their chances of making it to the World Cup next summer look extremely slim. The latest loss against Kosovo on Monday has also led to the sacking of manager Tomasson.

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  Tomasson sacked after Kosovo loss

  Denmark legend Tomasson took charge of the Sweden national team in February 2024, thereby becoming their first-ever foreign head coach. However, Tomasson's reign lasted less than two years as he was relieved of his duties on Tuesday, a day after Sweden suffered that embarrassing loss against Kosovo. Under Tomasson's tutelage, Sweden failed to win a single game in the qualifying rounds after four matches and are now on the verge of missing out on a World Cup slot.

  Confirming Tomasson's sacking, Swedish Football Association's chairman Simon Astrom said: "The decision is based on the fact the men's national team has not delivered the results we hoped for. There is still a chance of a play-off in March and our responsibility is to ensure we have as optimal conditions as possible to be able to reach a World Cup play-off. In this, we assess that a new leadership is required in the form of a new coach."

  After the Kosovo clash, Tomasson had refused to resign as he told reporters: "This hurts so much. It's not good enough. We're giving away easy goals and we've forgotten how to score goals. Resign? I have a contract and we're in the middle of the campaign. It's a terrible result. I don't have a good answer as to why we're not scoring goals. I don't think the players doubt the tactics, but we didn't perform well when we conceded easy goals. It's crazy that we didn't score today. We have potential, but it's a matter of decision-making. Kosovo made things difficult for us, and we have to analyse the game. We're in a very dark place right now; we won't get much sleep today. At the moment, no one is doing their job well, except me. Everyone has to improve."

• Gyokeres reacts to Sweden's latest loss

  After failing to open his account in either of the qualifying matches, Arsenal star Gyokeres was understandably frustrated, as he told : "We don't want to win the game that much, I think that was obvious; you could see from our body language that we don't want to win that much. So, it's difficult against any opponent. We're not giving our best, we're not fully focused on defence and passing. This has to do with attitude. We were unlucky against Slovenia and Switzerland, but in these two games against Kosovo, we didn't deserve anything. Of course, it's a fiasco."

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  Can Sweden still qualify for the World Cup?

  Sweden can no longer qualify for the 2026 World Cup directly as Switzerland are nine points above them with two games left in the group. However, they can still catch up with Kosovo, who are on seven points, if they win their last two matches against  Switzerland and Slovenia next month. Also, Kosovo have to lose their last two ties. If they finish second in Group B, Sweden will progress to the play-offs, which will take place in March next year.

On transfer deadline day, Liverpool celebrated the record-breaking acquisition of Newcastle United striker Alexander Isak, ending weeks of speculation and animosity over his future.

Isak had been desperate to sign for the Anfield side, and he has got his wish at the final hour. Liverpool have got themselves a gem, with pundit Alan Shearer remarking earlier in 2025, “Everything about his game is of the highest quality.”

However, it didn’t all go the Reds’ way, with their protracted summer pursuit of Crystal Palace centre-back Marc Guehi ultimately leaving them empty-handed.

It all looked like it was ready to be green-lit, with the Three Lions star having completed his medical with the Premier League champions, but external issues have left the 25-year-old stranded at Selhurst Park.

Why Liverpool wanted Marc Guehi

With Ibrahima Konate having entered the final year of his contract at Liverpool and skipper Virgil van Dijk having turned 34 in July, thus edging closer to the twilight of his career, it was crucial that fresh defensive faces were welcomed.

And sporting director Richard Hughes came ever-so close to making that arrival Guehi, having tracked the England international all summer and respectfully awaited the green light from Eagles chairman Steve Parish, which never quite came following Oliver Glasner frustration at having not signed a suitable replacement.

Remarked to have been “England’s best player” during the 2024 European Championship by analyst Ben Mattinson, Guehi’s cool and collected defensive presence merges with an effortless ball-playing game that suggests he would dovetail right into Slot’s Liverpool squad – or indeed any elite team worth their salt.

Though FSG will retain confidence in their rearguard options, Guehi would have added icing on the cake, especially with Slot looking to defend his Premier League title while challenging for silverware across further fronts too.

Leoni is a top talent, and the hope is that he will one day stand where Van Dijk stood as a long-term star at Liverpool. However, he’s not the only teenage prospect the club boast, with an existing member of Slot’s squad perhaps ready to cover for the gap where Guehi should be.

Liverpool have already got their own Guehi

Make no mistake, Leoni is one of the most exciting defensive prospects in the business, and, only 18, has so much room for improvement over the next few years.

However, the Italy international will also need time to develop his skills over the next few years, ultimately reaching a level that will see him thrive as a regular starter.

With Joe Gomez having stayed put despite transfer interest from elsewhere on deadline day, his experience will help Leoni ease into the way of things, and the same could be said for fellow teenager Amara Nallo.

Nallo hasn’t had a flawless start to life in Slot’s senior side, it must be said. In January, Nallo was sent off on his professional debut, entering the fray in the closing stages and hacking down Johan Bakayoko. It was unfortunate, but Slot said post-game that the youngster “will learn” from his mistake.

Though that remains Nallo’s sole senior showing for Liverpool, he sat three further first-team games on the bench across the 2024/25 season, and given his obvious quality in emerging from the academy, so strong and powerful and technically adept for one of his level, he could prove to be Liverpool’s own version of Guehi.

Admittedly, getting sent off on your big bow isn’t very Guehi-like, but the Palace man received an indirect card suspension himself last season, showing that he too has the capacity to make a blunder.

And Nallo won’t let a simple mistake define him, having been described by West Ham coach Carlton Cole in the past as being a “Rolls-Royce of a centre-back”.

Curiously, Nallo is two-footed and so could conceivably cover for Van Dijk and Konate across the course of the campaign. The England U19 international has also racked up 53 appearances for Liverpool’s youth sides across the two years he has been on Merseyside.

Liverpool wanted to sign Guehi for his quality and experience at the highest level, of course, but perhaps his ability on both sides of the central defence also captured Hughes’ attention. After all, the England star was described as “one of those versatile CBs who can play both sides equally as comfortably” by the aforementioned analyst Mattinson.

While Liverpool’s failed attempt to sign Guehi will have frustrated the Reds fanbase, who came so close to seeing the defender wearing red, the likes of Leoni and Nallo will perhaps have given a silent cheer as they find themselves with a clearer pathway toward playing time over the months ahead.

Nallo might be something of a forgotten man at the moment, but he was entrusted with a first-team role on the big stage last season, and there’s every chance he could now take that next step.

In The Pipeline

Given his Guehi-like tactical tendacies, perhaps this is the big opportunity he needs to take that leap and prove himself worthy of a long-term role in Liverpool’s first team.

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By
Ben Gray

Sep 2, 2025