If Leeds United end up getting rid of an under-fire Daniel Farke in the near future, they will need to heed a lesson of years gone by.

As was seen after Marcelo Bielsa’s exit – who lifted the Championship title aloft much like the German – the grass isn’t always greener when you dismiss an under-pressure manager in the Premier League.

Indeed, a flurry of managers in the form of Jesse Marsch, Javi Gracia and Sam Allardyce all didn’t work, which culminated in relegation.

The West Yorkshire giants would then land Farke to pick up the pieces, but even he will know he is on thin ice now regarding his job security, with four defeats picked up in the Premier League from his last five league clashes.

Leeds hang just one point above the dreaded drop zone, with Farke’s atrocious record in the top division of just nine wins from 60 matches, not doing a lot to raise spirits.

He hasn’t been helped, arguably, by some unconvincing transfers coming through the door in the summer, with Leeds splashing out £98m on some hit-and-miss purchases.

Where Perri ranks among Leeds' recent signings

The West Yorkshire outfit’s spending power was somewhat pushed to the background when weighed up next to fellow promoted side Sunderland, who sit eight points better off than Leeds, owing to £162m being forked out.

Still, Leeds have managed to steal some headlines with their own notable business, with Noah Okafor already two goals down donning his new white strip, after leaving AC Milan behind for a fresh adventure in the Premier League.

In much the same vein as Sunderland landed Premier League experience centrally with Granit Xhaka, Leeds also went down the shrewd, top-flight-calibre route themselves when acquiring Sean Longstaff’s services, with journalist Daniel Storey even going as far as to hail the capture of the Newcastle-born star for just £12m as “one of the best signings in the Premier League”.

Unfortunately, though, as Leeds have grown accustomed to over recent years when landing duds such as Luis Sinisterra and Rasmus Kristensen, they have also fallen victim to some underwhelming signings from the summer just gone, with Lucas Perri – in particular – sticking out as a costly blunder already in between the sticks.

Even the most casual observer of the Championship last season would have known that Leeds were far from satisfied with the amount of errors Illan Meslier was making in goal, during a crunch promotion run-in, with pundit Adrian Clarke stating last season that the error-prone Frenchman “has to go” if Premier League action was back on the menu.

The Championship title-winners listened to Clarke’s advice, with all signs pointing in the direction that picking up Meslier’s replacement in Perri for £13.9m from Lyon was a smart use of money, considering Meslier’s fellow compatriot had an encouraging ten Ligue 1 clean sheets under his belt when making the switch to England.

Games played

6

Goals conceded

12

Goals conceded*

2.0

Saves

12

Touches*

43.7

Accurate passes*

20.5 (58%)

Clean sheets

2

Unfortunately, though, under the intense heat of being near the foot of the Premier League, Perri has largely crumbled, with moments of “superb” goalkeeping, for which he was praised by journalist Graham Smyth after clawing away a goal-bound effort against Nottingham Forest, often then met with moments of Meslier-like indecision.

Consequently, Perri has now let in a concerning 12 strikes from six Premier League games, among other worrying numbers, with the outstanding ‘keeper they thought they’d obtained from Lyon yet to come to the forefront.

Purchased for a steep £13.9m, this is an almighty concern that he doesn’t look all that much of a notable upgrade on his former Lorient counterpart, with former Leeds player Jon Newsome even coming out after the crushing 3-1 defeat against Nottingham Forest to state that Perri looks like a “waste of funds”.

Journalist Adonis Storr has also been openly critical of Perri by stating that he always “parries straight to opponents”, which led the Tricky Trees to have a field day against the ropey Brazilian.

If Perri remains this unconvincing in goal in the long run, Leeds will find it hard to beat the drop, with one of his defensive teammates at the City Ground also in with a worrying shout to be one of the Whites’ worst bits of business from their recent bumpy Premier League history.

Leeds dud fast becoming one of their worst signings

In Perri’s defence, at least he has two clean sheets next to his name to have something to smile about.

On the contrary, fellow summer arrival Jaka Bijol is yet to collect a Premier League clean sheet from his limited opportunities in Farke’s first team mix, having been branded as “monstrous” centre-back by Como scout Ben Mattinson when plying his trade for Udinese.

Winning 4.8 duels won on average last season per Serie A clash, the hope would have been that Bijol would instantly get up to speed with the high intensity of the Premier League and be the gritty warrior Leeds need to comfortably survive.

After all, he cost even more than Perri to obtain at the £15m mark, with only Anton Stach and the aforementioned Okafor costing more this summer at £17.4m and £18m, respectively.

While Stach has that sweetly struck free-kick against Wolverhampton Wanderers to hold onto, and his Swiss counterpart has those two Premier League strikes also in his favour, Bijol’s start to life in England has been strangely stop-start.

Indeed, the Slovenian centre-back has only managed to line up for three Premier League clashes to date this season, with many wondering whether Leeds had made an almighty error splashing the cash on Bijol, only for him to warm the substitutes bench behind Pascal Struijk.

However, Farke might well have been better placed to leave the shoddy number 15 on the bench for the foreseeable future, when analysing his disastrous Premier League appearances so far, as Bijol was caught ball-watching for Forest’s decisive match-winner on Sunday afternoon.

Perri is hardly loving life under scrutiny at Elland Road, knowing he now has an out-of-sorts Bijol in front of him, with Leeds last keeping a clean sheet in league action when Struijk partnered Joe Rodon, and the Slovenian was left rooted to the bench.

Minutes played

90

82

Goals conceded

3

3

Touches

89

79

Accurate passes

81/86 (94%)

65/71 (92%)

Tackles won

0/0

1/1

Interceptions

0

1

Clearances

3

4

Blocked shots

0

0

Ball recoveries

6

1

Total duels won

1/3

4/6

At their current rate, with 20 goals already leaked, Leeds could be on their way to conceding even more goals than the 78 strikes they gave up during the 2022/23 season when relegation was on the cards.

That same season, Leeds had to put up with a weak Robin Koch in defence, who once cost £12m from Freiburg in another shambolic defensive purchase.

At his current downward slope, Bijol is likely to be remembered more for being a Koch-like blunder than a bright spark like Okafor, with the Slovenian having to buck his ideas up soon, or be viewed as £18m that was rashly chucked away.

Thankfully, he does have time on his side to rewrite his Leeds narrative, as Perri and Bijol hope the slide can be eventually arrested, with or without the manager that brought them to this country remaining in the dug-out.

Fewer touches than Perri: Farke must ditch Leeds flop who's Meslier 2.0

Daniel Farke has a new Illan Meslier figure to worry about at Leeds United.

ByKelan Sarson Nov 10, 2025

Wolves and their search for a new manager took a dramatic twist on Saturday with news of Rob Edwards standing down from the dugout for Middlesbrough’s clash against Birmingham, but he hasn’t been the only tactician on the Old Gold’s shortlist.

Their disastrous season has plunged from bad to worse, with the club now desperately scrambling to appoint Edwards after Vitor Pereira was sacked on November 2.

Wolves’ winless start has left them rooted to the bottom of the Premier League table, and they remain the only side without a victory in England’s top four divisions, having taken just two points from their opening 10 top flight games.

History is firmly against them – no club has ever survived with two or fewer points at this stage of a Premier League season — a stat which seriously threatens to condemn Wolves to relegation after eight straight years in the top tier.

Wolves results in the Premier League so far
Wolves 0-4 Man City
Bournemouth 1-0 Wolves
Wolves 2-3 Everton
Newcastle 1-0 Wolves
Wolves 1-3 Leeds United
Tottenham 1-1 Wolves
Wolves 1-1 Brighton
Sunderland 2-0 Wolves
Wolves 2-3 Burnley
Fulham 3-0 Wolves

Wolves have also become only the third side in Premier League history to concede 20 or more goals in their opening 10 games of two consecutive seasons, shipping 27 last season and 22 this campaign.

After Pereira’s dismissal, and following their week-long managerial search, Fosun have now turned their attention to Edwards.

The 42-year-old was once part of the club’s coaching staff, working with the U18s in 2014 before being promoted to a first-team coaching role in 2015. Since then, Edwards guided Luton Town to Premier League promotion in 2023, and made a fine start to life at Boro this season.

However, he could now be on the move just months after signing a three-year contract.

The situation reached breaking point today when Edwards was stood down from taking charge of Boro’s home game against Birmingham amid continued interest from Wolves. Edwards also didn’t take Boro training on Friday, and his pre-match press conference was cancelled, after Boro rejected Wolves’ approach seeking permission to hold talks on Thursday (Sky Sports).

Now, it is believed that Edwards is “looking likely to join Wolves” as he eyes a return to the top flight.

Boro released a statement today too, confirming that they’ve now granted Edwards permission to speak to Wolves.

All of this comes after Wolves initially explored bringing back former manager Gary O’Neil, but he withdrew from the race citing a timing issue.

Major twist on Gary O'Neil's future after advanced talks to re-join Wolves

Now, as per TEAMtalk, there’s been a “major twist” on O’Neil’s own future after his “advanced talks” to re-join Wolves.

According to their information, following a “dramatic U-turn” over returning to Molineux, with O’Neil once believed to be closing in on an agreement, it is now believed that Southampton is his most likely destination.

The Saints have made an approach to O’Neil, and talks are expected to intensify in the coming days as all parties seek to reach a swift deal.

Taking this into account, it is a wonder why O’Neil ruled himself out of the Wolves job but could now take up a position with the struggling Championship side.

O’Neil was appointed Wolves head coach in August 2023 and led the club to a 14th-placed finish and the FA Cup quarter-finals in his first season. More impressively, despite inheriting a squad in turmoil just days before the season began following Julen Lopetegui’s abrupt exit, and with minimal transfer backing, he steered the side to a respectable finish and earned plaudits for steadying the ship.

His first season included victories over Chelsea, Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur, with Wolves reaching eighth at their peak that campaign.

O’Neil apparently remains “highly respected” in Premier League circles too (Miguel Delaney), but after his rejection, Edwards appears to be closing in on the role.

The San Diego Padres didn't look like they had much juice against the New York Yankees on Monday night. They entered the top of the eighth with zero runs scored, down 3-0 at Yankee Stadium on a rainy night in the Big Apple. Things took a turn for the worse when Fernando Tatis Jr. struck out with two men on and one out, then proceeded to get ejected for arguing with the home plate umpire over the strike zone.

Then Padres manager Mike Shildt injected his team with some energy.

Shildt was furious about Tatis's ejection and stormed out of the dugout to make that clear with the umpire. He got so fired up he flung his glasses to the ground as an evening's worth of frustration bubbled to the surface. Naturally the manager got tossed as well.

However, Shildt's show wound up inspiring San Diego and the effect was immediate. After he was ejected the Padres scored four runs with two outs in the eighth inning and shut down the Yankees in the final two frames to escape with a 4-3 win.

Not all manager ejections will demonstrate such a clear cause-and-effect. This time, though, it was obvious Shildt's performance spurred his team to victory.

Back in December, the Athletics handed Luis Severino the largest guaranteed contract in franchise history—a three-year deal worth $67 million. Just one game in, that investment already is paying dividends.

Severino dazzled the Seattle Mariners in six innings of scoreless ball Thursday in the A's 4–2 loss at T-Mobile Park. In those six frames of work, Severino allowed three hits and four walks but didn't yield a single run while also notching six strikeouts. And one of those strikeouts featured one of—if not —nastiest pitches of this young 2025 season.

With two runners on base and two outs in the sixth inning, Severino worked a 2-2 count against Seattle slugger Rowdy Tellez. After Tellez fouled one off, Severino froze him with an absolutely lethal backdoor sweeper. The pitch started well outside the zone but broke in, settling into catcher Shea Langeliers's mitt right on the outside corner.

"I knew I had enough in my back pocket to reach back and throw some nasty pitches,” Severino told MLB's Martin Gallegos after the game. “In my head, that was my last hitter. So, I was like, ‘I’m going to throw everything I’ve got.’ I just wanted to throw the nastiest stuff that I had.”

Langeliers agreed with the right-hander's assessment.

"Going back and watching it, it got back to the zone, but it felt like it would have hit a right-handed hitter,” the catcher said. "That’s how far out to my left it was, and then it came all the way back. It was crazy. … I would say that’s up there for the nastiest pitch I’ve ever caught."

The A's would go on to lose that game 4–2 on Opening Day but rebounded for a 7–0 win on Friday.

أعلن الاتحاد الإسباني لكرة القدم، عن هوية الحكم الذي سيتولى إدارة مباراة ريال مدريد وإلتشي، مساء الأحد، ضمن منافسات البطولة المحلية لذلك الموسم.

ويحل ريال مدريد ضيفًا على إلتشي في ملعب “مانويل مارتينيز فاليرو” ضمن منافسات الجولة الثالثة عشر من بطولة الدوري الإسباني، موسم 2025/26.

ويمتلك ريال مدريد 31 نقطة حيث يحتل المركز الثاني في جدول الدوري الإسباني، بعد ارتقاء برشلونة إلى الصدارة مؤقتًا عقب فوزه برباعية على أتلتيك بلباو أمس.

اقرأ أيضًا.. ترتيب الدوري الإسباني بعد فوز برشلونة على أتلتيك بلباو

في حين أن إلتشي لديه 15 نقطة حيث يحتل حاليًا المركز الثاني عشر في جدول الدوري الإسباني للموسم الجاري.

وحسبما نشر الاتحاد الإسباني عبر موقعه الرسمي، فإن الحكم فرانشيسكو هيرنانديز، سيكون مسؤولًا عن إدارة مباراة ريال مدريد وإلتشي في الدوري الإسباني.

وبالنسبة لتقنية الفيديو في المباراة المذكورة، بين ريال مدريد وإلتشي، سيكون مسؤولًا عنها ماريو ميليرو لوبيز، حسبما أعلن الاتحاد الإسباني لكرة القدم كذلك.

Manchester United have endured a superb upturn in form over the last couple of weeks, with the squad now finally reaping the rewards of the faith shown in the manager.

Ruben Amorim was a man under pressure a couple of months ago, especially after the Red Devils endured yet another dismal start to a Premier League campaign.

The 40-year-old has since led the first-team squad to five games unbeaten in England’s top-flight – a run which is undoubtedly the best during his 12-month spell at Old Trafford.

Saturday’s 2-2 draw with Tottenham Hotspur showcased their ability to bounce back from losing positions – something which may have been difficult in 2024/25.

There’s little disputing that the club are certainly on the up under Amorim’s guidance, but his side could be further improved during the upcoming January transfer window.

Man Utd’s hunt for new additions in January

Over the last couple of weeks, United have been one of the sides touted with a move to land Palmeiras centre forward Vitor Roque after his impressive form in 2025.

The Brazilian youngster has scored 16 times in his 30 league appearances this calendar year, currently sitting as the division’s second top scorer at present.

His form has led to links to the Red Devils, but it would be yet another expensive addition, with the Serie A outfit currently demanding a fee in the region of £42m for his signature.

In terms of big-money additions, the Red Devils have also been touted with another move for Elliot Anderson after his incredible rise at Nottingham Forest this campaign.

According to Sky Sports’ Florian Plettenberg, United have already made contact with the Reds over a deal for the central midfielder, who’s also become an England international regular in recent months.

However, the journalist has also confirmed that any deal would set the hierarchy back upwards of £100m-£120m this January – a deal that would break the club record fee paid for Paul Pogba back in 2016.

Why Anderson would finally get Sesko firing

During their £200m spending spree in the summer, the United hierarchy forked out a fee in the region of £74m for the signature of Benjamin Sesko from Bundesliga side RB Leipzig.

Given the magnitude of such a fee, real expectations were placed on the Slovenian to provide the goods and lead the line for Amorim’s men in 2025/26.

However, his time at Old Trafford to date has been a huge disappointment, with the 22-year-old only finding the net twice in his first 11 Premier League outings for the Red Devils.

Sesko is currently four games without a goal in England’s top-flight, even being dropped to the substitutes bench and limited to just half an hour in the draw against Spurs.

He will no doubt need time to settle into life in England’s top-flight, but he could be aided in his attempts for success at Old Trafford should the board secure the services of Anderson this winter.

It would no doubt be a mammoth investment if they were to land the 23-year-old, but such a move would provide Sesko with the ammunition he needs to thrive in front of goal.

Anderson, who’s been dubbed “sensational” by Matt Forde, has completed 1.3 take-ons per 90 – ranking him in the top 3% of all midfielders in the division at present.

Elliot Anderson – PL stats (25/26)

Statistics (per 90)

Tally

Games played

11

Goals & assists

2

Pass accuracy

83%

Progressive passes

8.8

Passes into final third

8.6

Take-ons completed

1.3

Ball recoveries

8.5

Tackles made

2.6

Duels won

7.7

Stats via FBref

The aforementioned tally showcases his ability to get the ball into attacking areas, which could provide the forwards ahead of him with the chances they need to impress.

He’s also 8.6 passes into the final third per 90 – with such a tally the highest of any player in the Premier League this season, highlighting his talents with the ball at his feet.

Other figures, such as 8.8 progressive passes and 1.4 key passes per 90, further demonstrate his talents at finding a teammate – with such numbers perfectly falling into the hands of Sesko.

The prospect of Anderson linking up with Bruno Fernandes is truly an exciting one, with the United fans potentially blessed with one of the best duos in the league.

If the youngster can replicate such numbers, there’s no reason why he can’t help Sesko finally kickstart his career in England – even if a deal would cost the hierarchy a club-record fee.

Related Man Utd "monster" is fast becoming their new Vidic and it's not De Ligt

Ruben Amorim may have uncovered Manchester United’s new Nemanja Vidic.

Posts 1 ByJoe Nuttall Nov 11, 2025

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta admitted after his team's north London derby win over Tottenham that he prevented Leandro Trossard from leaving the club in the summer transfer window. Trossard was linked with a move away from the Emirates Stadium as the Gunners invested heavily in their squad, but Arteta did not want him to depart. The Belgium international has been in good form so far in the 2025-26 season and shone again in the win over Spurs.

• Eze and Trossard down Spurs

  Trossard opened the scoring for Arsenal against Tottenham in the 36th minute on Sunday at the Emirates before Eberechi Eze bagged a hat-trick to complete a 4-1 win. The victory moves Arsenal six points clear of Chelsea at the top of the Premier League table as Arteta's men aim to end their long wait for the title. Eze was one of a host of big-name signings at Arsenal this summer, with the likes of Viktor Gyokeres and Noni Madueke also arriving, leading to speculation Trossard could move on. Bayern Munich, Fenerbahce and Besiktas were just some of the clubs believed to be interested in Trossard, however, the 30-year-old ended up staying and has even been rewarded with a pay increase and a new contract that runs until 2027.

Advertisement

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Arteta refused to let Trossard go

  The Arsenal manager spoke about the situation after the game at the Emirates and admitted there was "no chance" he would have sanctioned an exit for Trossard. He told reporters: "For me it was forbidden for him to leave. No chance. I know the player that he is, and surrounded with the players that we have, he's a player that is going to make a difference for us. I fully agree. It was one of the best games, so aggressive with and without the ball, so effective, he could have scored another one or two goals, and he was involved in so many positive actions. So that's what we need. As I said, I think individually the players were excellent today."

• Trossard enjoys 'perfect night' against Spurs

  Trossard could not hide his delight after victory over Spurs and admitted it was a perfect day for the Gunners. He told the club's media: "I enjoyed that a lot! I think it was important to get that goal. After that it gave us the edge to go on and score more goals, to create chances. I think we were dominant before, but obviously that gives you that extra bit of confidence to go and win the game. It was a perfect night for us. It was a really good game overall in every aspect, from defence to attack. We're really happy with all the goals we scored as well.

  "It was just joy. Everyone was cheering, there's not much to say about it. That's what we really wanted and it's nice that we could give this back to the fans. The atmosphere was amazing, it was so good, they pushed us forward as well. So yeah, it's a really good night today.”

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• Arsenal unbeaten when Trossard scores

  Trossard's goal continued an incredible record for the Belgian for Arsenal. The 30-year-old has now scored 32 goals for Arsenal and has never been on the losing side when he has found the back of the net for the Gunners. Arsenal have won 24 and drawn eight of the games in which Trossard has struck since his arrival at the club from Brighton in 2023.

MatériaMais Notícias

Após a vitória sobre o Guarani, o presidente do Corinthians, Augusto Melo, esclareceu a situação envolvendo a saída de Lucas Veríssimo, que estava cedido pelo Benfica, e vai atuar no Al-Duhail, do Qatar.

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasCopinhaNovorizontino x Corinthians: onde assistir ao vivo, horário e prováveis escalações do jogo pela semifinal da CopinhaCopinha22/01/2024CorinthiansAssista à coletiva de Mano Menezes após vitória do Corinthians sobre o Guarani no PaulistãoCorinthians21/01/2024CorinthiansRomero marca golaço de voleio, e Corinthians estreia no Paulistão com vitória sobre o GuaraniCorinthians21/01/2024

➡️ Siga o Lance! no WhatsApp e acompanhe em tempo real as principais notícias do esporte

O dirigente do Timão deixou no ar uma possível falta de ética de Lucas Veríssimo e seu empresário, Paulo Pitombeira, durante as negociações. O zagueiro tinha em mãos o contrato do clube paulista para permanecer em definitivo, mas acabou não assinando o vínculo.

– Pode ser que erramos ao não esperar ter assinado o contrato, mas a nossa relação com o Benfica é tão boa, temos um crédito lá, estava certo. Eles propuseram o valor e nós aceitamos. Deu um problema em uma cláusula, voltou, arrumamos e faltava o atleta assinar, só que enrolaram dez dias – disse Augusto na zona mista.

continua após a publicidade

Augusto Melo foi firme e negou que a falta de um executivo de futebol atrapalhou o Corinthians para fechar o negócio com Veríssimo. O presidente também afirmou que não irá cobrir a oferta do Al-Duhail, na casa de 9 milhões de euros.

– Tentamos consertar um contrato da gestão passada. Se quiser, o atleta vem com passe estipulado. Corinthians não vem mais como trampolim. Ele ficou enrolando para assinar. Independente de executivo, não foi uma falha nossa. Não teve ingenuidade Posso cobrir, o atleta tem contrato até junho, está na lista do Paulistão. Olha o problema que nos causaram, perdemos uma vaga. 9 milhões e o dobro do salário, não vou cobrir – declarou o mandatário.

continua após a publicidade

➡️ Veja os grupos e datas dos confrontos no Paulistão

O Corinthians volta a campo na quarta-feira (24), contra o Ituano, pela segunda rodada do Paulistão.

Abject. It is, painfully, an accurate way of summing up Liverpool’s form this season. The Premier League champions will not retain their belt, not like this, not with such deep tactical cracks and incoherent players and non-existent belief in Arne Slot’s plan.

The most concerning part of the recent 3-0 defeat in Manchester against Pep Guardiola’s resurgent outfit is that Liverpool were outplayed across the park. Be it physical, mental or tactical metrics, Manchester City shone, and the Reds were blinded by their opponent’s superiority.

Jeremy Doku stood out, darting this way and that, scoring a stunning goal in the second half after breaking away from Ibrahima Konate. The Belgian winger completed seven of eight dribble attempts and created three chances, as per Sofascore.

Liverpool have got so many problems, and the recent wins over Aston Villa and Real Madrid provided only the veneer of a revival as City hit the Merseside club with a sobering reality check.

Among Slot’s biggest concerns is the enduring slump of Mohamed Salah. For so many years, the Egyptian has been an unstoppable force for Liverpool, but, aged 33 and at the front of a sinking ship, he is struggling to recover more than a flicker of his former greatness.

Mohamed Salah is becoming a problem

Will we see the best of Salah in a Liverpool shirt again? There’s every chance that the right winger expended incredible amounts of mental and physical energy driving his club to the league title last season, and across all competitions, he scored 34 goals and supplied 23 assists.

Almost three months into the new campaign, Slot’s second in the dugout, Salah has recorded eight goal involvements, but his general play and the accuracy of his shooting have paled in comparison to the many years behind him. Salah is not himself.

This is a worry, to be sure. Not just because Liverpool are playing without their talisman in his groove, but because Slot has shown a hesitance toward unleashing Federico Chiesa right from the start of last season, and that doesn’t look like it’s going to change any time soon.

How much longer can it go on like this? Man City reduced Liverpool’s superstar to half-chances and a role within the defensive press. How many times has Salah picked Pep apart? How often has he been the leading light against this arch-rival of modern times?

Premier League

19

9 (6)

Champions League

2

2 (1)

Community Shield

2

1 (1)

FA Cup

2

0 (0)

Carabao Cup

1

1 (0)

There is, of course, the caveat to all this that Salah would be far better placed in a system of greater fluency. This has been anything but the case for the Anfield side this season.

But Father Time is not on the Premier League legend’s side, and, having penned a new two-year extension worth £400k per week in April, Salah has around 18 months to show that FSG have received more than bang for their buck one final time.

But there’s a very real possibility that Salah is past his prime, and that Liverpool need to find a successor.

An onerous task if ever there was one. However, Liverpool actually have a Kirkby prospect who has what it takes to swipe the icon’s shirt.

The Liverpool teen who can take Salah's #11

Slot needs to find a solution to Liverpool’s current woes, but let’s all take a breather, just for a moment. Liverpool have so much talent. Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz will come good. But, more excitingly, there’s a wealth of teenage talent soon to be at Slot’s disposal, with one prospect a cut above the rest.

Rio Ngumoha knew he was headed to the upper crust of the Premier League, and a youth system that has shown itself since Jurgen Klopp came along to be a hothouse for those immensely gifted young stars.

Chelsea’s loss was Liverpool’s gain. Ngumoha was poached from Cobham in 2024 and made his professional debut against Accrington Stanley in the FA Cup midway through his maiden year on Merseyside.

A left-sided winger with incredible speed and dribbling, the 17-year-old Ngumoha has the potential to become a superstar at Liverpool, with his physical, athletic and fierce playing style offering shades of that man Doku, Anfield villain last weekend.

You could say Ngumoha is preternaturally talented. After all, journalist Kieran Gill is among those to have singled him out as a “generational talent”, and he certainly illustrated his potential with an incredible strike on his Premier League debut, netting the winner against Newcastle United at St. James’ Park in August.

Since then, he has featured sporadically for the Redmen, playing seven games in all competitions but only starting in the Carabao Cup, among that youthful group who were brushed aside by Crystal Palace last month.

Ngumoha’s time will come. He is so fast, so sure of himself when on the ball. He is among the youngest goalscorers in Premier League history, and that goal is sure to be the first of many.

1

James Vaughan

16 yrs, 8 months, 27 days

2

James Milner

16 yrs, 11 months, 22 days

3

Wayne Rooney

16 yrs, 11 months, 25 days

4

Rio Ngumoha

16 yrs, 11 months, 26 days

5

Cesc Fabregas

17 yrs, 3 months, 21 days

Time must be afforded to one so young. Take Doku. Criticised often at Man City for being endowed with such ferocity and fleet-footedness, but lacking end product and elite decision-making.

Doku is only 23, and his performance against Slot’s beleaguered lot last weekend was the display of a winger reaching new levels of maturity and technical understanding.

Ngumoha will only get better and better as the years go on, and while he can contribute this season, these foundational years could see him bloom at the end of next term, when Salah supposedly leaves, and he could take his shirt, stepping up as Liverpool’s new wide talisman.

Can Nghumoha reach those heights, take that #11 from Salah himself? You’ll have to stay tuned. But Ngumoha will make it easy to do that. Watching him play football is a treat, and he has the capacity to not just emulate a stylistic peer like Doku but become one of the very best in world football.

More than Wirtz: £36m Liverpool star is becoming a "serious issue" for Slot

Liverpool were condemned to a fifth defeat in six Premier League matches at the Etihad.

ByAngus Sinclair Nov 10, 2025

Trinity Rodman has received a contract offer from DC Power of the Gainbridge Super League that reportedly exceeds what the Washington Spirit or the NWSL can match. The U.S. forward’s contract with the Spirit expires next month, and negotiations over an extension have stalled. NWSL Commissioner Jessica Berman has stressed her league will fight to keep the American star.

ImagnSubstantial contract offer

Multiple outlets report that Rodman’s representatives have spoken directly with Berman while also holding discussions with European clubs. According to , they are evaluating an offer from DC Power that exceeds what the Spirit can provide under the league’s salary cap. Negotiations have reached an impasse because NWSL teams are unable to match offers from clubs operating outside the cap structure.

Berman stressed in her NWSL Final presser on Thursday that the league hopes to retain the star forward. 

"We want Trinity in the NWSL, and we will fight for her," she said. 

Rodman has more than delivered during her time in NWSL, scoring 23 goals. The 23-year-old is also reportedly drawing interest from European clubs. 

AdvertisementImagnSalary cap debate intensifies amid competition

The situation highlights a key structural difference between the two leagues. The Super League, sanctioned as a Division I competition and operated by the USL, does not use a salary cap or player draft, giving clubs full control over roster building and allowing all players to become free agents when their contracts expire.

That stands in contrast with the NWSL’s hard salary cap – set at $3.3 million per team for 2026 and not expected to reach $5 million until 2030 under the current CBA – which limits how much clubs can offer in contract negotiations. Berman defended the NWSL's use of a salary cap and pointed to the league's growth in its current number. 

"The NWSL has raised the salary cap tremendously in the last four seasons, almost quadrupled in the last four years," she said. 

ImagnRodman decision represents watershed moment

The outcome of Rodman’s contract negotiations is expected to influence future deals for top American players. In recent years, several high-profile U.S. players have moved abroad – including Alyssa Thompson to Chelsea, as well as Naomi Girma and Lindsey Horan – and Rodman now represents one of the most closely watched cases.

Unlike those players, Rodman has a domestic alternative capable of outbidding her current league. The Spirit and DC Power share facilities owned by D.C. United, and the Power also share ownership ties with the MLS club, creating an unusual scenario in which Rodman could remain in the same market while moving to a different league.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

Getty Images SportChampionship match outcome precedes decisive offseason

Rodman will first focus on leading the Washington Spirit in Saturday's NWSL Championship in San Jose before making any decisions about her future.