Rangers chiefs could hand boss Philippe Clement a major transfer boost if they are able to confirm a seven-figure departure for one of the outcasts in his squad, it has been revealed.

Rangers set for summer of change

It has been an impressive campaign so far for Rangers, who can go back to the top of the Scottish Premiership if they win their game in hand over Dundee, which was postponed over the weekend.

As it stands, they are on course to lift just their second SPL title since 2011, and should they be able to beat major rivals Celtic at Ibrox later in the campaign it would go a long way to sealing their success.

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European football has been less successful, with the club bowing out at the last 16 stage of the Europa League thanks to a tame 1-0 defeat to Benfica, after impressively battling to a 2-2 draw in Portugal in the first leg. However, should they lift the Premiership trophy come the end of the season, it will have been a massively successful campaign.

But the summer transfer window promises change. Several stars are out of contract, while there are question marks over the future of shot-stopper Jack Butland and also the longer term future of Fabio Silva, who would like to remain at Ibrox permanently if possible. There is also speculation over James Tavernier amid interest from abroad.

Out of contract this summer

Transfer value

John Lundstrum

£6m

Kemar Roofe

£1.5m

Ryan Jack

£1

Leon Balogun

£200k

Borna Barisic

£3.75m

Jon McLaughlin

£200k

The 30-player squad is too big as things stand and though end-of-contract departures will help, Rangers will need to work hard to maximise their assets in the transfer market, and allow them to strengthen ahead of the new season.

Gers' forgotten man up for sale

It will come as little surprise for those who have watched then Glasgow giants to hear that 28-year-old centre-back Ben Davies is up for sale this summer, with the Englishman having hardly featured under Clement this season.

Davies has made just four SPL appearances, though he did appear six times in the Europa League campaign. The left-footed defender move north of the border from Liverpool in 2022, but has failed to nail down a spot at Ibrox and is set to be moved on despite his contract running until 2026.

That is according to journalists Derek Clark and Chris Jack, speaking on The Rangers Review Morning Briefing.

Better yet, Rangers may receive a surprisingly decent fee for their forgotten man, albeit not a massive one and almost certainly not the £4m that they shelled out for him in the first place.

"He’s not going to command a huge transfer fee. Could you get back the three-odd-million that you paid for him? Potentially to the right buyer, to a Championship club who [might] see the value in him", Jack said.

He continued: "Then they could say to Clement and Nils Koppen, ‘You’ve got that money, go and reinvest it in someone who’s more suited to your style'."

A fee in that ballpark combined with savings on wages could well allow Clement to continue to implement his vision at Ibrox, as well as allowing Davies a chance to rejuvenate his stuttering career.

Leeds United will pray that their winless run of two Championship games isn't extended further when Blackburn Rovers come to Elland Road this Saturday, Daniel Farke's men needing a confidence-boosting victory against the Riversiders to get everything back on track again.

A number of key performers in the 0-0 draw with Sunderland let themselves down, none more so than Daniel James who was ineffective throughout when his bursts forward usually result in an opening going in Leeds' favour.

James' heroics elsewhere this season means a blip here and there can be forgiven, with other attackers in Leeds' recent history irritating fans much more by putting in abject displays frequently.

Rodrigo shone on occasion for the Whites, but his hefty wage – which saw him earn two times James' current salary when still at the club – means his move goes down as an expensive flop regardless.

Rodrigo's wage at Leeds

Rodrigo would come in as Leeds' highest earner during all of his three seasons in West Yorkshire, raking in an eye-watering £100k-per-week after relocating from Valencia to join Marcelo Bielsa's ranks.

The cost of that excessive wage over the three topsy-turvy years Rodrigo was present at Leeds is even more jaw-dropping, with Leeds losing an estimated £15.6m on the Spaniard alone according to Capology.

1. Rodrigo

£100k per week

2. Jack Harrison

£90k per week

3. Weston McKennie

£75k per week

4. Patrick Bamford

£70k per week

5. Georginio Rutter

£70k per week

His weak goal return suggests that this an expensive gamble that didn't work whatsoever for Bielsa and co, with the Spanish centre-forward bagging a meagre 28 goals from 95 appearances.

15 of those strikes did come during the 2022-23 campaign however, which saw Rodrigo at least offer the Whites something positive during their disastrous relegation to the Championship, but there's no doubt that the current Al-Rayyan SC attacker still goes down as an expensive misfire from a Leeds perspective.

Regardless of this impactful final season, the lasting legacy of Rodrigo in a Leeds shirt was summed up by ex-striker Kevin Phillips who described his time at Leeds as "disappointing" in 2022.

Remarkably, Rodrigo was on £50k more than James is currently who – minus his off-day against the Black Cats – has been tearing up the second tier with unbelievable performances becoming second nature for the Welshman.

Rodrigo's wage compared to the current Leeds squad

Rodrigo would still be sitting right at the top of the pile when it comes to the highest earners at Leeds if he returned to West Yorkshire today based on his previous £100k wage, making him £30k-per-week better off than Georginio Rutter and Patrick Bamford.

The Spanish striker earning two times more than James will sting for the former Manchester United attacker, who has completely turned around his Whites career this season making the drop down a division.

The revitalised £50k-per-week winger has 13 goals and seven assists this campaign in the Championship, finding himself just two goals off Rodrigo's best season total at the moment whilst operating down the channels.

Rodrigo is no doubt still earning a hefty pay packet out in the Middle East now, but when it comes to who will be remembered as a Whites icon worthy of a place in the history books, James will be appearing over the former £100k per week flop.

James will just be keeping everything crossed that he can handle the step up to the Premier League if his side get there at the end of a gruelling second-tier campaign, knowing that he once used to be a scapegoat when Leeds were dire at that level.

Rodrigo, on the other hand, will just want to see out his career now with Al-Rayyan and will view his time with Leeds as rather anticlimactic after arriving into the building as a major £27m coup – with his total cost when adding in his £15m salary standing at a hefty £42m wasted.

Wage Burners

Football FanCast's Wage Burners series explores the salaries of the modern-day game.

Chelsea will sign Atletico Madrid striker Samu Omorodion in a £35 million ($44m) deal, with Conor Gallagher heading the other way.

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Chelsea set to sign OmorodionGallagher set to join Spanish sideJulian Alvarez also heading to AtleticoWHAT HAPPENED?

It was reported earlier this week that the Blues had reignited their interest in 20-year-old Omorodion and they have now found an agreement with Atletico, with midfielder Gallagher moving in the opposite direction in a separate deal. According to multiple reports, Chelsea will pay £35m plus add-ons to sign the Spain Under-21 international, who will sign a seven-year contract after impressing on loan at Alaves last season.

AdvertisementGettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Gallagher is set to travel to Madrid to complete his £34m ($43.4m) switch to Atletico, while he is likely to be followed to the Wanda Metropolitano by Manchester City's Julian Alvarez in a deal worth up to £82m ($104m) – a club-record sale for the Premier League champions. It had been reported that Atleti would not sanction Omorodion's sale before signing a replacement, but after a brief hold-up the move for Alvarez is expected to go through.

DID YOU KNOW?

Omorodion, whose contract at Atletico runs until 2028, joined the Spanish team from Granada in 2023 but spent last season on loan at Alaves. He scored eight goals in 35 matches for the fellow La Liga team but is yet to play for Diego Simeone's side.

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It remains to be seen when Omorodion would join up with his new team-mates as he is currently away at the Paris Olympics with Spain. Chelsea have returned to the UK atfer an unsuccessful pre-season tour in the United States. They face Inter in their final friendly on Sunday at Stamford Bridge.

India last played a 50-over game in August, but the biggest concern is the fickle weather

The Preview by Shashank Kishore14-Dec-20193:15

India’s bench strength under the scanner

Big PictureIt is common knowledge that Chennai gets a lot of rain in December. Yet, here we are trying to squeeze in an ODI, when two more T20Is would’ve brought in more context with the World Cup just around the corner. Ironical as it may be, we could well have a curtailed game veering towards the T20s if the weather, which forced India to call off their optional nets on Friday and West Indies on Saturday, continues to remain fickle.India have not played ODIs for a while. Their last 50-over series came in the Caribbean, well remembered for that audacious Virat Kohli shot, where he opened up the off-side and carved a short of length delivery on the up for six over extra cover while being off balance. It even had Sir Viv Richards admiring the shot in awe. If you don’t remember the scoreline of the series, though, or any other detail, well, you would be forgiven.West Indies have the benefit of having played a good amount of white-ball cricket on tour, even before the T20I series. They whitewashed Afghanistan 3-0 in the ODI series in Lucknow to begin Kieron Pollard’s captaincy era on a promising note. So far, West Indies have made all the right noises, both in terms of their squad selection as well as administrative intent to become a formidable force once again. This ODI series is another opportunity to build forward.Form guideIndia WWWLW (last five completed matches, most recent first)
West IndiesWWWLLIn the spotlightKL Rahul is in one day, out the next. He is opening one day, at No. 4 the next. There hasn’t been much clarity about his role in the white-ball set up. With Shikhar Dhawan injured, this is Rahul’s best chance to settle the debate by making big runs. It will be of massive help to him that he is coming into the series on the back of a Man-of-the-Match-winning performance in the third T20I.He has been mistaken to be the son of Courtney Walsh, but if he bowled anywhere like he did in the Caribbean Premier League – where he picked up 22 wickets in nine games – Hayden Walsh will likely carve an identity of his own. He cannot ask for better spin-friendly tracks than Chennai and Cuttack to make a splash. His three ODIs against Afghanistan didn’t bring him a rich haul, but there were shades of promise.BCCI

Team newsMayank Agarwal may have to wait for his ODI debut, but Shivam Dube could earn his. There could be a toss-up between Kedar Jadhav and Ravindra Jadeja.India: 1 KL Rahul, 2 Rohit Sharma, 3 Virat Kohli (capt), 4 Shreyas Iyer, 5 Rishabh Pant (wk), 6 Kedar Jadhav, 7 Shivam Dube, 8 Deepak Chahar, 9 Kuldeep Yadav, 10 Yuzvendra Chahal, 11 Mohammed ShamiEwin Lewis has a soft-tissue injury on his knee, so he’s likely to be assessed. With their net session on match eve called off, it’s unlikely they’ll want to risk him straightaway. For now, he’ll remain with the squad. Sunil Ambris or Brandon King could come in for Lewis at the top of the order.West Indies: 1 Sunil Ambris, 2 Shai Hope, 3 Roston Chase, 4 Shimron Hetmyer, Nicholas Pooran (wk), 6 Kieron Pollard, 7 Romario Shephard, 8 Kharry Pierre, 9 Hayden Walsh, 10 Keemo Paul, 11 Alzarri JosephPitch and conditionsRains for two days in the build-up to the ODI have forced the groundstaff to cover the pitch right through. There hasn’t been much sunshine either. That said, the spinners won’t mind bowling on what is traditionally a good deck for them. India made 281 in the previous ODI here, in September 2017, with Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav picking five Australian wickets in a truncated chase to win the game.Stats and Trivia Virat Kohli has more runs against West Indies in just half the number of games of his nearest competitor. For long, Javed Miandad led the runs rally with 1930 runs in 64 innings. Kohli has already racked up 2146 runs in just 35 innings. In his last nine innings alone, he’s made six hundreds and 870 runs at an average of 174. Shai Hope has had a phenomenal last two years as an ODI batsman, averaging 60.54 in 41 innings, with six centuries and 10 half-centuries. This is significantly higher than his overall average of 50.63. However, his strike-rate hovers around 76 in this period, which is far below the norm in ODIs these days. He may want to press on a lot earlier, to avoid putting too much pressure on the big hitters to follow.Quotes”The reason why we keep discussing [about] him [Rishabh Pant] is that he has got immense ability. Everybody believes he can be an X-factor. All of us believe he is a good player who can come good.”
“Yes, playing in the IPL augurs well financially and experience-wise, but it is not something which should be at the forefront of your minds in order to succeed.”

فرط المنتخب الإيطالي في صدارته لمجموعته بدوري الأمم الأوروبية، بعد هزيمة أمام فرنسا بثلاثة أهداف لهدف، في المواجهة التي جمعت الفريقين مساء اليوم الأحد.

وحل المنتخب الفرنسي ضيفًا على إيطاليا، بملعب “سان سيرو” بالجولة السادسة لدوري الأمم الأوروبية، ضمن مباريات المجموعة الثانية بالمستوى الأول.

وتقدمت فرنسا بهدف مبكر سجله أدريان رابيو في الدقيقة الثانية من عمر المباراة، ثم سدد لوكاس دين من ركلة حرة مباشرة وفشل فيكاريو في منع الهدف الثاني للفرنسيين واحتسب الهدف باسمه، وسكنت الكرة الشباك بالدقيقة 33.

وقلص أندريا كامبياسو الفارق بهدف لإيطاليا في الدقيقة 35، وانتهى الشوط الأول بتقدم فرنسا 2-1.

اقرأ أيضًا | فيديو | إنجلترا تكتسح أيرلندا بخماسية نظيفة في دوري الأمم الأوروبية

في الشوط الثاني، عزز رابيو تقدم فرنسا بهدف ثان له وثالث لمنتخب بلاده، أحرزه في الدقيقة 65 من رأسية متقنة في شباك إيطاليا.

وثأر المنتخب الفرنسي من هزيمته السابقة أمام إيطاليا بثلاثية في المسابقة ذاتها، وحسم المباراة الليلة بالفوز بثلاثية لهدف.

بهذه النتيجة تظفر فرنسا بصدارة المجموعة بـ13 نقطة، وتتساوى معها إيطاليا وانتقلت إلى وصافة المجموعة. أهداف مباراة إيطاليا وفرنسا

Derby County will go into their Good Friday clash against Blackpool keeping their fingers crossed that another win in League One is forthcoming, even after falling to a crushing 1-0 defeat to Northampton Town last time out.

Sam Hoskins ruined the Rams' day out to Sixfields with an instinctive first-half strike, putting a dampener on proceedings after Paul Warne's men were full of confidence after overcoming automatic promotion rivals Bolton Wanderers in the game prior.

The likes of Curtis Nelson and Sonny Bradley didn't cover themselves in the glory in the narrow defeat to the Cobblers, with the latter of the two centre-backs receiving a late red card to add insult to injury from a Derby point of view.

Yet, Warne and Co wouldn't trade either of those underperforming faces in for this Rams flop in return who is now a forgotten figure at Pride Park after once being viewed as a statement purchase.

Raul Albentosa's time at Derby

Derby couldn't quite believe they managed to land Raul Albentosa's services in 2015, with a number of clubs interested in the Spanish defender after starring in his native country for SD Eibar before making the move to England.

Showing a "real desire" to join the ranks in Derbyshire according to then Rams manager Steve McClaren, it was a move that had plenty of intrigue and hype attached to it.

Albentosa would boast a reputation as being an imposing and goalscoring defender from his time with Eibar, bagging four goals over 50 games for the Spanish side alongside helping himself to an additional three assists.

That was never quite translated into his time donning a Rams shirt, however, with the move – which cost what now looks like an excessive £450k – undoubtedly going down as a major flop.

Only making nine appearances in total for his new English employers before jetting back off to sunnier surroundings in Spain once more, the former Derby number 36 would never really acclimatise to the demands or the cut and thrust of EFL football.

As can be seen above, Albentosa's full debut for the Rams wouldn't actually come about until December of his debut season owing to recurring hamstring issues plaguing the start of his doomed Derby stint.

Even when he was fully fit to face off against Chesterfield in the FA Cup, he would only be afforded a 45-minute run-out before being hauled off by McClaren who certainly must have felt the Rams weren't getting their money's worth whatsoever out of the ex-Eibar dud.

It would result in Derby offloading Albentosa to Malaga on loan just one season into his two-and-a-half-year contract at Pride Park, with the 6 foot 5 centre-back then leaving for Deportivo de La Coruña permanently after this loan was up.

In the list of all-time Rams' flops, Albentosa's name must be near the top of the pile with so much talk surrounding his capture focusing in on how many high-profile clubs Derby had beaten to get him into the building.

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Now, the one-time Rams man finds himself playing in Europe's 15th-ranked nation, 14 places below England – according to the UEFA coefficients – and he has managed to mend his broken career somewhat after the scathing experience of playing in England must have left some wounds on his ego.

Raul Albentosa's career after Derby

Albentosa has become a well-travelled individual after calling time on his unmemorable Derby stay, moving to far-away Romania and Bulgaria before finding a settled home recently in Denmark with Vejle Boldklub.

The now 35-year-old is captain of the Superliga club, amassing 69 appearances in total since joining in 2022 and firing in goals from the back to recapture his Eibar best even as his career gradually grinds to a halt.

Albentosa has managed to score eight goals for Vejle to prove his worth to his Danish employers, playing as a leader for the Scandinavian side after shirking away from the spotlight time after time at Pride Park.

The revitalised Vejle number six was crucial to his team beating Silkeborg in mid-February, making seven clearances and completing five interceptions to shut out their Superliga opponents whilst scoring late on to ensure his team would win 2-0 on the day.

It's been a great turnaround for a man lost to the Rams' history books, with many Derby fans just focusing on watching their current crop of heroes battle it out for promotion back up to the Championship than ever remembering names such as Albentosa's when recollecting on the past.

Derby will just be raring to go again when Blackpool come to town on Good Friday, with all those associated with the League One giants wanting to return to the Championship and fast.

Whilst the current camp at Derby could etch themselves into the hall-of-fame at Pride Park by finally breaking back through to the second tier, there'll be no bad blood now on the end of the Rams towards Albentosa and his wretched time in Derbyshire nearly ten years on.

Warne will just have to pray that if his Derby side do return to the division above, they don't get caught out with expensive blunders like Albentosa in the here and now.

It was one of those days that had supporters waking with a gnawing sense of unease. Even the most sanguine of Liverpool fans would have feared a fifth slip in as many matches to close Jurgen Klopp's tenure with a whimper.

But, alas, the ship has been steadied and Liverpool dispatched Fulham 3-1 at Craven Cottage in the Premier League to leapfrog Manchester City (who have a game in hand) into second place, behind table-toppers Arsenal only on goal difference.

Whether Liverpool complete a staggering title triumph in the weeks to come is unknown, such hopes hang in the balance after some damaging recent results, but the fact remains that Liverpool rebuilt last summer to create a team of great promise and quality once again, and Klopp leaves his legacy in good hands.

Of course, such hands are undetermined right now, with The Athletic's David Ornstein revealing that Ruben Amorim is West Ham United's top target and that a move to Liverpool is unlikely, with the all-knowing journalist quashing widespread belief that he was the frontrunner.

Who the Reds will seek to anoint as helmsman is anyone's guess now, but FSG's new CEO of Football, Michael Edwards, appears to be identifying possible signings to strengthen the squad at the dawn of a new era.

Liverpool eyeing La Liga star

According to prominent French publication L'Equipe, Liverpool are in the hunt for new defenders and have earmarked Real Madrid left-back Ferland Mendy for transfer.

L'Equipe reveal that France international Mendy has already been in contact with the Merseysiders concerning a possible transfer this summer, with Arsenal also keen and the player is understood to have rejected interest from Newcastle United.

Los Blancos welcomed Mendy, who is 28 years old, to the ranks in 2019 after completing a £47m deal with Lyon, and it appears that the different parties feel his journey in Madrid has reached a natural conclusion.

Ferland Mendy's style of play

With rumours mounting surrounding Real Madrid's interest in Bayern Munich speedster Alphonso Davies, it makes sense that Mendy might be on the way out, with his game time sure to diminish upon the Canadian's prospective arrival.

Throughout the duration of his Real Madrid career, Mendy has completed 165 matches, scoring six goals and supplying ten assists, having been described in the past as a "very balanced FB" and an "offensive machine" by Real Madrid content creator Ardit Loconte.

As per Sofascore, Mendy has chalked up 21 appearances in the Spanish top flight this season, completing 94% of his passes, taking 62 touches per fixture, averaging 0.5 key passes and 4.2 ball recoveries per game and succeeding with 56% of his dribbles.

He's not very creative but that's not really his role, instead focusing on his dribbling ability – analyst Raj Chohan has even heralded him as a "1v1 beast" after one performance when pitted against France superstar Kylian Mbappe.

1.

Trent Alexander-Arnold

Liverpool

2.

Oleksandr Zinchenko

Arsenal

3.

Andy Robertson

Liverpool

4.

Kyle Walker

Manchester City

5.

Nathan Ake

Manchester City

His complete style of play aligns with the attributes of some of the Premier League's finest wide defenders, and while he is considered a similar player to Trent Alexander-Arnold, his playing style is far more similar to that of Andy Robertson, who he may well succeed on Merseyside.

Why Liverpool are interested in Ferland Mendy

Mendy is not one of the galactico-level names at Santiago Bernabeu but he is a shrewd and steady operator at left-back and has been a key component for a side that has picked up the Champions League, two La Liga titles and one Copa del Rey trophy since his arrival.

While there may be similarities to be drawn between Mendy's style of play and Robertson's, he's unquestionably more conservative and crisp in his distribution, ranking among the top 1% of full-backs across Europe's top five leagues over the past. year for pass completion and the top 18% for passes attempted per 90, as per FBref.

Still, the £172k-per-week defender has excelled in the Spanish capital and would bring a welcome layer of protection to the Anfield backline, perhaps even taking Robertson's place as the starting star in his position.

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Robertson is an elite defender and has been heralded as the "best left-back in the Premier League" by former Everton ace Kevin Kilbane, scoring nine goals and supplying 65 assists across 293 appearances, singing under Klopp in a shrewd £10m deal from Hull City in 2017, right at the start of the club's illustrious chapter.

While he has been afflicted by injuries this season, the 29-year-old has still produced some comparatively successful displays in the Premier League, scoring one goal and adding two assists across 14 starting roles, completing 88% of his passes, averaging 2.6 key passes and 4.3 ball recoveries per game.

Mendy's steely defensive security and secure ball control make him the perfect player to succeed the Scotland international at Liverpool – or perhaps even just serve as a foil to open up a valuable extra dimension for the new manager, whoever that may be.

The 5 foot 10 ace has a wealth of trophy-winning experience from numerous years at Real Madrid and given that he is 28 years old, the time might feel apt to make a change and try his hand in the Premier League.

With electricity in his gait and high-class quality in his work – at both ends of the pitch – Liverpool might be wise to maintain contact with Mendy ahead of a possible summer swoop.

He might just be the perfect new player to ensure that Liverpool keep their place at the forefront of the Premier League next season.

ESPNcricinfo understands that South Africa will send a security delegation to Pakistan next month to assess the situation

Firdose Moonda30-Jan-2020

South Africa are considering a short tour to Pakistan to play three T20Is in late March, immediately after their ODIs in India which finishes on March 18. ESPNcricinfo understands that South Africa will send a security delegation to Pakistan next month, either during the Test against Bangladesh or during the PSL, to assess whether the situation is considered safe enough for South Africa to tour the country.Sources confirmed that a delegation headed by security expert Rory Steyn will travel to Pakistan and will present their findings to CSA on their return. The group want to visit ongoing Pakistan matches in order to gain first-hand information on the logistics involved, including the team’s hotel arrangements, transportation to the grounds and in-stadium experience.South Africa have not toured Pakistan since October 2007 but have visited them for series in the UAE twice since then, in 2010 and 2013. At least one prominent South African has visited Pakistan in that time. Russell Domingo, the former South Africa coach who is now in charge of Bangladesh, toured the country earlier this month but another South African, batting consultant Neil McKenzie, did not. The current FTP has South Africa scheduled to visit Pakistan to play two Tests and three T20Is in January/February 2021. However, South Africa may be after some extra T20I fixtures ahead of the T20 World Cup later this year.The matches may also provide an opportunity for the reintegration of AB de Villiers into the T20I squad after indications that he was interested in making a comeback for the tournament. It is unclear when de Villiers will return to the national set-up but if he does, he will be required to play in some of South Africa’s fixtures as they build towards the T20 World Cup.South Africa also have home fixtures against England and Australia in the next six weeks and five T20s against West Indies in August, where it is expected that de Villiers will play. De Villiers did not enter this year’s PSL draft.

Roma star Tammy Abraham has declared this is "my season" after ending his injury nightmares, while addressing speculation over a transfer exit.

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Abraham had injury-hit 2023-24 seasonDeclares he is back fit and raring to goRoma ace addresses AC Milan transfer linksWHAT HAPPENED?

After an impressive debut season at Roma, followed by an underwhelming one, Abraham missed much of last term through an ACL injury. However, the 26-year-old states he is "back", while seemingly ruling out a summer exit from the Italian giants.

AdvertisementGettyWHAT TAMMY ABRAHAM SAID

He told reporters: "Since the first day here in Rome I have wanted to demonstrate my passion for football and my desire to help the club. I am a smiling and always positive person. This is my first post-injury preparation, it is my season and I want to show that I am back. The rumours, obviously, are nice, it means you are doing well, but I am here with Roma and I am available to do my best."

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Abraham was a man in demand a couple of seasons ago off the back of scoring 27 goals in all competitions two seasons ago but now he is somewhat starting afresh following a long injury lay-off. Staying at Roma and getting game time may be the best way to reignite his goalscoring instincts and fire his side to success this term.

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Abraham's Roma side return to Serie A action next Sunday evening away to Cagliari. Last season, they finished sixth and if the England international can recapture his form from 2021/22, they could be a force to be reckoned with.

The Reds have a new manager but no new signings, so how will they fare in the first year of the post-Jurgen Klopp era?

Right up until March it appeared as if Jurgen Klopp's final season as Liverpool manager was going to end on a glorious high. Having already won the Carabao Cup with 'kids', the German's resurgent Reds were top of the Premier League and looking forward to quarter-finals in both the FA Cup and Europa League.

However, the wheels came off in spectacular fashion. As Klopp subsequently conceded, a shock FA Cup loss to Manchester United grossly affected Liverpool's confidence, and drawing another game at Old Trafford that they had dominated signalled the start of the collapse of their title challenge, while high hopes of securing a Europa League final send-off for Klopp in Dublin were dashed in emphatic fashion by eventual winners Atalanta.

Overall, though, the season was a success, given it had begun with serious doubts over the strength of Klopp's squad. The midfield overhaul worked out well in the end, with Liverpool not only winning a trophy but also earning a vital return to the Champions League via a third-placed finish in the Premier League.

Consequently, Klopp was able to bid an emotional farewell to Anfield knowing that he had left the team in rude health for his successor, Arne Slot. The question now, of course, is how will Liverpool fare in their first season under their new Dutch manager?..

• Getty
  

  Mood around Anfield

  The fans are experiencing seriously mixed emotions ahead of Saturday's Premier League opener at Ipswich. On the one hand, Slot's Liverpool have performed very well in pre-season and there is already enough evidence to suggest that the new coach's ideas are taking root at Anfield.

  It would be wrong to suggest that things had gone stale after nine years of Klopp's thrilling but mentally and physically draining 'Heavy Metal' football, but it's clear from what we've seen so far that the change in leadership could prove a positive. At the very least, Slot's tactical tweaks seem to have gone over well with the players.

  Unfortunately, while Slot has made an instantaneous impact at Anfield, new sporting Richard Hughes has not. Less than 48 hours before the start of the new season, Liverpool remain the only team in the Premier League yet to make a single summer signing – a staggering state of affairs for such an ambitious club with a new manager at the helm.

  Perhaps even more concerningly, key trio Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold have all entered the final year of their respective contracts.

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  Transfer business

  Very little to speak of. There have only been outgoings at Anfield this summer, with Fabio Carvalho the most significant sale, having been bought by Brentford for £27.5 million ($35m) – a fine fee for a player that never really looked like making the grade at Liverpool.

  However, it's also worth remembering that both Thiago Alcantara and Joel Matip left when their contracts expired at the end of last season, which only makes it all the more worrying that the first-team squad is still awaiting reinforcement.

  The hope was that Martin Zubimendi could be convinced to join from Real Sociedad, to belatedly bring an end to Liverpool's long search for a specialist No.6, but after telling Hughes that he was willing to move to Anfield, the Spain international ended up staying in San Sebastian after coming under intense pressure from his Basque employers to remain loyal to his hometown club. According to reports, there is no Plan B, meaning Liverpool are set to start the season without a world-class defensive midfielder, meaning the hope is that Ryan Gravenberch can grow into the role, most likely alongside the multi-talented Alexis Mac Allister.

  A deal to sign Valencia goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili does seem to be moving in the right direction, though if that does go through, the Georgia international is expected to be loaned straight out, potentially to Bournemouth, before returning to Anfield down the line to replace Alisson Becker – which only serves to underline that this is hardly an area that urgently needs addressing, with the Brazilian's brilliant understudy, Caoimhin Kelleher, still at Anfield.

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  Pre-season performances

  Liverpool's pre-season programme was bookended by games behind closed doors – and they won neither, losing 1-0 to Preston North End at Kirkby before drawing 0-0 with Las Palmas at an empty Anfield.

  However, in between, Slot's side were mightily impressive. Dominik Szoboszlai scored the only goal in a 1-0 victory over Real Betis, while Mohamed Salah and Carvalho were both on target in the 2-1 defeat of Arsenal. Carvalho struck again in 3-0 rout of Manchester United that also featured strikes from Curtis Jones and Kostas Tsimikas, as the Reds made it three wins from three on their United States tour.

  Then, in their first outing at Anfield under Slot, the Reds hammered Sevilla 4-1, with Luis Diaz scoring twice and Diogo Jota and Trey Nyoni scoring one goal apiece. A number of key men only featured for the first time on Sunday, meaning they might not be in optimal condition for Saturday's Premier League opener at Ipswich, but that was to be expected given how many players Liverpool had involved in Euro 2024 and Copa America.

  So, all things considered, pre-season couldn't have gone much better for Slot. The results were encouraging, the performances even more so.

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  Talking tactics

  Liverpool chose Slot to replace Klopp at the helm because they felt the Dutchman's style of play was quite similar to his predecessor's, with the hope being that the common ground would facilitate a rather smooth tactical transition for the players. The early signs are certainly promising, with Liverpool scoring some brilliant breakaway goals in pre-season that could be termed 'classic Klopp'.

  However, there have been noticeable changes. For starters, while Slot has argued people shouldn't get too caught up in trying to work out his preferred formation, it really does look like Liverpool are going to play a 4-2-3-1, featuring a double pivot in front of the back four and a No.10 tucked in behind the main striker.

  Despite the devastating Zubimendi setback, Liverpool do not lack options in the middle of the park but, right now, it appears as if Slot has decided that Gravenberch would be best deployed in a deeper role, especially as Wataru Endo was one of the few players to struggle in pre-season and Stefan Bajetic is taking time to find his feet again after his incessant injury issues.

  As for the likely No.10, Dominik Szoboszlai will be a strong contender if he can replicate the form he showed during the first half of last season, but the rapidly improving Harvey Elliott looked ideally suited to playing as an attacking midfielder during an eye-catching pre-season campaign.

  In defence, Jarell Quansah seems to be ahead of Ibrahima Konate in the battle to start alongside Van Dijk, while Jota is unquestionably leading the race to start up front ahead of Darwin Nunez. The Portuguese just needs to stay fit…

  Whoever plays, though, it's clear that after the intensity of the Klopp era, Liverpool will focus on retaining possession and play with far more patience under Slot, who has heard urging his new team to kill opponents with passes during pre-season.