Colin Ingram gave Glamorgan a chance in a steep adjusted target

ECB Reporters Network30-Jun-2023

Ben McDermott shone before the rain•Getty Images

Hampshire 97 for 2 (McDermott 54) beat Glamorgan 54 for 1 by 21 runs (DLS method) Ben McDermott smashed his fourth fifty of his Vitality Blast season against Glamorgan to put defending champions Hampshire Hawks in prime position for a quarter-final spot.Australian McDermott pinged 54 off 27 as Hampshire scored 97 for 2 in 9.2 overs before rain descended on the Ageas Bowl and Glamorgan were set 83 in six overs.Colin Ingram splattered a quick-fire 34 to give the Welsh side hope but John Turner’s two-run over and good defensive bowling from Nathan Ellis and James Fuller meant the Hawks restricted them to 54 for 1 and won by 21 runs.Hampshire move level with Surrey in second on 16 points to open up the possibility of a home knockout tie, with victory against Gloucestershire on Sunday confirming their progression. Glamorgan’s unlikely route to the quarter-finals, which would have need two wins and a big net run rate swing, is now ended.James Vince had initially been the aggressor, having been asked to bat by Glamorgan, with the first legal delivery of the match carted to the straight boundary.But he fell to a steepling catch at fine leg by Prem Sisodiya in the fourth over to give Jamie McIlroy his 19th wicket of a successful campaign.On his return from a broken foot, Tom Prest leaned back and pummelled his third delivery for six but was leg before to Peter Hatzoglou soon after.McDermott had taken control of that 48-run stand with a pair of maximums to the longest boundary at midwicket and another over square leg.The Hobart Hurricanes star has been overshadowed by Vince’s scoring exploits but has now pilfered 371 runs at a strike-rate of 144.He reached his half-century in 23 balls as the Hawks intelligently raced to 97 for 2 in 9.2 overs before the persistent drizzle kept the players off for just over two hours.Glamorgan were given six overs, with an eight-ball powerplay, to find their way to their new target and sent overseas Ingram up to open with Kiran Carlson.Ingram did what he was asked to do in the first over by hitting a six over long off before a pair of boundaries in a 19-run opening over.But Turner bounced back with a superb second over which only went for two and included five dot balls. Ellis and Benny Howell kept the visitors under the rate before the former had the dangerous Ingram caught for a 13-ball 34 with 40 needed off 10 balls.Ellis only went for 17 in his two overs before Fuller’s finale was cut three balls short as rain returned with an impossible 29 still needed.

Spinner expects England’s batters to come after him, but is told by Lyon to back his strengths

Andrew McGlashan04-Jul-2023Todd Murphy is expecting to face aggression on two fronts at Headingley this week: from the England batters and the crowd.Murphy, who made his debut in India earlier this year and played all four matches in the series, is in line to replace Nathan Lyon whose run of 100 consecutive Tests has been ended by the calf injury he sustained at Lord’s.That game concluded in front of a hostile crowd who had been angered by Alex Carey’s stumping of Jonny Bairstow, which extended into ugly scenes inside the Long Room when Australian players were confronted at lunch.With the series now moving to a venue known for its raucous atmosphere, there is unlikely to be any dampening of emotions from the home supporters, especially given the short three-day turnaround.Murphy played in front of some emotive and noisy crowds during his debut series in India but is expecting the experience to be quite different when he takes the field this time.”They made a lot of noise but were all quite friendly,” he said. “From speaking to the boys, this is probably the most hostile ground you get in England. I’m quite looking forward to it if I do get the opportunity, having grown up watching Ashes cricket. It’s going to be different and I’m sure they won’t hold back, so just embrace it and try to have a good time…everyone’s under no illusions it’s going to come pretty hard.”He is also prepared for England’s aggressive batting line-up to try to latch onto his inexperience. They had taken Lyon for four runs an over although had lost four wickets to stumpings against him in the process.”Think they’ll probably come even harder at me,” Murphy said. “Obviously I haven’t played a hell of a lot of Test cricket, there’s a challenge that presents itself. They keep taking the game on and I think it’s about trying to navigate through that, come up with a few different ideas that can help and try to keep creating chances.”Looking back on India, getting the opportunity to play Test cricket and being exposed to high-level contests only helps and think I took a lot of confidence from that experience. Trusting that if do get the opportunity, believe in myself that I can be good enough at this level.”Related

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Since it became clear Lyon’s tour was over, the pair have chatted about the challenge ahead. Speaking after the fourth day at Lord’s, when he had hobbled out to bat, Lyon endorsed Murphy’s credentials.”I sat with Todd in the last session there and spoke about spin bowling as we do,” Lyon said. “I have a lot of confidence in Todd. He is a great kid. He is willing to learn along the way. His stock ball is good enough in international cricket. We have seen that in India.”It will be a different challenge with the England batters. If they do come at him, it provides Todd with a decent challenge. I have told him my phone is always on, it doesn’t matter if I am sitting in the changeroom with him or I am sitting at home watching it in bed.”Unlike in India, where Murphy operated with Lyon throughout then also had Matt Kuhnemann in the attack for the latter three Tests, this time he will be the lone frontline spinner – a role he has only held twice in his first-class career. Since that tour he has worked on strength and conditioning after feeling the effects of the increased workload, which was the reason he pulled out of an early-season county stint with Durham.”It’s going to be different outlook for me,” he said. “I had a really good chat with Nath, think it was day four or five of the last Test, and he just said trust what you’ve got, believe in it and don’t go away from it. Don’t expect yourself to do to much. My body’s feeling really good at the moment. I’m confident that the work I’ve put in post-India to get that right, hopefully can hold up.”There had been plans for Murphy to make a short trip to Paris and back in order for him to obtain the necessary visa to play for Durham should an opportunity open up, but his flight was cancelled at the last moment when he was at the airport.There was some consideration to him potentially getting a game while the Test series was in progress, although Lyon’s injury has now made that notion redundant, and whether he joins Durham for a late-season stint will now likely depend on his workload over the next month.

Arsenal now intend to make a £101m offer for a “ridiculous” striker, who Mikel Arteta is a big fan of, according to a report.

Gunners keen to sign a striker this summer

There have been repeated calls for the Gunners to sign a striker for quite some time, and it looks as though they could finally make a move for one in the summer transfer window, having identified a number of key targets.

The interest in Inter’s Marcus Thuram has recently been stepped up, with Arteta’s side moving ahead of Premier League title rivals Liverpool in the race to sign the Frenchman, although there may also be competition from Chelsea.

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The Gunners really want to sign a defender who was mentored by one of Mikel Arteta’s key players.

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Dominic Lund

Mar 18, 2025

Two of the strikers most widely linked with a move to the Emirates Stadium are Newcastle United’s Alexander Isak and RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko, with Fabrizio Romano revealing the former is right at the top of the list.

“Big, big, massive proposals will come to the table for Alexander Isak.

“Arsenal will be there, Liverpool are also there. For Arsenal, he’s the absolute top target, Sesko is the other name on the list.

“They are the two main names.”

A new update has now emerged on Arsenal’s pursuit of Isak, with a report from Spain revealing they now intend to submit an offer of up to €120m (£101m) for the striker, who they are determined to sign.

The Gunners’ interest has grown in recent times, not least because Arteta is someone who believes Isak can bring plenty to the Gunners and is a big fan of the Sweden international, and negotiations could be stepped up when the season comes to a close.

It will not be easy to get a deal done, given how important the 25-year-old is to Newcastle’s project, but the north Londoners plan to submit an offer it would be difficult to refuse.

"Ridiculous" Isak leads Newcastle to cup glory

It has been a fantastic campaign for the Swedish striker, who has scored 23 goals in all competitions, and he was on the scoresheet once again in Newcastle’s historic EFL Cup triumph on Sunday, with the Magpies ending their 70-year trophy drought.

As such, it is little wonder Arsenal are so keen on the former Real Sociedad striker, who has also received high praise from members of the media.

Given that Isak has proven himself as a top-level striker, the monumental £101m fee could be justifiable, particularly considering a world-class forward is perhaps the missing piece of the jigsaw for Arteta’s side, who have had to rely on Mikel Merino to lead the line recently.

However, it remains to be seen whether the forward’s first taste of silverware in England motivates him to want to bring more success to Newcastle, who are currently under no pressure to sell, given that he remains contracted until 2028.

MatériaMais Notícias

O Grêmio até que tentou até os minutos finais, mas não conseguiu vencer o Ituano atuando em sua Arena, pela 26ª rodada da Série B do Brasileiro, nesta sexta-feira. O time teve inúmeras chances, mas parou em grande atuação do goleiro Jefferson Paulino. Os paulistas ainda marcaram no fim com Lucas Dias e garantiram os três pontos com o placar de 1 a 0.

+ Veja a tabela da Série B do Brasileiro e simule os resultados

Com o resultado, a equipe permanece no G4, com 44 pontos conquistados. Por outro lado, a equipe paulista fica com 36, na 7ª posição. O Imortal pode ser ultrapassado pelo Vasco, que enfrenta o Bahia no domingo.

Na próxima terça-feira (30), o Tricolor Gaúcho retorna ao campo em mais uma rodada da Série B. O time comandado por Roger Machado viaja para encarar o Criciúma, com a bola rolando às 21h30 (de Brasília). Uma hora antes, o Ituano recebe o Operário-PR.

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GRÊMIO COM TUDO!
O Grêmio começou a partida melhor e logo aos três minutos de jogo, quase abriu o placar. Villasanti encontrou Bitello dentro da área, mas o camisa 39 chutou em cima do goleiro. Em seguida, após cruzamento de Geromel na direita, Bruno Alves testou para defesa de Jefferson.

Com o domínio da partida, o Imortal voltou a levar perigo com Diego Souza testando para nova intervenção do arqueiro paulista. Os mandantes encurralaram os visitantes e ficaram com a bola no campo ofensivo por todo o tempo. Bitello recuperou bola no ataque, serviu Biel, que bateu firme e Jefferson novamente defendeu.

Aos poucos, o time comandado por Roger machado foi perdendo o gás e as chances diminuíram. Aos 36 minutos, Campaz cruzou da esquerda, Diego Souza subiu e cabeceou à esquerda. Pouco tempo depois, o Ituano teve sua primeira boa chance. Léo Ceará avançou com espaço, puxou para a esquerda e finalizou por cima.

Em seguida, Aylon teve oportunidade, mas testou para fora. O camisa 9 teve outra chance. Biel errou passe no ataque e gerou contra-ataque do Ituano. O centroavante bateu forte, mas mandou por cima.
​
GOL NO FIM!

O Grêmio voltou para o segundo tempo tendo com mais posse de bola, mas o Ituano retornou mais animado do que na primeira etapa. Aos 11 minutos, Caíque cruzou na área, Gerson Magrão apareceu como elemento surpresa e mandou no travessão.

O duelo perdeu intensidade e se animou na reta final. Em bola na área do Grêmio, o Mário Sérgio apareceu como surpresa e cabeceou para fora. Os gaúchos responderam com bom lançamento para Guilherme, que dominou mal e não conseguiu dar prosseguimento ao lance.

O time de Itú se fechou nos minutos finais. Diego Souza arriscou chute, mas parou na defesa. Aos 41′, após escanteio cobrado na área, Bruno Lopes testou na trave e no rebote, Lucas Dias marcou para o Ituano.

FICHA TÉCNICA DA PARTIDA
Grêmio 0x1 Ituano
Local: Arena do Grêmio, Porto Alegre-RS
​Data/horário: 26/08/2022 – 19h (de Brasília)
​Árbitro: Andre Luiz de Freitas Castro (GO)
Auxiliares: Cristhian Passos Sorence e Hugo Savio Xavier Correa (GO)
Quarto árbitro: Rafael Rodrigo Klein
VAR: Rodrigo Nunes de Sa (Fifa/RJ)
Cartões amarelos: Nicolas (Grêmio)
Cartões vermelhos: –

GOLS: Lucas Dias (41’/2T) (0-1)

Grêmio – técnico: Roger Machado
Brenno; Rodrigo Ferreira (Edílson – intervalo), Geromel, Bruno Alves (Natã – intervalo) e Nicolas; Villasanti, Lucas Leiva (Guilherme – intervalo) e Bitello (Gabriel Silva 25’/2T); Biel, Campaz (Elkeson 13’/2T) e Diego Souza.

Ituano – técnico: Carlos Pimentel
​Jefferson Paulino; Lucas Dias, Rafael Pereira (Carlão 27’/2T) e Bernardo; Raí Ramos, Caíque (Dudu Vieira 35’/2T), Lucas Siqueira e Mário Sérgio; Gerson Magrão (Gabriel Barros 27’/2T), Léo Ceará (João Victor 35’/2T) e Aylon (Bruno Lopes 17’/2T).

Josh Tongue says he is leaving Worcestershire at the end of the season because he needs “a new challenge” but does not believe there is a smoking gun that explains the exodus of a number of homegrown players from the club.Tongue, who made his England debut this summer, will join Nottinghamshire at the end of his contract, with Dillon Pennington making the same move. Pat Brown, who has struggled with injury after playing four T20Is in 2019, is leaving for Derbyshire, while Moeen Ali and Ed Barnard joined Warwickshire last winter.A number of other Worcestershire players are also out of contract at the end of the season, with Ashley Giles taking charge of negotiations after starting his job as chief executive earlier this month. Giles made Rob Jones, the Lancashire batter, his first signing earlier this week, but Jack Haynes and Ben Cox are both expected to leave the club.Tongue held talks with a number of counties before settling on Nottinghamshire, who beat off strong interest from Lancashire to secure his signature on an initial three-year deal. He said that the opportunity to work with Notts bowling coach Kevin Shine again was a major factor in his decision, having previously been coached by him as part of the ECB’s pace programme.”I’ve been at the club since I was six years old and I’ve grown up playing for Worcester through the age groups and the academy and obviously signed my first pro deal there,” Tongue said, speaking at a #Funds4Runs session organised by LV= Insurance at Stockport Georgians Cricket Club. “I’ve got a massive heart for the club but I just feel like I’m at a time in my career when I need a new challenge and a new place to play.”I had a few meetings with a different number of clubs and Notts just really excited me with the way they play their cricket and obviously the squad is very strong. Peter Moores, the coach, and Kevin Shine, the bowling coach, really attracted me.”I’ve had stuff to do with Shiney in the past, growing up. I feel that’s going to benefit me, to have a different set of eyes on me to see how I can get better. If that’s more pace, or getting me in a better position at contact, we’ll see.”Josh Tongue at a #Funds4Runs session at Stockport Georgians Cricket Club•LV= Insurance/#Funds4Runs

Asked if there was a single reason behind players leaving, Tongue said: “I don’t think so. I’m not sure about the other lads leaving, but at my stage of my career now, I just felt like I needed a change and to work with some different coaches and different players. Obviously that is hopefully going to benefit me in the future.”Moeen, whose brother Kadir is Worcestershire’s assistant coach, suggested that money was a motivating factor for some departures. “I think it could be financial – it probably is financial with a couple of players,” he said. “But I think some players probably feel like they want to play at a bigger venue or a bigger club. It doesn’t always work out, but good luck to them.”I love Worcester, I still love Worcester. Obviously my brother’s there and the coach, Richo [Alan Richardson], so I still follow their progress and stuff. It’s a shame, but it’s always been a club or a county that’s produced good players and I’m sure they always will.”Tongue and Pennington shared 12 wickets between them in Worcestershire’s win against Leicestershire at Oakham this week, leaving them third in Division Two of the County Championship and only two points off a promotion spot. Richardson admitted some mixed emotions, but said they would continue to be selected for the rest of the summer.”Obviously I’m disappointed that they are leaving,” Richardson said, “but at the same time they are still our players and they still want to perform for us for the rest of the season, to help us achieve our goals. Having them in the team makes us better. We aren’t going to change our opinion on that just because they are leaving at the end of the season.”Josh Tongue was speaking on behalf of LV= Insurance, title sponsors of this summer’s LV= Insurance Ashes Series. Head to https://www.lv.com/gi/cricket to find out more.

Real Madrid snapped up PSG target Franco Mastantuono, but the Argentine starlet will only join after River Plate's Club World Cup campaign.

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• Real beat PSG to Mastantuono
• Will join the club in August
• Had a release clause of €45m (£38.5m)

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• WHAT HAPPENED?

  To secure Mastantuono’s signature, Real Madrid triggered the release clause in his River Plate contract, which stood at €45 million (£38.5m). The figure represents a record-breaking outgoing transfer for the Argentine club, surpassing the €44m fee they received for Enzo Fernandez when he moved to Benfica in 2022. He has signed a six-year deal with Los Blancos, which will keep him at the club until June 30, 2031.

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  Paris Saint-Germain were also vying for his signature, but Madrid were always considered front-runners due to the player’s own preference. Sources close to the negotiations revealed that Mastantuono had long favoured a move to Spain over France, with his sights firmly set on donning the famous white jersey of Real Madrid if a move away from Argentina materialised.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Mastantuono broke into River Plate’s senior team in January 2024, making his debut at the tender age of 16. That milestone placed him as the third-youngest debutant in the storied club’s history. Since then, he has amassed 61 appearances, scoring 10 goals and registering seven assists, a remarkable return for someone still in their teens.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR MASTANTUONO?

  Mastantuono becomes Madrid’s third signing of the summer transfer window. He follows English international right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold, who joined from Liverpool, and Spanish defender Dean Huijsen, acquired from Bournemouth. All three additions are seen as part of a long-term strategy to refresh and strengthen a Madrid squad that faltered both in Spain and Europe. However, Madrid fans will have to wait a little longer to see their new starlet in action as he will be available only from August 14.

If Sri Lanka had aimed too high in their Super Four game against Bangladesh, they could have ended up with a sub-par score. These are the thoughts of Sadeera Samarawickrama, the star of Sri Lanka’s batting innings, who struck 93 off 72 balls.Across the match, Samarawickrama was the only batter to make more than 20 at more than a run a ball. But he lauded Pathum Nissanka, who hit 40 off 60, and Kusal Mendis, who made 50 off 73, for setting the foundation.”When Pathum and Kusal were batting, the pitch seemed a bit slow and they did really well,” Samarawickrama said. “If they had taken risks at that point and got out, maybe I would have got out cheaply too. But because they took the game a little deeper and gave us some momentum, I found it easier too.Related

• Sadeera 93 trumps Hridoy's 82 as SL start Super Four with close win

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“When I saw the pitch, we talked about how this wasn’t a 320 pitch – it’s a 250 surface. Even that you just have to get in the last eight overs or so. If we had gone too hard early, we might have been out for 220. So what I tried to do after getting a start was to get the team to 250.”Samarawickrama, who made his Sri Lanka debut in Tests in 2017, has clearly worked on his white-ball batting since then. On Saturday, he frequently shuffled towards off stump to access the leg side, and backed away to leg to hit through off – often behind point.These were skills he had developed and used in last year’s Lanka Premier League, he said. In that tournament, he was second on the run-scorers chart, with 294 runs and a strike rate of 131.25. It was that performance, in fact, that had launched him back into the conversation as an international player.”Moving around the crease is something that I started in the LPL last year – playing with the bowler’s mind and figuring out how to put pressure on him,” Samarawickrama said. “However the pitch plays, I have to back my strengths, one of which is to back away and hit. It’s something I learned with a lot of hard work, so I back myself to do that.”Sri Lanka have now also won 13 ODIs consecutively, second only to Australia, who had won 21 in a row.”When you play as a team, your own performances are lifted,” Samarawickrama said. “If we had lost, my performance today wouldn’t be highlighted either. If the top order isn’t doing well, the middle order gets it done. If the middle order can’t do it, the top order has scored runs. We’re playing as a team.”

La Liga president Javier Tebas vows to "eliminate" the tournament before its next edition in 2029

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• Tebas not on board with revamped CWC
• Vows to eliminate the competition
• Considers it a threat to 'sustainability of football'

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• WHAT HAPPENED?

  La Liga president Tebas is not at all on board with the ongoing Club World Cup organised by FIFA, revealing that he will be working towards "eliminating" the tournament as the revamped version is a major threat to the "sustainability of football."

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  FIFA revamped the Club World Cup with a new format, which sees 32 teams from all confederations contesting in the group stages followed by knockout stages, much like the World Cup. Originally, the Club World Cup would be held right before the end of the year or right after the turn of the year, with just the winners of the premier continental competitions organised by each of the six confederations participating in the tournament.

  Watch every FIFA Club World Cup game free on DAZNStream now

• WHAT JAVIER TEBAS SAID

  Speaking at a football industry event, Tebas was asked how FIFA can revise the current Club World Cup. Tebas responded: "By eliminating it. My goal is to ensure there are no more Club World Cups, that's very clear to me."

  He was then asked whether there was a way to make the tournament more compatible with the rest of the calendar. Tebas explained: "There are no dates. There's no need for yet another competition that moves money to a sector of clubs and players and comes from somewhere. There's no more money here; we have to maintain the ecosystem and eliminate it. Keep it as it was before, which was a weekend. There's no way, neither in terms of dates, nor economics, nor maintaining the sustainability of football."

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  WHAT NEXT?

  There has been quite some criticism regarding the Club World Cup, which will now take place every four years. The competition is believed to take a toll on the players' physical conditions, with games scheduled at noon and 3pm kick-off times under the scorching heat of the USA sun. In fact, PSG boss Luis Enrique slammed the scheduling of the games following his side's 4-0 hammering of Atletico Madrid.

أعلن نادي مانشستر سيتي، تعيين مدرب جديد في الجهاز الفني للفريق الأول لكرة القدم بعد الخروج من كأس العالم للأندية 2025.

وخرج النادي الإنجليزي من دور الـ 16 لبطولة كأس العالم للأندية 2025 بعد الخسارة أمام الهلال السعودي 4/3 في مباراة مثيرة وتنافسية للغاية بين الفريقين.

واتخذ نادي مانشستر سيتي قرارًا بتعيين كولو توريه، مساعدًا ثابتًا في الجهاز الفني للفريق الأول لكرة القدم بالنادي بعد الأداء المميز الذي قدمه خلال بطولة مونديال الأندية التي أقيمت في الولايات المتحدة الأمريكية 2025.

ويأتي ذلك بعد أن استمتع الإيفواري الذي ساعد كلًا من آرسنال ومانشستر سيتي على تحقيق النجاح في الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز خلال مسيرته الكروية المميزة، كما قدم موسمًا ناجحًا للغاية عندما عمل كمدرب مساعد لفريق تحت 18 عامًا في مانشستر سيتي في الموسم الماضي.

اقرأ أيضًا | جريليش يكسر صمته ويلمح بشأن مستقبله لأحد مشجعي مانشستر سيتي

بالتعاون مع المدرب أوليفر رايس، ساعد مدافع ساحل العاج السابق في قيادة شباب مانشستر سيتي إلى لقب الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز تحت 18 عامًا.

ويتمتع توريه، أيضًا بخبرة تدريبية واسعة بعيدًا عن مانشستر سيتي، حيث عمل في البداية مع منتخب ساحل العاج قبل أن يقضي بعض الوقت في كل من جلاسكو سيلتيك وليستر سيتي كعضو في الطاقم الفني للمدرب بريندان رودجرز.

قبل انضمامه إلى فريق التدريب في أكاديمية سيتي، تولى كولو أيضًا فترة قصيرة في تدريب نادي ويجان أثليتيك.

In what could see Liverpool face off against Real Madrid once again, the Reds’ reported target worth £50m has just delivered his verdict on a potential move to the La Liga giants this summer.

Liverpool target delivers Madrid verdict

From Champions League final defeats to Trent Alexander-Arnold’s reported decision to swap Anfield for the Bernabeu this summer, Liverpool will be sick of the sight of Real Madrid. The chance to join the Spanish giants is a dream that not many turn down and that seemingly includes Alexander-Arnold, who looks set to ditch his boyhood club for the chance to become a Galactico.

Set to leave as a free agent, the Reds won’t even have the opportunity to profit from one of their academy’s greatest-ever products, but will have to turn towards the transfer market for a replacement nonetheless. Whether replacing such a unique talent is even possible remains to be seen, however.

Liverpool now eyeing shock swoop to sign Newcastle star who silenced Salah

He could replace Alexander-Arnold.

3 ByTom Cunningham Mar 27, 2025

So far, names such as Jeremie Frimpong have been mentioned the most. The Bayer Leverkusen star would certainly replicate Alexander-Arnold’s attacking output, though question marks still remain over whether the Reds would simply be welcoming another defensive liability.

Away from right-back, meanwhile, Frimpong isn’t the only defensive target that the Premier League’s champions-elect have in mind. According to recent reports, Liverpool have also set their sights on signing Dean Huijsen, with FSG even making contact in pursuit of the defender who has a release clause worth just £50m at Bournemouth.

Once again, however, the Reds could be left cursing Real Madrid after Huijsen delivered his official verdict on a summer switch to the Bernabeu – claiming that it’s an “honour” to have such interest.

Having already seemingly lost their battle to keep Alexander-Arnold, Liverpool could now be forced to watch on as their defensive target joins their academy product in Madrid this summer.

"Phenomenal" Huijsen is not one to miss out on

Almost a year on from his departure, Juventus are paying the price for showing Huijsen the door. At just 19 years old, the defender has taken the Premier League by storm and looks destined to reach the top of European football once again this summer. Dubbed “phenomenal” by football talent scout Jacek Kulig, Liverpool should go all out for the Spaniard’s signature.

Progressive Carries

26

15

Progressive Passes

79

131

Tackles Won

20

14

Ball Recoveries

80

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With Van Dijk currently heading towards the same free-agent status as Alexander-Arnold, Liverpool could even turn towards Huijsen to replace their defensive leader.

The young Spaniard would struggle to be the leader that the Dutchman is, but the stats show that he could be just as talented in the coming years. At this stage though, it seems as though it’s talent that Real Madrid are also well aware of ahead of the summer transfer window.