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Kylian Mbappe was hiding in the background while Xabi Alonso soliloquised. It was just after the opening game of the Champions League group phase. Mbappe had pieced together a remarkable Blancos rescue act, scoring twice to overturn a 1-0 deficit (and he might have had one or two more.) Alonso was singing his praises. He hailed Mbappe's "incredible impact", and promised that they were "just getting started.” And then, as he realised Mbappe was in the room – just out of the shot – he tailed off.

It was a funny moment, but one that encapsulates the Alonso-Mbappe dynamic this season. Thus far, the Spaniard has made Mbappe the centre of his team, the focal point Mbappe perhaps always wished he could be. But, as with the rest of this Madrid team, Alonso has also been remarkably stern. Mbappe has not been allowed to dictate this team. Instead, he has been asked to play in different roles, embrace various styles – and trust that the goals will come as a result.

And in the early goings of the season it seems that the two have an excellent working relationship. Mbappe trusts Alonso. Alonso trusts Mbappe. Madrid might just have unlocked the Frenchman's best in cultivating that partnership. 

AFPA difficult first season

It is worth remembering, first, how we got here. Mbappe's first season at Madrid was a strange one. The raw numbers were nothing short of staggering. He bagged 31 goals in La Liga and 42 in all competitions. He set the record for the most goals in a debut season for the club and won the European Golden Boot. He established himself as the only Madrid player to score in seven different competitions in a single season. 

This is the elite goalscorer Madrid knew they had signed. But the bigger picture isn't so flattering. Madrid may have gotten goals out of Mbappe, but they got little else. 

It wasn't just a lack of assists as much as the way he failed to work as part of the collective. He didn't press. He didn't run. He invaded spaces that others liked to operate in. For a lot of the season, it felt like Mbappe scoring lots of goals while 10 others watched. 

The result was a team-wide failure, Madrid finishing second in La Liga, being bounced from the Champions League, and going a full season without a major trophy. It cost Carlo Ancelotti his job, and threw the rest of the side into jeopardy.

AdvertisementAFPClub World Cup questions

It all left things a little uncertain. The Club World Cup always felt like a bit of a wash for Madrid. They might have retooled before the tournament, but there was an overwhelming sense that they were an incomplete side, outmatched by whomever they faced. 

Paris Saint-Germain beat them in the semi-final emphatically, and it really wasn't much of a surprise. After that game, Los Blancos' media team didn't make a single player available to awaiting journalists. 

Mbappe was hospitalised for a few days during the group stage, but still managed to appear in all three knockout games. In fairness, he grabbed a signature moment, burying an acrobatic volley late on to defeat a resilient Borussia Dortmund in the quarter-final. But he turned in an anonymous showing in the semis against his former club, going 90 minutes without having a real impact.

In fact, the real star of that tournament for Madrid was someone who operated in Mbappe's position. Gonzalo Garcia, a little known academy striker heading into the tournament, paced Madrid's attack during the group stage, scoring in each of Los Blancos' first three games. There was scattered talk that with Vinicius Jr and Mbappe dueling for two spots, he could also make a push. 

Getty Images'Kylian understands football very well'

Alonso did away with those concerns from day one. Mbappe has started every single game for Madrid thus far, and played all-but 16 minutes of Los Blancos' perfect start to the season. 

Nominally, he has operated as a striker, but Alonso has been flexible in the way he has used him. Indeed, the manager relies heavily on positional play, asking his side to fill individual tasks within a position. Against Osasuna, in the first week of the season, Mbappe played much like a traditional striker – staying mostly central, and offering a run off the last defender when Madrid had a chance to hit on the break. He grabbed the only goal in a slightly unconvincing 1-0 win. 

But he has filled other roles, too. Against Espanyol, he started up front with Garcia. It seemed a confusing set-up. But instead of having two alongside each other, Alonso used Mbappe as a second striker of sorts, linking play and working in coordination with the midfield.

"Today he played in a more different role, as a playmaker," Alonso explained after the game. "We talked about the responsibility he had to be closer to Urko (Gonzalez de Zarate). On (Marko) Dmitrovic’s long balls, that superiority was important. Kylian understands football very well. Today in his role, in a different position, as a second striker, he did very well."

It would perhaps be a bit premature to dub Mbappe a "complete striker". There is a long way to go on that front. But his improvements are clear to see.

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Getty ImagesThe impressive numbers

But more than anything, Mbappe is a goalscorer. That's why he's here. Sure, Madrid can try to tinker with more versatile genres of him, ask him to do different things against different teams; that's just good coaching. But getting Mbappe into positions where he can put the ball into the net is absolutely vital. And the stats there aren't bad, either. 

Mbappe has scored seven in six games. He bagged two against Levante in a 4-1 win, two against Oviedo in a 3-0 win, and played a crucial role in a signature Champions League comeback. He has scored or assisted in all but one of Los Blancos' contests so far.

The underlying numbers make for good reading, too. Mbappe is being clinical in front of goal. Thirty-three percent of his shots have been on target – the best mark in the league. He leads La Liga in goals, expected goals and shots. But he has also created 18 chances, and is in the 96th percentile in pass completion percentage.

More impressive, though, are his defensive figures. He has won possession in the final third 10 times, putting him in the 99th percentile among all La Liga players. He is winning his duels at a higher rate than in previous years. 

So, while the assumption had always been that Mbappe was perhaps a little one-dimensional, that perception is eroding, little by little.

As has become customary in Glasgow on a Champions League night, the world-famous anthem is greeted with defending cheers.

However, within a matter of minutes, all those in Govan and Glasgow’s surrounding areas could hear was a cacophony of boos.

The night could hardly have started any worse for Russell Martin’s side, conceding after three minutes and then again from a corner four minutes later, before Club Brugge added a third on the 20 minute mark, this the fastest Rangers have ever found themselves 3-0 down in a home European tie in their 69 years of continental history.

At that stage, the Belgian side appeared set to completely put the tie to bed, although it didn’t entirely turn out that way.

Straight after the break, teenaged debutant Jayden Meghoma’s low cross was tapped home by Danilo before, with 12 minutes to play, Djeidi Gassama thought he’d reduced the arrears further, but his goal was disallowed because referee François Letexier deemed that goalkeeper Simon Mignolet had two hands on the ball; a controversial VAR decision.

Thus, 1-3 it finished at Ibrox, leaving Rangers with a mountain to climb at Jan Breydelstadion next Wednesday, and a couple of Martin’s summer recruits in particular did not impress.

Nasser Djiga's calamitous night

Since joining on loan from Wolves this summer, Nasser Djiga has now started all eight matches this season, forming a centre-back partnership with John Souttar.

The Burkina Faso international arrived in Glasgow with plenty of Champions League experience, starting all ten of Crvena zvezda’s qualifiers and league phase fixtures last season, although you wouldn’t have known it three minutes in to this one.

Brugge’s opener, scored by Romeo Vermant, came about in bizarre circumstances.

Danilo had a shot blocked at one end, before Christos Tzolis’ hopeful ball forward was inexplicably just left by Djiga, running in the complete opposite direction, allowing Vermant to delicately lob the ball over a bemused and confused Jack Butland.

Graeme McGarry of the Herald labelled this the “worst defending I’ve ever seen” while, speaking on Sky Sports News, former Rangers striker Kris Boyd described this as “calamitous”, adding “Rangers just come up with new ways to concede goals…. Champions League football… forget it”.

This is such a concern because, as already alluded to, Martin appeared to have his centre-back partnership in Djiga and Souttar set in stone, albeit, after the former was sent off against Dundee ten days ago, this was not his first costly error.

Nevertheless, he is not one of Martin’s summer recruits coming under the most scrutiny following this damaging defeat.

Rangers' new signing could be dropped

James Tavernier has been a stalwart since joining Rangers a decade ago, making 521 appearances for the club, only ten men can boast more, among the first names on the team sheet throughout this period – until now that is.

The club captain was left on the bench for the first leg against Viktoria Plzeň in the previous round, with the same true again on Tuesday, with Max Aarons starting at right-back instead, very much a permanent fixture in Martin’s team, but could that be about to change?

Well, the 25-year-old did not impress against Brugge, as the table below documents.

Errors leading to shot

1

1st

Defensive actions

3

16th

Clearances

2

12th

Tackles

1

14th

Dribbles past

1

1st

Possession lost

7

11th

Duels contested

11

2nd

Duels won

4

10th

Fouls

2

1st

Touches

68

5th

Sofascore rating

6.7

20th

As the table highlights, only four players, namely the aforementioned Souttar and Djiga, as well as Brugge duo Brandon Mechele and Jorne Spileers, accumulated more touches than Aarons, despite the fact he was hooked with 20 minutes remaining, but he did little good with all this time spent in possession.

The full-back was dribbled past once, this when Tzolis came close to adding a fourth in first-half stoppage time, losing possession on seven occasions, while also winning just four of his 11 ground duels, which pretty much sums up his and Rangers’ night.

Journalist Scott Bradley asserted that Aarons “looks like he hasn’t kicked a ball before”, adding that he remains “absolutely baffled” as to why the “best right-back in the league”, namely Tavernier, is once again left watching from the dugout by under-fire Martin.

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All in all, a disastrous night for Rangers, leaving their Champions League dreams hanging by a thread, requiring a miracle when they visit West Flanders next mid-week.

Before then, already four points adrift of Premiership leaders Hearts and Celtic after just two fixtures, Martin can ill-afford yet more dropped points at St Mirren on Sunday, so it would be no surprise if captain Tavernier is restored to the team in Paisley.

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Liverpool manager Arne Slot has enjoyed a fruitful summer transfer window in his second year in charge of the club, after Federico Chiesa was his only signing in 2024.

Florian Wirtz, Jeremie Frimpong, Milos Kerkez, and Hugo Ekitike have all come through the door at Anfield to bolster the Dutchman’s options across the park.

The focus is now turning to further exits from the club, after Luis Diaz’s move to Bayern Munich, as Liverpool have accepted an offer from Al Hilal for centre-forward Darwin Nunez.

Fabrizio Romano reports that the Pro League team are set to pay an initial fee of around £46m for the striker, who is poised to agree a three-year contract with Al Hilal to leave England after three years on Merseyside.

Nunez may not be the only high-profile exit to come later this month, though, as Harvey Elliott may also be on his way out of Anfield to move to the Bundesliga.

Romano claims that RB Leipzig are in contract talks with the England U21 international and have made him a priority target to replace Xavi Simons this summer.

Why Harvey Elliott may leave Liverpool

According to Romano, Elliott ‘loves’ Liverpool and would like to stay at the club, but is currently exploring his options because of a potential lack of game time next season.

The English whiz is said to have seen the new signings come through the door this summer and has realised that it may be too difficult for him to get enough opportunities to impress.

Elliott is a terrific young talent, as evidenced by his five goals in six matches at the U21 European Championship this summer, and it would be a blow for the Reds to lose a prospect with his ability.

However, it is hard to begrudge his desire to explore options elsewhere when you consider how his minutes on the pitch dropped after Slot replaced Jurgen Klopp in the dugout at Anfield.

Appearances

34

18

Starts

11

2

Minutes

1,367

399

Goals

3

1

Big chances created

5

1

Assists

6

2

As you can see in the table above, Elliott found game time harder to come by under the Dutch coach after playing a fairly important role under Klopp in the Premier League in the 2023/24 campaign.

Unfortunately, Slot did not see him as an important part of his side, as the likes of Dominik Szoboszlai, Curtis Jones, Alexis Mac Allister, and Ryan Gravenberch were preferred ahead of him in the middle of the park.

Liverpool should, therefore, look to replace Elliott with a midfielder who is more likely to be utilised by the former Feyenoord head coach throughout the season.

Liverpool join the race for Juventus midfielder

According to Caught Offside, Liverpool have joined the race to sign Juventus central midfielder Douglas Luiz before the end of the summer transfer window.

The report claims that the former Aston Villa sensation is available for a fee of €40m (£35m), which has seemingly alerted a host of clubs to his availability.

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It states that Nottingham Forest, Leeds United, Tottenham Hotspur, Everton, and West Ham United are also keeping an eye on his situation, which means that the Reds could face plenty of competition for his signature.

CaughtOffside adds that Liverpool are showing an interest in the Brazil international, but that it is Forest who are currently leading the race to sign the midfield maestro.

It now remains to be seen whether or not the Premier League champions will decide to seriously pursue a deal to win the race for the former Manchester City youngster, who could arrive at Anfield as a perfect replacement for Elliott.

Why Liverpool should sign Douglas Luiz

The Res should be looking to get a deal over the line for the Juventus talent before the end of the summer transfer window because he could be a better fit for what Slot is looking for.

As aforementioned, Elliott did not get much game time in the Premier League last season. That may have been because he is a unique and creative midfielder who lacks outstanding physical attributes, which means that he needs to play in an attacking role or in a team that is built around him.

Luiz, however, is a versatile and physically strong midfielder who can play as a number six or as a number eight in a 4-3-3 system, which makes him far more suited to what Slot needs in the middle of the park.

The Brazilian star, who played 19 times in the Serie A for Juventus last season, is also a proven Premier League performer who can hit the ground running at Anfield in the 2025/26 campaign.

Luiz, who was hailed for his “exceptional” performances for Villa by Statman Dave, has 175 appearances in the Premier League in his career to date, which shows that he is an experienced operator at that level.

His form for the Villans and Unai Emery in his last two seasons in England also shows that he is a well-rounded midfielder who can offer quality in and out of possession.

Appearances

37

35

xG

2.83

6.97

Goals

6

9

Big chances created

7

10

Assists

6

5

Tackles + interceptions per game

3.1

2.4

Duel success rate

52%

51%

As you can see in the table above, Luiz is a box-to-box midfielder who can provide goals, assists, tackles, and interceptions for his side in the Premier League, whilst also holding his own in duels.

He also ranked within the top 36% of midfielders in the division for progressive passes per 90 (5.05) in the 2024/25 season, which shows that the Brazilian ace excels at playing between the lines to progress attacks for his side.

This suggests that Luiz suits playing in a deep-lying midfield role where he can break up attacks with tackles and interceptions, whilst having time and space to pick out progressive passes.

The 27-year-old star is, therefore, suited to playing as the number six as an alternative to Gravenberch, whilst his goal and assist return also suggest that he could play slightly further forward as a number eight to contribute at the top end of the pitch.

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Overall, Luiz would be the perfect ‘replacement’ for Elliott because he has a midfield profile that seems far more suited to what Slot wants in his three-man midfield, and he has the versatility to play in a defensive or offensive role, making him the ideal utility player for the Reds.

Manchester City are now keen on hijacking Manchester United’s move for an “incredible” player, who is set to be available for £35m this summer, according to a report.

Man City's summer rebuild continues

Pep Guardiola has made major changes to his squad this summer, with the Man City boss looking to reclaim the Premier League crown from Liverpool, and Phil Foden believes the rebuild was necessary after a disappointing 2024-25 campaign.

Foden said: “It is needed after last season, bringing in fresh legs and the new additions have done well. They have settled very quickly.

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“We can all see their quality from the Club World Cup and what they bring to the team. We have got a big squad at the moment but I think it is definitely needed. I’m looking forward to the season and linking up with players that I like to play with and enjoying it really.”

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It is certainly true that Guardiola is blessed with a large squad, and having added Nico Gonzalez in the winter, before bringing in Tijjani Reijnders this summer, there are plenty of options in the middle of the park.

However, according to a report from Takvim, Man City are now keen on signing Galatasaray midfielder Gabriel Sara, who is also being targeted by Man United, with the Red Devils even set to make a formal offer for his services in the coming days.

The Turkish club are reluctant to sanction Sara’s departure this summer, but they could be tempted if they receive an offer of €40m (£35m), amid widespread interest from the Premier League.

Leeds United, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Nottingham Forest, Everton and Aston Villa are also credited with an interest in the Brazilian, although United’s interest appears to be the most advanced, with an offer in the works.

"Incredible" Sara could flourish in the Premier League

The 26-year-old has experience in England, performing remarkably well for Norwich City in the 2023-24 campaign, picking up 13 goals and 12 assists in 46 Championship outings.

That season alone proved the maestro is more than ready to make the step-up to the Premier League, but he has since gone on to prove himself in Turkey too, amassing 11 league goal contributions last season as Galatasaray went on to win the title.

As such, Sara could flourish at the Etihad Stadium, although there are some doubts over whether he would be a necessary signing for Man City, given that Guardiola is already well-stocked in central midfield.

The Gabba in Brisbane has played host to plenty of iconic Test moments – the 1960 tie, Ian Botham’s last great Test innings, Shane Warne’s career best, Peter Siddle’s birthday hat-trick, India’s famous 2021 heist and Shamar Joseph’s heroics to pick out a few – but there are now major questions over its future as an international venue.On Sunday it was confirmed that the Queensland government had only signed a two-year hosting agreement with Cricket Australia which means beyond the upcoming India Test and next year’s men’s Ashes fixture there is great uncertainty when, or if, the famous ground will be back on the schedule.The Ashes encounter in 2025-26 will be the 49th consecutive season of Test cricket at the Gabba, but there will be no half-century with it not having one of the four New Zealand Tests the following year. There are, however, discussions ongoing about white-ball internationals with England due to visit that summer for ODIs and T20Is.Related

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The Gabba is coming towards the end of its viable working life in 2030. Brisbane will host the 2032 Olympics and initially, there had been plans to completely rebuild the venue, but that was ditched by the Queensland government due to costs and instead, there is expected to be a renovation along with other stadiums in the city.While a complete rebuild would have taken the stadium out of commission for a number of years, there is still uncertainty over whether it will be usable during a renovation.In an open letter, the chair of Queensland Cricket Kirsten Pike and chief executive Terry Svenson outlined the organisation’s frustrations and concerns for cricket in the state.”The State Government’s decision to not progress with its commitment to rebuild the Gabba and downgrade its proposed Olympic role has resulted in direct and indirect changes to how we proceed with our business,” they wrote.”It is deeply disappointing that the 2026-27 Gabba Test has become a casualty of the uncertainty around the infrastructure planning and development ahead of the 2032 Olympic preparations, specifically around the Gabba.”…and while not being unduly alarmist, the potential outcome of this continuing uncertainty could have a significant impact on participation statewide and fan engagement across men’s and women’s cricket.”The future of the Gabba is under threat by new stadiums around the country, including a proposed indoor venue in Hobart•Tasmania Government

Speaking last week, former Australia and Queensland captain Allan Border called for a new multipurpose venue to be built in the city.”It’s sad, but they [Cricket Australia] have got to have some certainty, probably over the next four years, if they can use the Gabba or not,” he told the . “I’d be knocking down the Gabba and building a new venue from scratch at Victoria Park. A brand new 60,000-seat stadium suits rugby, cricket, Aussie rules and the Olympics, and the Gabba becomes housing.”Whatever the future of a major cricket venue in Brisbane, there could be a potential challenger on the horizon with Tasmania having ambitions to host indoor Test cricket in the proposed new Hobart stadium which is set to be ready in 2029. However, Cricket Australia chair Mike Baird said it was hard to envisage a future where Brisbane was not part of the regular Test schedule.”That’s hard to imagine, but we have to have the facilities and a ground that supports it,” he said. “We want the fans to have the best experience as they come and see the world’s best players.”What we do know is the Gabba has a use for life that ends in 2030. We need a solution, and are working with the AFL as well on a long-term solution. We want a great venue in Brisbane, that can support Queensland Cricket and Australian cricket for years to come.”The Queensland Cricket letter added: “We remain hopeful that Test cricket will return to the Gabba after the summer of 2026-27 despite the current lack of detail and uncertainty surrounding the upgrades to the Gabba.”Queensland does have other smaller international venues. Allan Border Field in Brisbane regularly hosts the women’s team and Australia A and the Gold Coast hosted a T20I against West Indies in 2022. In regional Queensland, Mackay is used while Townsville and Cairns hosted the T20I and ODI series respectively against Zimbabwe and New Zealand in 2022.The men’s Future Tours Programme has some winter home cricket on Australia’s schedule in the coming years which could open the door for venues such as Cairns and Townsville. South Africa are due to visit for ODIs and T20Is in August 2025 while Afghanistan have a Test and three T20Is allocated in July 2026 although those would appear unlikely to happen given Cricket Australia’s current stance on bilateral series with Afghanistan.

Tom Abell and Sean Dickson produced a scintillating fourth-wicket stand of 144 in 11.2 overs to lead Somerset to a 63-run Vitality Blast win over Hampshire Hawks at Taunton.Abell smashed an unbeaten 96 off just 47 balls and Dickson hammered 65 off 32 deliveries to help the hosts post 241 for 5, their third-highest ever Blast total, after losing the toss. Their stand was a Somerset record for the fourth wicket in the competition.Hampshire replied with 178 all out, Ben McDermott hitting 46 off 28 balls and Ben Green claiming a career-best equalling 5 for 29. Victory put holders Somerset back on track after successive group defeats on the road.The hosts did not allow the loss of three wickets in the powerplay to affect their momentum, reaching 58 for 3 by the end of the sixth over, despite the dismissals of Will Smeed, Tom Kohler-Cadmore and Tom Banton.If Hampshire were pleased to see the back of those three big-hitters, two of them to Michael Neser, their satisfaction soon turned to concern as Abell and Dickson set about their attack, taking the score past 100 in the 11th over.Abell hit the first six of the game to bring up the 50-stand in 31 balls and the pair required only a further 18 deliveries to take their partnership to three figures. The 13th over, bowled by James Fuller, went for 21 as Abell crashed three successive fours through the off-side and Dickson ended it with two more boundaries.Both players reached half-centuries in the 15th over, Dickson’s occupying 25 balls and Abell’s 30. Dickson celebrated with a six over backward point off John Turner and by the time he was caught at long-on off a Liam Dawson full toss the stand had overtaken Somerset’s previous best for the fourth wicket in Blast cricket – 110 between Babar Azam and Lewis Goldsworthy against Glamorgan at Cardiff in 2020.Lewis Gregory smacked 18 off 8 balls and Abell ended his majestic knock with a straight six off Turner as Somerset completed their highest-ever Blast total against Hampshire. Abell struck 12 fours and three sixes as only Benny Howell of the Hampshire bowlers went for less than ten an over.McDermott and James Vince began the Hampshire reply undaunted and brought the fifty up in just 4.4 overs. By then end of the powerplay they had increased the total to 65, McDermott dominating with some savage blows.Green made the vital breakthrough for Somerset in the eighth over, bowling McDermott with his second delivery as he advanced down the pitch, and struck again with his fourth ball as Vince lofted a catch to long-off to make it 78 for 2.The over ended any doubts about the outcome. Soon Hampshire were requiring more than 15 an over and Green, who claimed 30 Blast wickets with his medium pace last season, struck again when Joe Weatherley launched a catch to deep midwicket to make the score 101 for three in the 11th over.James Fuller hit a straight six off Josh Davey, but perished next ball trying to repeat the feat. Howell cleared the ropes off successive van der Merwe deliveries, but when he and Toby Albert fell in the same Riley Meredith over Hampshire’s cause was lost and a clatter of wickets, including two for Green, followed.

After spending more than ever at Anfield, FSG are reportedly looking to show the door to a number of players this summer. One Liverpool star has already rejected the chance to leave, however.

Liverpool's summer business off with a bang

When Liverpool won the Premier League in the 2019/20 campaign, they decided to settle for what they had – enduring a quiet transfer window in the summer that followed. Soon enough, Manchester City were back on their throne as a result. Five years on, however, FSG have learnt from that harsh lesson and are investing more than ever to build what could be a dominant Liverpool side.

Having already signed Jeremie Frimpong, the Reds are set to welcome his former Bayer Leverkusen teammate, Florian Wirtz, for a British record fee. Simply put, it has so far been a statement summer from Richard Hughes and Michael Edward, who are not stopping there.

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Wirtz has been one of the most talented players in his position for the last two years, recovering from an ACL injury to help Leverkusen to an invincible domestic season before performing at similar levels last season. Now, by joining up with the likes of Mohamed Salah, he could finally take his seat among the very best that European football has to offer.

Appearances

92

Goals

34

Assists

35

Although their spending will excite Liverpool fans, it is unlikely to come without sacrifice this summer. With Giorgi Mamardashvili, Wirtz and Frimpong arriving – potentially among others – the likes of Darwin Nunez and now Andy Robertson have been linked with moves away.

The Scot has most recently attracted the interest of Atletico Madrid, as per Fabrizio Romano, and talks are already reportedly underway. Of course, it’s in Madrid that Robertson could square off against Trent Alexander-Arnold in what would add an interesting narrative to a derby already so fierce.

It’s not just Robertson attracting interest, however, as FSG have now seen one big-money player reject the chance to leave this summer.

Alisson rejects Galatasaray move

Despite the fact that FSG have already welcomed his replacement for years to come in Mamardashvili, it looks as though Alisson Becker is set to stay put. According to Sky Sports’ Florian Plettenberg, Alisson has rejected a “concrete enquiry” from Galatasaray and will be staying put at Anfield in the coming months instead of joining the 25-time Turkish Super Lig winners.

The Reds initially agreed a deal to sign Mamardashvili last summer before loaning him back to Valencia. Now, a year on, he’s set to join up with his new teammates.

Given that Caoimhin Kelleher has already left for Brentford, there will be a place in Arne Slot’s squad for Mamardashvili, but Alisson is not budging. The £150,000-a-week goalkeeper has seemingly made the decision to keep hold of his No.1 spot even as his long-term replacement arrives.

Perhaps the only miraculous thing about Tottenham Hotspur this season is the fact that Ange Postecoglou is still in the job.

While the Australian coach started his Lilywhites tenure in sensational form, things have been getting progressively worse since December 2023.

This season has seen the former Celtic boss lead his side to a staggering 19 defeats in the Premier League alone, and with four more matches to play, ending the year with 20 league defeats feels inevitable.

With all that said, it’s hardly surprising that, in recent weeks, there have been countless reports linking the club with potential replacements, from Fulham’s Marco Silva to former boss Mauricio Pochettino. Yet, another, more exciting candidate would be a far better choice.

Why Spurs shouldn't sign Poch or Silva

So, while there is an undeniable romanticism around the idea of re-hiring Pochettino this summer, there is one significant reason why Spurs shouldn’t: his recent jobs.

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Since being let go by the North Londoners in late 2019, the Argentine coach has taken three jobs and failed to impress in any of them.

For example, he failed to win the league in his first half-season with Paris Saint-Germain, then at Chelsea, he was unable to get into the Champions League places with astronomical financial backing, and now he’s struggling to turn things around in charge of the USMNT, with some already questioning his place.

Now, in terms of Silva, there is also a significant reason Tottenham should steer clear: his lack of experience with big clubs.

While the Portuguese manager has done an exceptional job in charge of Fulham, he’s never had the responsibility of managing a ‘big six’ side.

In fact, when he was in charge of the closest thing in Everton, he was eventually fired.

Fortunately, while there are clear reasons why Spurs shouldn’t hire either Pochettino or Silva, they have been linked to someone else who’d be a brilliant hire.

The manager Spurs should hire

There have been a few other managers touted for the Spurs job in recent months, from Thomas Frank to Xavi, but if Daniel Levy and Co want to make a real statement, they should hire Xabi Alonso.

The North Londoners were linked with the Spanish legend late last week, and while it might sound overly ambitious, there are a couple of reasons why he’s just the coach they should be going all out to sign.

First is the fact that he’s not only a proven league winner, but the fact that he won the Bundesliga with an unfancied Bayer Leverkusen.

The German side had famously never won the top flight before, so the fact that they went on to win it undefeated last year after Bayern signed Harry Kane is a simply sensational achievement.

Moreover, while they aren’t going to win it again this year, the club remain comfortably second in the table and the former Liverpool star continues to have an excellent record of 89 wins, 30 draws, 18 defeats and an average of 2.17 points per game at the helm.

Alonso’s Leverkusen record
Games	137
Wins	89
Draws	30
Losses	18
Points per Game	2.17
All Stats via Sofascore

Finally, from a tactical perspective, the “incredible” boss, as dubbed by Transfermarkt’s Manuel Veth, could be the perfect match for the Lilywhites squad.

For example, he likes his teams to play a quick, direct brand of football, with a focus on overloading the middle of the park and getting the wingbacks up high to stretch opposition defences, which sounds like something that would get the best out of Pedro Porro, Destiney Udogie and even Djed Spence.

Ultimately, it might be pie-in-the-sky thinking, but if Spurs have even the slightest chance to hire Alonso this summer, they have to take it.

£30m Johnson upgrade: Spurs lead race to sign "future Ballon d'Or winner"

The incredible youngster would be a superstar at Spurs.

1

By
Jack Salveson Holmes

Apr 29, 2025

West Ham United have endured an underwhelming campaign and Graham Potter has now made it clear that a mass clearout is en route at the London Stadium.

West Ham United's frustrating campaign set to yield squad changes

Despite comfortably staving off the threat of relegation, West Ham have fallen some way below expectation and Potter hasn’t been able to improve their fortunes in his opening period at the club.

The 49-year-old saw shoots of improvement going forward in the Hammers’ 2-2 draw at home to Bournemouth, but they simply haven’t been prolific enough across the season to merit anything more than a bottom-half finish.

Eager to avoid a repeat of this inconsistency come 2025/26, Potter has set his sights on Sunderland midfielder Chris Rigg and his side are now said to be in pole position to bring in the England youth international.

Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur are also in pursuit. However, there is plenty of hope to be taken should the Black Cats opt to cash in if they fail to win promotion to the Premier League.

Exciting reports have also claimed that West Ham are in the mix to sign Lyon forward Georges Mikautadze, albeit they may need to fight it out with Crystal Palace and Wolverhampton Wanderers for the Georgian star.

Evan Ferguson is likely to leave following the conclusion of his loan spell at Brighton & Hove Albion, making the forward line an area in need of nourishment once the window opens.

Scouts sent: West Ham in the race for prolific "jewel" who can be Kudus 2.0

West Ham have sent scouts to watch “ruthless” ace who could be their next Kudus

By
Connor Holden

Apr 5, 2025

Departures will be needed to fund a rebuild that many are in favour of under Potter’s guise, so who could leave to make way for fresh reinforcements?

West Ham ready for mass clearout as Graham Potter gets to work

According to Football Insider, West Ham could offload ten players this summer to make way for new assets at the London Stadium. Guido Rodriguez, Niclas Fullkrug, Emerson Palmieri, and Michail Antonio are all said to be ‘surplus to requirements’ and may be sacrificed.

Meanwhile, Danny Ings, Vladimir Coufal, Aaron Cresswell and Lukasz Fabianski are all set to depart once their contracts expire in the summer.

Carlos Soler isn’t expected to complete a permanent move to the Hammers from Paris Saint-Germain, while Maxwel Cornet’s pay packet will be severed if he completes a move elsewhere after returning from a loan spell at Genoa.

West Ham United’s next five fixtures
Liverpool (A)	Premier League
Southampton (H)	Premier League
Brighton & Hove Albion (A)	Premier League
Tottenham Hotspur (H)	Premier League
Manchester United (A)	Premier League

Overall, their combined wages would free up £745,000 per week for Potter to put towards other targets. Most fans would agree that this season hasn’t gone to plan, so there wouldn’t be too many complaints if the ex-Chelsea boss were to recoup some financial capital before embarking on a spending spree.

Whether West Ham manage to shift everyone mentioned is up for debate, though there is plenty of serviceable talent there that could command suitors from across Europe.

The St Lucia Kings power-hitter has turned into an all-weather T20 batter who is especially dangerous against spin

Deivarayan Muthu16-Sep-2025Since July 2024, New Zealand wicketkeeper-batter Tim Seifert has been living out of a suitcase, enjoying stints in eight different T20 leagues around the world besides playing for the Black Caps. From Galle in the Lanka Premier League (LPL) to Guyana in the Caribbean Premier League, in which his team have got to the elimination stage, Seifert has stamped his authority in different parts of the world.Weeks or months of play-sleep-travel-repeat can be challenging but Seifert has embraced it. He is now gearing up to bring home back-to-back CPL titles for St Lucia Kings.”Yeah, I have enjoyed it [being a T20 globetrotter],” Seifert says before the CPL knockouts. “It can be a bit tough on the family at times as well, being away for so much. But it’s also good to bring them away on certain tours. On the whole, it’s been great. Not only T20 competitions but international cricket as well with the Black Caps.”When Seifert burst onto the international scene in 2018, he was billed as the next Brendon McCullum. Like McCullum, he was adept at charging at bowlers and playing a number of funky shots, including the reverse sweep and scoop.Related

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McCullum himself was so impressed with Seifert that he brought him into the Trinbago Knight Riders team when he was their head coach in 2020. Seifert was part of the TKR side that enjoyed an unbeaten run to the CPL title that season, and he also had a spell as New Zealand’s main keeper-batter, but he needed a bit more time to mature.That growth was achieved by playing T20 cricket around the world. Seifert has expanded his range of shots in the past 14 months, and more specifically in this CPL, he has emerged as the best spin-hitter. He has smashed 200 off 103 balls from spinners at a strike rate of 194.17 – the highest among batters who have faced at least 50 balls of spin in this edition. It’s not common for an opening batter to be this proficient against spinners in spin-friendly conditions, and only highlights Seifert’s rise as an all-weather T20 batter.”No matter how good you are, you’re always looking to grow as a player,” Seifert says. “But most importantly, you’re learning. And one of these great opportunities that these [T20] tournaments give you is that you play with the world’s best players and learn from them and be in the same dressing room as well away from the guys back home in New Zealand.”When I first joined TKR, I think that was my first franchise competition. That was amazing. Not only to be coached by McCullum but to be in the same dressing room as the likes of [Kieron] Pollard, [Nicholas] Pooran and then [Andre] Russell. The CPL is not an easy place to come to, from an overseas point of view, for your first couple of years, but I’ve learnt off those guys, and with the Kings as well. Now into my fifth season at the CPL.”ESPNcricinfo LtdSeifert 2.0 can take down mystery spin too. When his former team, TKR, threw Sunil Narine and Akeal Hosein at him in the powerplay in Tarouba, he took 36 off 17 balls from them. He could have opted to sit back and play them out in what was a modest chase, but Seifert was keen to throw the first punch.”They are some of the best spinners in the world. Especially Narine, I rate him probably as one of the best spinners in the world still. But yeah, because we bowled first, we knew what the wicket was. I was hoping to get off to a good start and make the run chase easier. One thing I’ve tried to be working on is not try to think of Narine bowling at you. It’s just trying to watch the ball and reacting.”I’ve always had the square game – my hockey background helps me play those sweeps. I think over the past, those used to be my go-to shots. But now it’s actually just trying to pick the right times, right conditions, right situations of the games to play those shots. And if you are on a good wicket, you can look to hit straight more often. Batting against spin has definitely been one of my areas of focus over the last two years and it’s paying off.”Last month Seifert reached his zenith against Antigua and Barbuda Falcons at home in Gros Islet, when he cracked a 40-ball century, drawing level with Russell for the fastest in the league. He finished with an unbeaten 125 off 53 balls, the highest score by an overseas player and second-highest overall in the CPL. Seifert rates that innings as “one of the best knocks” in his career.”I just want to go out there and do my thing. Obviously, we were chasing 200 [205],” Seifert says. “Probably when I got to about 80-odd, I said: right, when it’s your day, make it your day and finish the job for the team. And I wanted to make sure I was there at the end, being that batter that helped win the game for the team rather than getting out on 80 and making someone else come in and finish the game. So that was probably one of my biggest ticks from that knock: getting the job done.”

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