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A “special” Liverpool player has now been linked with a shock move to a Premier League rival this summer, following an on-air claim by Sky Sports News.

Liverpool set to sell first-team stars this summer

So much focus is on the players the Reds could sign before next season, from Florian Wirtz to Milos Kerkez, but there are also a host of players who could leave Anfield.

Trent Alexander-Arnold has already departed for Real Madrid, while on the opposite flank, Kostas Tsimikas could be the man to make way at left-back, assuming Kerkez arrives from Bournemouth. Caoimhin Kelleher is also reportedly closing in on a move to Brentford, as he searches to be a No.1.

Further up the pitch, Harvey Elliott has been linked with a move away, even potentially being part of a swap deal involving Bayer Leverkusen superstar Wirtz. The 22-year-old Liverpool attacker has struggled for playing time this season and may feel a new challenge is best for his development.

While Mohamed Salah has committed his future to the Reds, all of Arne Slot’s other attackers – Federico Chiesa, Luis Diaz, Cody Gakpo, Diogo Jota and Darwin Nunez – have all seen their futures thrown into doubt to differing extents, ahead of potential big changes to the squad. Now, another exit update has dropped regarding another player.

Everton want Liverpool winger Ben Doak

According to some “breaking” news on Sky Sports on Monday morning, Everton are interested in signing Liverpool winger Ben Doak in the summer transfer window, in a move that would cause some shock waves across Merseyside.

Seeing a player move from Liverpool to Everton, or the opposite for that matter, is so rare, which is why this Doak update comes as a surprise. The Scotland winger spent the 2024/25 season on loan at Middlesbrough, in order to aid his development, and he bagged 10 goal contributions (three goals and seven assists) in the Championship. He is a huge young talent, being hailed by Jurgen Klopp during their brief time together.

For that reason, Liverpool selling the £30m-rated Doak, especially to their local rivals, would have to be considered a risk, given how high his ceiling could be.

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BySean Markus Clifford Jun 1, 2025

That said, if Slot and Richard Hughes don’t feel he has it in him to make the grade at Anfield, they need to be trusted, even though it would be preferable to sell him to someone else other than Everton.

Celtic are already probing for reinforcements this summer and have now set their sights on a talented gem who could offer a towering presence at Parkhead, per a report.

Celtic look to kickstart summer transfer business

The Bhoys are marching towards the end of the season in style and could finish the campaign with a domestic treble should they defeat Aberdeen at Hampden later this month.

Brendan Rodgers has once again shown his managerial prowess, domestically and in the Champions League, which he will hope can help his case in earning significant backing from the Hoops’ hierarchy this summer.

Looking ahead to the window, Celtic could make a surprise move for Aberdeen goalkeeper Ross Doohan to help fill their homegrown quota for European competitions next term.

Scott Bain could leave Parkhead in search of first-team football, and the Lennoxtown academy graduate fits the bill as a club-trained asset ready to step in.

Sarpsborg winger Sondre Orjasaeter is also on the list at Parkhead, though it remains to be seen whether Celtic will firm up interest in the Norwegian once the window opens for business.

"Very good" £3 million Brendan Rodgers signing now wants to leave Celtic

The Bhoys could offload him this summer…

BySean Markus Clifford May 5, 2025

Despite excitement over potential arrivals, Celtic aren’t assured of their place in next year’s Champions League league phase and need to navigate the final qualifying round to certify a spot in the competition.

Nevertheless, speculating to accumulate has to be the aim for the reigning Scottish Premiership champions. They have enough money in the bank to make a statement, so expect some exciting new faces to strengthen Rodgers’ talented group.

Casting an eye to the continent, Celtic are now in the mix to sign a towering young defender who could add further strength to their backline.

Celtic very interested in signing Veljko Milosavljevic

According to Max Sport, Celtic are ‘very interested’ in giant Red Star Belgrade defender Veljko Milosavljevic as Rodgers looks to add further solidity heading into next season.

For now, the Bhoys have been told the 17-year-old isn’t for sale, which is a stance that could change as clubs from England and France position themselves to sign the Serbia Under-19 international, who stands at 6ft 4.

Veljko Milosavljevic’s season for Red Star Belgrade – all competitions

Appearances

28

Goals

0

Assists

3

Prioritising the future, Celtic are always in the market for talent with sell-on value. While experience is always a bonus, the scope to develop stars of the future is a major avenue towards the club earning significant capital to reinvest.

Carrying the ball from deep, Milosavljevic has completed an average of 1.9 dribbles per match in the Serbian top-flight, illustrating a degree of comfort in possession that would fit Rodgers’ high-octane tactical framework.

Nevertheless, growing competition for his signature will leave Celtic with work to do as they look to convince another prodigious star to commit their future at Parkhead.

The thought of winning regular silverware and competing in European football may well be a tempting one for Milosavljevic, but you get the impression he will also need first-team guarantees.

Chelsea are now eager to sign a £40k-a-week full-back who’s “one of the best” in Europe, but there is set to be fierce competition from their Premier League rivals, according to a report.

Pressure building on Maresca

Fans are starting to lose patience with Enzo Maresca, given that performances have fallen way short of expectations in recent weeks, drawing 2-2 at home to Ipswich Town before suffering a 2-1 defeat against Legia Warsaw at Stamford Bridge.

However, the manager is likely to have bought himself some more time with the 2-1 victory at Fulham on Sunday afternoon, with Tyrique George and Pedro Neto striking late to secure a comeback victory at Craven Cottage.

By and large, the Blues’ backline has not been the issue this season, retaining the joint-fourth best defensive record in the league, and Maresca is likely to be far more concerned by the performances of his strikers.

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Posts ByDominic Lund Apr 20, 2025

After once again drawing a blank on Sunday afternoon, Nicolas Jackson is without a goal in his last 12 Premier League games, while Christopher Nkunku has just three league goals to his name all season.

As such, bringing in a new striker may be a priority for Chelsea this summer, but they are also keen to strengthen in defence, according to a report from Caught Offside, which has revealed they are now eager to sign Nottingham Forest right-back Ola Aina.

Aina’s performances this season have attracted serious interest from a whole host of Premier League clubs, with Liverpool, Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur also keen, and the latter two clubs are set to open agent talks soon.

Forest are eager to tie the full-back down to a new contract, which could see his £40k-a-week wages increased, but a free transfer is possible, should an agreement not be reached, with the 28-year-old’s contract set to expire this summer.

Aina enjoying impressive campaign at Forest

The Nigerian has been an indispensable member of the starting XI for Forest this season, making 30 Premier League appearances prior to recently sustaining a calf injury, and his side have gone on to lose both of the games he’s missed.

Having performed very well for the Tricky Trees, the London-born defender received high praise from Zach Lowy last month, with the journalist saying: “Ola Aina has genuinely been one of the best fullbacks in Europe this season. So effective going forward but above all, rarely drops anything less than a 7/10. Forest are lucky to have him.”

Not only has the former Chelsea man impressed on the front foot, but his ability to win back possession has also been on display regularly throughout the campaign.

That said, Chelsea are already well-stocked at right-back, with Reece James and Malo Gusto on the books, so Aina may not be a necessary signing unless one of Maresca’s current options moves on this summer.

Ruben Amorim has now spent a little over a year in charge as Manchester United manager, but his spell at Old Trafford has been one that has presented constant questions.

The main one has undoubtedly been around his 3-4-2-1 system, with the 40-year-old utilising such a formation in each and every one of his games in charge of the Red Devils.

It’s led the side to numerous impressive victories, including one at Anfield this campaign, something no manager has managed to achieve in nearly a decade prior to his appointment.

However, it’s also led to concerns among the fanbase, especially when his men lost 1-0 to Everton in the Premier League last month, despite the visitors being down to ten for the majority of the contest.

Only a specific calibre of player can fit into Amorim’s system at the Theatre of Dreams, as seen by their attempts to solve numerous problem positions ahead of January.

Man Utd looking to sign new wing-back

Over the last few weeks, United have been just one Premier League side named with a huge interest in landing Nottingham Forest star Elliot Anderson in the January window.

However, such a deal would cost INEOS a pretty penny in the months ahead, with Sean Dyche’s men currently demanding a fee in the region of £100m for his services.

Amorim’s men could miss out on the 23-year-old in the near future, especially after rivals Manchester City stormed into the race to land the England international this week.

However, he’s not the only young talent in their sights ahead of the upcoming window, with left-back Nathaniel Brown another talent being considered by the hierarchy.

According to Sky Sports Germany journalist Florian Plettenberg, the Red Devils are keeping tabs on the progress of the Eintracht Frankfurt full-back, with a €70m (£61m) price tag being mooted.

Despite the interest from Amorim’s men, they’re not alone in the hunt for the 22-year-old’s signature, as Bayern Munich and Real Madrid also look to land the German international.

Analyst Spencer Mossman claimed back in May that he is “1-2 years away from being the most coveted left back” around but based on the fact that plenty of Europe’s heavyweights want him now, there is a sense that Mossman’s prediction is coming true just seven months later.

How Brown compares to Patrick Dorgu

Spending big money on full-backs hasn’t been alien to United over the last couple of seasons, as seen by their £30m move to land Patrick Dorgu in January this year.

The Dane became Amorim’s first major addition since taking the reins, with the 21-year-old identified as the immediate and long-term solution to the left-back issue.

However, as previously mentioned, Amorim’s system requires players to be tactically skilled, something which the youngster has struggled with over the last couple of months.

He was brought on with just a minute to go against Crystal Palace last weekend, with the manager opting to utilise right-back Diogo Dalot in a somewhat unfamiliar role.

Dorgu’s tally of just seven league starts in 2025/26 further highlights the lack of trust shown in him by the manager, which has no doubt led to the recent rumours ahead of January.

Brown, who’s only a year older than the Dane, has already demonstrated his quality at both ends of the pitch, that’s despite operating in a back four in the Bundesliga.

However, he’s still managed to outperform the United man in numerous key areas, with his skillset arguably being perfect for the manager’s philosophy at Old Trafford.

Brown, who’s been dubbed a “galactico” by one analyst, has completed more progressive carries and passes per 90, often liking to get the ball into attacking areas.

Such tallies will no doubt be perfect in a more advanced wing-back role, which could allow Brown to take his career to the next level if he moves to Old Trafford.

How Brown & Dorgu compare in 2025/26

Statistics (per 90)

Brown

Dorgu

Games played

12

12

Goals & assists

3

1

Progressive carries

3.3

2.8

Progressive passes

2.7

1.1

Pass accuracy

82%

69%

Passes into final third

2.2

0.7

Tackles made

2.4

2.1

Blocks made

1.5

1

Take-on success

38%

12%

Stats via FBref

However, despite currently featuring in a back-four, the German has also completed more of the take-ons he’s attempted, whilst making more passes into the final third per 90.

The youngster’s creativity is certainly one of his best assets, but he’s also managed to dominate Dorgu without the ball during the early stages of the 2025/26 campaign.

The Frankfurt star has won more tackles, whilst also making more blocks per 90 – subsequently handing Amorim’s side the added defensive quality they’ve lacked in the left-back department.

Whilst £52m would be yet another hefty investment from INEOS, it’s a deal that could no doubt solve the glaring issue in such an area for the foreseeable future at Old Trafford.

As for Dorgu, the deal could certainly cast doubt over his long-term future at the club, with the hierarchy potentially wanting to cash in on his services to avoid losing a fortune on their investment.

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Posts ByAngus Sinclair Dec 1, 2025

Dickson will join from Somerset as a replacement for the outgoing Glamorgan skipper Sam Northeast

ESPNcricinfo staff09-Sep-2025Glamorgan have moved quickly to replace outgoing captain Sam Northeast with the signing of multi-format batter Sean Dickson.Dickson will depart Somerset at the end of the summer, moving to Sophia Gardens on a two-year deal.The 34-year old has established himself as an accomplished batter on the domestic scene. Glamorgan will be his fourth county, having also represented Kent and Durham across all formats.He underlined those credentials on Saturday with a match-winning 71 off just 26 deliveries against Birmingham Bears to take Somerset through to Blast Finals Day. Dickson also has a first-class best of 318, for Kent in the County Championship. It is one of 14 first-class centuries, of which 13 have come in English cricket. Born in South Africa, he notched a sole hundred for Northerns, in Centurion, before moving over to the UK in 2015.Glamorgan are pushing for promotion to Divison One but will lose Northeast, their captain, as he returns to his home county, Kent, at the end of this campaign.Speaking on Dickson’s impending arrival, Glamorgan director of cricket, Mark Wallace said: “We’re delighted that Sean has agreed to join Glamorgan for the next two years. Sean is one of the most explosive middle-order T20 batters in the country and is a proven top four option in four-day cricket.”With Sam Northeast heading back to Kent, Sean will add to the experience of our batting unit and we’re looking forward to welcoming him to Wales.”

“There’s a real heartbeat of cricket that it’s our duty to tap into,” says new chief executive Dan Feist

Andrew Miller11-Mar-2025English cricket is rife with new realities as the 2025 season dawns. The success of the Hundred equity sale means that county cricket will soon be awash with untold (albeit one-off) riches, but for some clubs, the implications of a lower-profile but no less significant carve-up are already being felt.In April last year, the ECB embarked on its reboot of the women’s domestic structure by announcing the winning bids for eight professional Tier 1 county set-ups. And, while gender equality had never previously counted for much in England’s domestic circles, the outpouring of reaction from the bid’s winners and losers confirmed that, for several disorientated counties, this process had been their best shot at a renewed sense of purpose.Nowhere has this been more obvious than at Chelmsford – or the Ambassador Cruise Line Ground, as Essex’s HQ will now grandiloquently be known when it plays host to 30 men’s and women’s county fixtures (plus four representative games) in the course of a bumper 2025.In February, that new naming-rights deal was unveiled on board Ambassador’s flagship Ambience, which had just arrived back at Tilbury Docks from the Caribbean and was due to set sail that evening for the Northern Lights. As metaphors go, this one was full steam ahead for the club’s new journey.Related

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Dan Feist, Essex’s new chief executive, is keenly aware of the role the women’s announcement played in securing this deal. “It has raised the profile of the region, and our opportunity within it, as well as doubling the number of activation days at the ground,” he tells ESPNcricinfo. “We understand that we’ve got a huge geographical reach in the East of England, in terms of businesses on our doorstep and the sheer weight of population. There’s a real heartbeat of cricket that it’s our duty to tap into.”There’ll be pressures in the season ahead, not least on the Chelmsford groundstaff, but the speed with which the mood at the club has changed is astonishing. In July last year, Essex was still in the throes of perpetual crisis. With further penalties looming from the Cricket Discipline Commission, at the conclusion of a long investigation into historic racism claims, the club embarked on a management restructuring that included the resignation of Feist’s predecessor John Stephenson, and the discontinuation of his role. Though that move was not directly connected to the CDC’s findings, the inference at the time was that a club as financially battered as Essex could not afford to carry on paying for a traditional chief executive.How different things look now – and not simply because Essex, as a partner club of the Hundred’s most valued brand, London Spirit, are due their share of a cool £144 million as and when MCC and their tech consortium bedfellows have worked out the finer details of their new arrangement.Last month, Feist stepped officially into Stephenson’s shoes as Essex’s CEO, having previously overseen the club’s day-to-day operations as general manager, while Chris Silverwood has also returned to the club as director of cricket, eight years after his transformational stint as men’s head coach.On the women’s side, Andy Tennant – the former head coach of regional team Sunrisers – came across to Chelmsford in October, along with 14 of the 16 players who featured in last season’s Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy and Charlotte Edwards Cup. And for all that the Hundred’s machinations have reinforced the sense that Essex are lightweights on the London scene compared to their richer neighbours at Lord’s and The Oval, the club’s new brains trust are confident that their traditional homespun strengths can meet the new realities head-on.”Essex’s success has always been built around developing our own players,” Feist says, with some justification. When, in 2017, Essex landed their first County Championship title for 25 years, four of their first XI were born in the same Whipps Cross hospital as the grandee of Chelmsford grandees, Graham Gooch. “The teams that create the best pathway for players tend to be the most successful.”Silverwood was widely credited for reinvigorating those pathways during his first stint as coach, and it was a point he leant back into ahead of his comeback season. “We have to be smart,” Silverwood says. “We’re not going to compete on the money front, but we can be good at what we do. We’re bringing people through that pipeline all the time, and if we can create an over-supply of good cricketers, we get to pick the cream of the crop.”If people go on and make a good career somewhere else, that’s brilliant as well. That doesn’t worry me, as long as we are producing good Essex boys and girls to come and play for Essex.”Essex coach Chris Silverwood poses with fans in 2017•Getty ImagesThis recognition of the club’s place in England’s pecking order could be the remaking of Essex. For all of the success of the Hundred in promoting the women’s game and, as of now, replenishing the sport’s coffers, the relative emptiness of that edifice has arguably been seen in England’s recent performances, across genders.The men’s hapless displays at the Champions Trophy betrayed their lack of familiarity with a format that none of the elite players ever play domestically, while the women’s desperate failures at the T20 World Cup and the Ashes are a warning that – despite the exposure the top players have received in recent years – the women’s game will lack robustness until there’s sufficient pressure for places from a broader base of credible challengers on the domestic circuit.”The wider you can build the pyramid, the higher that has the potential to go,” Tennant says. “We want to be the best player development program in England, and we almost have to build that trading model, because we don’t have the riches of some of the Test venues. But we’re confident that we can punch above our weight and be competitive at the top end of the game.”Essex certainly has the remit to be competitive. As Feist acknowledges, they share a geographical advantage with Somerset and Durham – two other clubs that have been granted Tier 1 women’s status but are not Hundred-hosting venues – in that their catchment area extends into swathes of the country, in this case East Anglia, that are not served by any other first-class county.But there’s the East London factor too – perhaps most keenly felt two summers ago when huge numbers of Bangladeshi fans made the 30-minute journey from Tower Hamlets (and beyond) to attend three sell-out ODIs against Ireland.Essex have been in conversations about similar initiatives in the future, particularly in the lead-up to next year’s Women’s World Cup, and also plan on creating a more dedicated East London supporters’ group to firm up that connection. There is, however, a keen recognition of the need to stay grounded, particularly when it comes to the limitations of a compact venue such as Chelmsford.Bangladesh’s fans get into the spirit of the occasion at Chelmsford•Cricket IrelandWhereas other comparable counties, most notably Gloucestershire and Worcestershire, are assessing their options when it comes to relocation, Feist is confident about leaning into the existing strengths of their existing 5,000-seater home – the smallest on the county circuit, even if it could conceivably be stretched to 10,000 capacity by 2030 if their plans for a redeveloped pavilion can come to fruition.”Chelmsford is our preferred option of where we want to stay,” Feist says. “The benefit here is that we’ve got very limited competitors for the facilities at our ground, whereas if we moved and ended up in the middle of nowhere, it’s quite hard to then get a secondary income. Cricket grounds can sit there empty like white elephants for a while, so we’ve got to make sure our venue is two-way facing, community focused, and representing the region it’s based in.”In cricket, it’s only really the Utilita Bowl [Hampshire] and the Riverside [Durham] that have successfully moved, but they’ve both had their challenges to be financially sustainable, and some of the football clubs have had the same struggles.”You have to be really clear about your business model in the landscape of sport. Whether it’s Brighton or Brentford, or the difference between Bath and Saracens, it’s about knowing your role and how to make the most of it to be successful.”In the short term, however, the excitement for the new season trumps any such long-term considerations – and Essex’s women’s set-up epitomises this mood change. For them, the chance to put down even the most exploratory of roots will be a step up from their previous nomadic experience at Sunrisers. Throughout their five seasons, Chelmsford still hosted more than half their games, but the team’s primary affiliation to Middlesex meant they were only ever passing through.”The regional model was good and of its time, but you did feel as if you were representing everyone and no-one at the same time,” Tennant says. “Having a headquarters will be gold-dust. We’ll be going somewhere that the girls know as their place of work, which is quite powerful, and the fortress Chelmsford moniker is live, isn’t it? It’s a great venue for women’s cricket. It’s a really good size. We’re looking forward to making it into our fortress too.”

It was just under nine months ago that Scottish champions Celtic were pushing Bayern Munich close in the Champions League play-off round, with a fluid, fearsome forward line of Daizen Maeda, Nicolas Kuhn and Jota causing all sorts of problems at the Allianz Arena.

To witness the extent of the drop off since then is quite remarkable, a fact most recently exposed during Thursday’s dismal defeat away to FC Midtjylland, with Martin O’Neill’s side looking simply inferior to their Danish hosts.

From the highs of that night in Munich, the Hoops have since sunk to notable lows against the likes of Kairat and in midweek, with the recent Europa League outing seeing O’Neill deploy a forward line of Johnny Kenny, James Forrest and Sebastian Tounekti.

Injury has no doubt been a factor in that decline, although so too has recruitment, with the transfer business having been simply erratic at Parkhead following Brendan Rodgers’ return in the summer of 2023.

With January on the horizon, the Glasgow giants face a pivotal month in the market to try and arrest this ongoing decline, albeit with the first port of call settling on who will be the man at the helm by the time that winter window comes around.

Latest on Celtic's manager search

The abrupt nature of Rodgers’ shock resignation has no doubt put the Celtic hierarchy on the back foot, with it unlikely to be a smooth process trying to appoint a permanent solution mid-season.

That fact led to the decision to parachute in O’Neill – and Shaun Maloney – for this recent quartet of games, although the midweek trip to Denmark highlighted the need to make a decision, one way or another, on Rodgers’ long-term successor.

There remain suggestions that O’Neill and Maloney could stay put until the end of the campaign, although the wisdom in that decision remains to be seen, with the previous move to bring Neil Lennon back to the club having ultimately ended in disappointment.

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A fresh start and a fresh face, it would seem, is in order, with the standout name write now appearing to be that of Bodo/Glimt boss Kjetil Knutsen, amid recent reports regarding the 57-year-old’s interest in the vacancy.

Indeed, as per transfer insider Graeme Bailey, the Norwegian coach would be interested in taking over at Parkhead, albeit with the major caveat being that he wishes to see out his current side’s Champions League campaign.

With the new Swiss format ensuring that fixtures stretch into January and potentially even February, should the Eliteserien outfit secure a place in the play-offs, that would require a lengthy wait for Knutsen to eventually arrive.

Of course, having a sense of patience could be wise if he is deemed to be the perfect candidate, although amid their current slump, the Hoops don’t appear to have the time to wait around.

Why Celtic could be facing an Eddie Howe repeat

The summer of 2021 remains a real Sliding Doors moment for those at Celtic, with the club in the midst of a pivotal period having witnessed rivals Rangers wrestle back the title under Steven Gerrard, resulting in Lennon’s second departure from Parkhead.

As early as March and April 2021, reports emerged that the Premiership side had settled on a successor in the form of ex-Bournemouth boss, Eddie Howe, with the Englishman deemed to be the clear favourite for the role.

Advanced talks had taken place, although after something of a three-month back and forth, it was confirmed that Howe would not be the next man in the dugout, with the current Newcastle United boss later admitting that issues over bringing his backroom staff with him were a key factor in that eventual snub.

Fortunately, having put all their eggs in Howe’s basket, Celtic’s backup option proved to be something of a hidden gem, with Ange Postecoglou swiftly quashing the doubters by winning five domestic trophies over the next two seasons, while implementing a glorious brand of attacking football.

Would the club have such luck again, if they could not get their preferred target this time around, however?

Days in charge

750

Games

113

Wins

83

Draws

12

Losses

18

Players used

53

Points per game

2.31

Trophies won

5

There does appear to be shades of the Howe about this Knutsen interest, with the Scandinavian coach having long been linked with the post, stretching back to the summer of 2023, prior to Rodgers’ return.

Much like Howe at Bournemouth – where he guided the Cherries from the fourth tier into the Premier League – Knutsen has done a fabulous job at his current side, notably steering Bodo/Glimt into the semi-finals of the Europa League last term, prior to securing Champions League qualification this time around.

With four league titles under his belt for the Arctic Circle side, he has undoubtedly done a “magnificent” job over the past few years – in the words of former Bodo/Glimt sporting director, Aasmund Bjorkan – although Celtic can’t afford to be strung along as they seemingly were with Howe.

If Knutsen does demand to see out his continental run this season, then the Hoops may well need to seek out an alternative option, rather than enduring another period of uncertainty over the next few months.

With the upcoming international break providing the perfect time to finally nail down a permanent replacement for Rodgers, Celtic can’t be dictated to again, as they were with Howe.

Even in their current state, the former European champions are a historic and attractive destination. Celtic waits for no one.

Manager who loves Celtic now in "driving seat" for permanent Parkhead job

He’s won 10 trophies during his career.

ByCharlie Smith Nov 8, 2025

Exciting finish with Lancashire could be in prospect after rain wipes out much of day three

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay10-Sep-2025An exciting finish could be in prospect on the final day of the Rothesay County Championship between Kent and Lancashire at Canterbury, after the hosts reached 206 for 5 at stumps, a lead of 215.Although rain wiped out much of day three, with only 38.3 overs bowled, Jaydn Denly hit 74 as Kent built their lead, before Mitch Stanley helped rein them in with 2 for 56.With Ben Compton not expected to bat Kent are effectively six down and the game looks fascinatingly poised going into day four.Kent resumed with a lead of 105, on 96 for 0, with Denly on 55 and Ben Dawkins on 35.Dawkins had added just a single when he edged Will Williams to Keaton Jennings at first slip, but the players went off for rain at 10.56 am and six overs were lost.When play resumed Tom Bailey sent Denly’s off stump flying, but a further downpour resulted in an early lunch, with the score 131 for 2.After a two-and-a-half-hour delay, play resumed and George Balderson, switching to the Pavilion End, had Joey Evison caught behind for 26.Joe Denly, in as a concussion sub for Tawanda Muyeye, cracked Stanley for six over midwicket to take Kent to 170 for 3 at tea, but he rarely looked comfortable and was caught behind for 19 after flashing at the same bowler.Stanley then had Harry Finch lbw for 4 before the rain returned at 5.12 pm. With no prospect of a resumption, play was abandoned for the day, with Ekansh Singh unbeaten on 30 and Mo Rizvi, who’s on a pair, on nought not out.

To say it has been a topsy-turvy season for West Ham United would be an understatement.

For the first couple of months, the Hammers couldn’t buy a win and looked almost certain to be relegated from the Premier League come May.

However, over the last month or so, Nuno Espírito Santo has steadied the ship and, as things stand, has led the club out of the drop zone.

He’ll be looking to continue the side’s unbeaten run against Liverpool this afternoon, but to ensure West Ham collects at least a point, if not all three, he’ll need to make at least one change and drop someone who was once compared to Mohammed Kudus.

West Ham's record against Liverpool

West Ham’s game against Liverpool this afternoon will be the 153rd competitive meeting between the sides in all competitions.

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The two historic clubs first met back in January 1901, in an FA Cup game that the Hammers sadly lost 1-0 courtesy of a Sam Raybould goal, which the hosts argued should have been ruled offside.

Unfortunately, that match served as a warning for how this fixture would go over the following 124 years, with the East Londoners winning just 29 games, drawing 38 and losing 86.

Somehow, things have been even worse for the Hammers in recent years. Across their last ten meetings, they have won just a single game, drawn another and then lost the other eight.

With a history like this, you’d be forgiven for thinking Nuno’s side have no chance this afternoon, but based on the last month or so of football, that may not be the case.

For example, Arne Slot’s side have lost their last three games by a staggering 10-1 scoreline and currently look as bad, if not worse, than the Irons did at the start of the campaign.

In stark contrast, West Ham have won two of their last three games and drawn one, so they should be going into this game confident of keeping their good form up and dumping more misery on the Merseysiders.

With that said, to ensure his side do come out the victors, or at the very least, with a point, Nuno needs to make at least one change to the team and drop someone compared to Kudus.

The West Ham player Nuno has to drop vs Liverpool

There may well be arguments for dropping more than one player from the side that drew at Bournemouth last week, but when it comes to the player most in need of being removed, it has to be Luis Guilherme.

The Brazilian was given the go-ahead in place of the injured Crysencio Summerville, but instead of the dynamism, directness and trickery the Dutchman brings to the team, he looked weak, out of place and simply not ready.

Now, that doesn’t mean the teenager shouldn’t get another chance to make his mark on the team.

After all, he remains a highly-rated prospect who respected analyst Ben Mattinson claims “still has the world at his feet” and someone who has “similarities to Kudus” in terms of the attacking traits he possesses.

However, after a 45-minute performance in which he registered an expected assists figure of 0.01, failed to take a single shot, took just 21 touches, failed in 66% of his dribbles, lost the ball nine times, completed ten passes and lost seven of eight duels, he should be dropped.

Minutes

45′

Expected Goals

0.00

Expected Assists

0.01

Shots

0

Passes

10

Touches

21

Lost Possession

9

Dribbles (Successful)

3 (1)

Ground Duels (Won)

8 (1)

Dribbled Past

1

Moreover, there is someone available for selection again who will give far more than that: Lucas Paqueta.

Yes, after serving his one-match ban, the Brazilian can play again, and given his incredible ability and recent form, there is no reason he shouldn’t be right back in the team, either out wide or in the middle.

So far this season, the former Lyon star has scored four goals in 12 appearances and, according to FBref, ranks in the top 11% of attacking midfielders and wingers in the league for successful take-ons and in the top 13% for progressive passes, all per 90.

In other words, on top of the goals, he is helping to create chances both through his immense close control and brilliant passing range.

Ultimately, if Nuno wants to ensure West Ham collect all three points against Liverpool this afternoon, he should drop Guilherme for Paqueta.

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In the almost six years since he took the job, Mikel Arteta has helped to utterly reshape Arsenal.

He’s pulled a team out of midtable mediocrity and turned them into serious contenders for the Champions League and Premier League.

Now, part of this transformation is down to his philosophy and tactics, but also to the sensational players he has promoted and signed.

In fact, one of his signings is now undoubtedly one of the world’s best players and arguably Arsenal’s best since the likes of Patrick Vieira and Thierry Henry.

Vieira and Henry's Arsenal legacies

Arsenal signed Vieira from AC Milan in the summer of 1996, after a season in which he sat on the bench watching the Italian giants win the Scudetto.

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However, he certainly wasn’t a bit-part player in North London; he ended his first campaign having made 31 Premier League appearances, and as the years went by, he only became more and more important to the Gunners.

For example, following Tony Adams’ retirement in May 2002, Arsène Wenger made the all-action midfielder the club’s new captain, and in the eyes of many, he is one of the best to ever wear the armband.

By the time the Dakar-born monster left the club for Inter Milan in 2006, he had made 405 appearances, in which he scored 32 goals, provided 47 assists, won three titles, four FA Cups and led the North Londoners on their legendary invincible campaign.

Now, for most clubs, the iconic midfielder would probably be considered their greatest ever player, but for the Gunners, there is only one man who can hold that title: Henry.

The legendary forward joined the North Londoners from Juventus in the summer of 1999, and while it sounds absurd today, he didn’t have the best of starts.

He failed to score a single goal across his first eight appearances for the club and later revealed in an interview that he had to “be re-taught everything about the art of striking” during that period.

Whatever Wenger taught him in those few months must have been pretty special, as he’d end his first season in red and white with a tally of 26 goals and 12 assists in 48 appearances.

By the time the Les Ulis-born superstar left the club for Barcelona in 2007, he had chalked up a frankly astounding tally of 226 goals and 104 assists in 370 appearances and won two Premier Leagues and three FA Cups.

He returned for a brief spell in the 11/12 season, scoring twice in seven appearances.

Overall, when it comes to Arsenal legends, few players can match up with Henry and Vieira, but one of Arteta’s best signings is undoubtedly on his way.

Arsenal's future legend

The good news for Arsenal fans is that the squad is full of players who could go on to become club legends, but when it comes to someone performing at a world-class level, it’s hard to ignore Declan Rice.

The £105m man has been incredible for the club since his move in 2023, but towards the end of last season, and especially this year, it feels like he has taken another step forward.

Whether it’s hunting opposition players to steal the ball from them, marauding up the pitch with it at his feet or creating chance after chance with his outrageous set-piece delivery, the Englishman is operating at a truly unbelievable level.

In fact, he’s playing so well and has become so important in everything the Gunners do that it’s become increasingly hard to disagree with Thomas Frank’s assertion that he is among “the best in the world.”

That might sound hyperbolic to some, but it really, truly is not, and for those still unconvinced, you only need to look at his underlying numbers.

Goals + Assists

0.49

Top 3%

Corner Kicks

3.15

Top 4%

Assists

0.27

Top 5%

Progressive Carries

2.75

Top 5%

Crosses

4.92

Top 5%

xAG: Exp. Assisted Goals

0.22

Top 6%

Non-Penalty Goals

0.22

Top 7%

Shots from Free Kicks

0.18

Top 7%

Key Passes

1.92

Top 8%

Switches

0.69

Top 9%

According to FBref, he ranks in the top 3% of midfielders in Europe’s top five leagues for goals plus assists, the top 5% for progressive carries and crosses, the top 8% for key passes and more, all per 90.

Moreover, something else that will help him reach the levels of Henry and Vieira is his mentality.

The England international is clearly someone who gives everything in every performance, and while he hasn’t got the armband, he is also undeniably a leader and will be a big reason for the Gunners winning anything this season.

Ultimately, while he needs those medals to get the respect he deserves, Rice is undoubtedly one of the best players in the world and will become an Arsenal legend.

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