Celtic have agreed a deal to bring in another new face before the transfer window slams shut with Brendan Rodgers' side looking to bolster their backline in the final hours of the window.

Celtic best in league again so far

After three games of the new Scottish Premiership campaign, Celtic remain the best in the division. Buoyed by the permanent additions of Adam Idah and Paulo Bernardo, Rodgers' side have won all three of their opening games and are yet to concede a goal, having scored nine in the process.

Such a record puts them unsurprisingly top of the division, ahead of Aberdeen on goal difference and two points clear of bitter rivals Rangers.

Imagine him & Engels: Celtic lining up last-gasp swoop for £4m star

The Hoops are reportedly looking to bolster their options in the middle of the park.

By
Dan Emery

Aug 29, 2024

But there is still lots of work to be done at Parkhead; the arrival of Barcelona defender Alex Valle helped ease concerns at the back, with the 20-year-old joining on loan for the 2024/25 campaign after impressing with the Barcelona youth side.

They would also like to add a midfielder before the window slams shut, with Augsburg ace Arne Engels seemingly the man chosen to replace Matt O'Riley, who completed a move to Brighton last week.

Indeed, Celtic have reportedly agreed a club-record £11m deal to sign Engels after having two bids rejected previously. The midfielder is expected to join the club in the final hours of the transfer window and sign a four-year deal in Glasgow. And he won't be the only new arrival at the club.

Celtic agree to sign Auston Trusty

Now, it has emerged that Celtic have also agreed a deal to sign Sheffield United defender Auston Trusty ahead of the deadline.

The Bhoys will shell out up to £6m for the defender, according to Sky Sports, with Trusty having already passed the first part of his medical and now set to sign a five-year deal at Parkhead after having agreed terms ahead of time.

Currently taking home an impressive £25,000-a-week at Bramall Lane, were Celtic to match that fee it would put him among the highest earners at the club.

Celtic's highest earners (as per SalarySport)
Player	Wages (per week)
Callum McGregor	£37,000
Cameron Carter-Vickers	£24,000
Kyogo Furuhashi	£19,000
James Forrest	£19,000
Daizen Maeda	£18,000

Trusty was part of the Sheffield United defence relegated from the Premier League in 2023/24, appearing 32 times as his side conceded a mammoth 104 goals across the 38 campaign.

The former Arsenal man was a different story in the Championship during his time with Birmingham City though, hailed as "incredible" by fellow defender George Friend.

“I think Trusty has been incredible. I don’t think in the whole time I have been in the Championship I have seen anyone better at coming from a league abroad and just taking to the Championship so easily."

Now, the defender is set to lend his talents to Rodgers and co as they look to defend their Scottish League and Cup crowns this season.

MatériaMais Notícias

Após ser derrotado pelo Atlético-MG, o Red Bull Bragantino vira a chavinha para encarar o Internacional, em jogo que pode dar a inédita vaga ao clube para disputar a Libertadores da América.

+ Veja no aplicativo do LANCE! o resultado dos jogos da rodada

Apesar do momento mais instável do Massa Bruta na temporada, o técnico Mauricio Barbieri confia em seu elenco e no poder de reação para o duelo em casa diante do Colorado.

‘Temos um grupo de jogadores qualificados, buscando espaço. Jogos decisivos são os que todos se preparam para jogar. Temos uma decisão na quinta-feira. A ideia é que a gente possa se preparar para chegar pronto. Temos certeza que vamos chegar prontos’, afirmou.

Com 53 pontos, o Bragantino aparece na 6ª colocação do Campeonato Brasileiro. O Inter, adversário da quinta-feira, aparece na 10ª colocação, com 48 pontos.

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Rodrigo Bentancur was stretchered off with oxygen support after he stayed down following an awkward fall in Tottenham's cup clash with Liverpool.

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Bentancur jumped to meet a cornerFailed to make contact with the ballLay motionless after falling to the groundFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

The Uruguayan midfielder appeared to fall with little control while attempting to get his head to a corner kick in the fifth minute. As Bentancur landed on the turf, he remained prone, prompting immediate concern among players from both teams. Medics were quickly signalled to attend to the situation, leading to a halt in play for around 10 minutes.

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The severity of the incident was underscored when Bentancur required oxygen on the pitch before being carefully moved to a seated position for further assessment. The lengthy stoppage concluded with the player being carried off on a stretcher amid applause from supporters all around the stadium. Tottenham later posted an update on their X account, stating: "We can confirm Rodrigo is conscious, talking and will go to hospital for further checks."

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Manager Ange Postecoglou brought on Brennan Johnson as Bentancur’s replacement. The Welshman was deployed on the right flank, while Dejan Kulusevski adjusted his position, dropping deeper into midfield. Meanwhile, youngster Lucas Bergvall assumed a more defensive midfield position alongside Yves Bissouma, reshaping Spurs’ formation.

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AFPWHAT NEXT FOR BENTANCUR & TOTTENHAM?

This latest setback is not the first time Bentancur has faced a serious injury this season. In Tottenham’s opening Premier League game against Leicester City in August, the 26-year-old suffered a head injury after a clash with Abdul Fatawu. The loss of Bentancur places additional pressure on Spurs' midfield, especially given the team’s challenging schedule across domestic and European competitions. They will return to action on Sunday against Tamworth in the FA Cup, which will be followed by a heated north London derby against Arsenal on January 16.

Celtic enjoyed a successful end to the summer transfer window with three new additions to their first-team squad before the deadline passed on Friday.

The Hoops swooped to land two new central midfielders, in the form of Arne Engels and Luke McCowan from Augsburg and Dundee respectively, as well as central defender Auston Trusty from Sheffield United.

Brendan Rodgers needed to bolster his options in the middle of the park after Danish maestro Matt O'Riley completed a move to Premier League side Brighton & Hove Albion.

Engels and McCowan were not the only targets on the club's radar to fill the void left by the English-born star, however, as they did fail to sign Mateusz Bogusz from LAFC.

Celtic's pursuit of Mateusz Bogusz

Football Scotland reported in August that Celtic had been locked in talks with the MLS side over a deal to sign the versatile Polish midfielder this summer.

The outlet claimed, however, that LAFC eventually decided that they did not want to do business with the Scottish side, despite talks over a £5.5m transfer.

This meant that the Hoops were unable to get a deal over the line for the former Leeds United prospect to improve their options in the middle of the park.

Appearances

25

Goals

13

Assists

5

Big chances created

8

Tackles + interceptions per game

1.5

Duel success rate

40%

As you can see in the table above, Bogusz has been in fine form in the MLS for LAFC so far this year, with 13 goals in 25 appearances, and Celtic could have benefitted from his quality in the final third.

However, Celtic already had their own version of the Polish dynamo at the club, in youngster Rocco Vata, and lost him ahead of the 2024/25 campaign.

Celtic lost out with Rocco Vata

The Ireland youth international, who talent scout Jacek Kulig claimed has an "exciting" future ahead, decided to move on from Parkhead this summer, upon the expiry of his contract, and signed for English Championship side Watford.

Celtic did offer him a contract extension at Parkhead but their efforts were not enough to convince him to turn down the chance to play in the second tier down south.

It was a huge shame that Brendan Rodgers lost the 19-year-old talent, as he had the potential to be the manager's own version of Bogusz, due to his ability to play as an attacking midfielder or a centre-forward – just like the LAFC star.

The teenager had scored one goal in six first-team games for Celtic and his record at youth level suggested that he could have developed into a regular scorer for the club.

Vata plundered an eye-catching 23 goals in 34 matches for Celtic B, including 12 goals in 15 Lowland League appearances during the 2023/24 campaign.

His form for the academy side was good enough for Rodgers to hand him two senior outings last term, in which time the youngster found the back of the net once.

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Unfortunately, we will never know whether or not Vata would have lived up to his potential at Parkhead but his statistics suggest that he could have developed into the club's own version of Bogusz, as a versatile midfielder or attacker who could score goals on a regular basis.

Hayden Walsh Jr will look to cap his memorable series with more wickets

Andrew McGlashan16-Jul-2021Big PictureThe fourth match of the series was a thoroughly entertaining T20 from start to finish: plenty of thundering strokeplay, some impressive spin bowling, an astonishing late onslaught and then a classy final over as Australia clung on for a win. They will now be looking to take that confidence boost into the final game and then the ODIs which follow in Barbados next week.In many ways, West Indies will feel they should still have won after the foundation laid by Lendl Simmons and Evin Lewis. When Fabian Allen’s four sixes in five balls against Riley Meredith brought it down to 11 off 8 deliveries they were favourites again. However, the fact Meredith removed Allen with his last delivery proved critical as it made Andre Russell opt to not take runs on offer in the final over. Was that the right call? It’s an interesting debate.Australia had been placed for a total beyond 200 when they were 126 for 1 in the 12th but the middle order again struggled against Hayden Walsh Jr. Dan Christian’s handy innings ensured a late kick, but the various combinations used at Nos 4-6 in this series have yet to answer many questions. The Bangladesh tour is still to get final sign-off, but if that goes ahead there will be five more games for them next month.West Indies also have another five-match series when they face Pakistan and could look to experiment in one or two slots. Oshane Thomas struggled on Wednesday – his second over costing 25 and including two no-balls – while Akeal Hosein was drafted in as another spin option. The five overs between Thomas, Hosein and Simmons cost 71 as the attack missed the experience of the rested Dwayne Bravo.Watch cricket on ESPN+

West Indies v Australia is available in the US on ESPN+. Subscribe to ESPN+ and tune in to the match.

Form guide (last five completed matches)
West Indies LWWWL
Australia WLLLLIn the spotlightAndre Fletcher has not had a great time against Australia with scores of 9, 4 and 6. In the fourth game he slipped down the order to No. 4 in the absence of the injured Shimron Hetymer and his 6 off 14 stifled West Indies’ early momentum and also appeared to impact Simmons’ fluency. If Fletcher is to be a utility batter in the World Cup squad he needs to show a little more adaptability.It had been a long time between outings for Jason Behrendorff who had not played for Australia since the 2019 World Cup. Though his performance did not stand out amid the myriad of other highlights, it was quietly a promising return. His first over inside the Powerplay cost 11 but his second, in the 12th, cost three at the time West Indies lost momentum and then the first four balls of the 17th went for just three runs. “He’s been challenged to get some tricks with his white-ball cricket and he’s done that,” Zampa said.Team newsKieron Pollard, Fidel Edwards, Obed McCoy and Shimron Hetymer have all been nursing injuries at stages during the series which reduces the options available. Bravo could return after being rested which would strengthen all departments.West Indies (possible) 1 Lendl Simmons, 2 Evin Lewis, 3 Chris Gayle, 4 Andre Fletcher, 5 Nicholas Pooran (capt & wk), 6 Andre Russell, 7 Fabian Allen, 8 Hayden Walsh Jr, 9 Akeal Hosein, 10 Oshane Thomas, 11 Sheldon CottrellAJ Tye, Mitchell Swepson, Wes Agar are the three players from the squad who have yet to have any match time. Tye or Agar could be an option to replace Meredith if they want to take him out of the spotlight, but equally he could continue his development in the middle. Ben McDermott and Ashton Agar have been carrying niggles. They could consider giving Josh Philippe another go in the middle order.Australia (possible) 1 Aaron Finch, 2 Matthew Wade (wk), 3 Mitchell Marsh, 4 Alex Carey, 5 Moises Henrqiues, 6 Ashton Turner, 7 Dan Christian, 8 Mitchell Starc, 9 Riley Meredith, 10 Adam Zampa, 11 Jason BehrendorffPitch and conditionsAside from Starc’s last over, where he got his yorkers in, pace off the ball was the key. Overall, though, the surfaces have been good for batting. There were some brief showers during the previous match which are an increasing chance now the rainy season has arrived.Stats and trivia The most wickets for a bowler who has played five matches in a T20I series is 13 by Ish Sodhi against Australia earlier this year. Hayden Walsh Jr is currently on 11 Mitchell Starc needs two wickets to become the first Australia men’s bowler to reach 50 in T20IsQuotes”Hayden Walsh has bowled really well, we probably haven’t played him as well as we’d like. If we had our time again we’d probably have better game plans to him or hit his bad balls a little better. Something that we’ve spoken about.”
Adam Zampa

كشف محمد رمضان المدير الرياضي للنادي الأهلي، رأيه في صفقات القلعة الحمراء التي تعاقد معها في الميركاتو الشتوي المُنقضي، موضحاً موقف أكرم توفيق من الاستمرار مع الفريق.

وقال محمد رمضان في تصريحات عبر قناة “إم بي سي مصر”: “نضم صفقات بدراسة معقولة، ليسوا أفضل شيء، يوجد أفضل من ذلك، لكنهم موفقين مع الفريق حتى الآن”.

وعن رأيه في جراديشار أفاد: “مهاجم مميز سنه صغير لم ينسجم بشكل كامل، لا يوجد تعاون مع زملائه بسبب قصر الفترة التي قضاها مع اللاعبين، لكنه موفق على المرمى ويلعب بقدميه اليمنى واليسرى، لو حدث توليفة بينه وبين اللاعبين سيظهر أنه هداف بشكل مميز من خلال ضربات الرأس، مع الوقت سيكون مميزًا جدًا”.

طالع أيضاً.. زكي عبد الفتاح لـ”بطولات”: وضع لاعب الأهلي يشبه روبنسون.. وكولر لم يمنحه الفرصة للتطور

وعن محمد عبد الله: “المفترض يحدث تواجد من اللاعبين الشباب، لخلق حيوية ونشاط في الملعب، التوازن الموجود بين الشباب وأصحاب الخبرة في الفريق يُحدث فارقًا كبيرًا”.

عن ملف علي معلول قال: “كان الأساس أن مصلحة الأهلي فوق الجميع مع احترامي للجميع، واستمرار معلول لم يأتي على مصلحة الأهلي، كنا سنضم صفقة أجنبية ولكن فشلت المفاوضات في اللحظات الأخيرة، لذلك تم الأمر بنجاح، وعلي كان يتدرب بإخلاص غير عادي وعنده إصرار على أن يستمر في الأهلي، وهذا جعل هناك توافق بيننا ليستمر، وهو يستحق ذلك، وأتمنى أن يتواجد مع الفريق في أقرب وقت”.

وأكد: “كنا نتفاوض مع كوتيسا وموسى التعمري قبل غلق سوق الانتقالات، لكن العطلة جاءت لأسباب كثيرة، موسى كانت عنده رغبة في أن يلعب في مصر ويشارك في كأس العالم، ثم حدث تغير من عنده أن يلعب في أوروبا، وكوتيسا نفس الأمر الموضوع يتعلق بالمدير الرياضي لناديه، نحن عندما نريد لاعبًا (بنجري وراه طالما يريد اللعب في الأهلي)، لكن أي لاعب محترف لا يعرف قيمة الأهلي لن يُعطي للنادي بالشكل الكافي، أشرف بن شرقي كانت لديه الرغبة في اللعب للنادي الأهلي”.

هل هناك أمل لضم كوتيسا في الصيف؟ أجاب: “أنا ممكن أتحدث عن الماضي لكن فيما يتعلق بالمستقبل لا”.

هل هناك موقف يتعلق بـ أكرم توفيق؟ أجاب: “بالنسبة لأكرم أو غيره من اللاعبين، أتمنى ألا يفهموا كلامي خطأ، لكن رفقًا باللاعبين، اللاعبون عمرهم قصير في الملعب، عندما ينتهي تعاقدهم لا يكون له دخل آخر، ولا نريد أن نقسو عليه، لذا بحثوا عن مصلحتهم، هناك لاعبون آخرون عندهم تفكير راقي، ويُفكرون في النادي الأهلي لأن المكسب على المدى البعيد كبير، النادي عندما يجد لاعبًا كبر في السن أو لم يعد جيدًا يستغنى عنه، نفس الحال لو لاعب بحث عن مصلحته فلا توجد أي مشكلة”.

وأفاد: “حدث تغيير في موقف أكرم توفيق مع الأهلي، ولن أقول أكثر من ذلك”.

وفيما يخص تعيين نائباً له، أفاد: “نريد أن نفرق بين الفكر الإداري والفني، المدرب لا بد أن يكون عنده علم، وهذا موجود عند محمد شوقي، والجانب الإداري يعتمد على سمات شخصية وهي موجودة فيه أيضًا، محمد شوقي نُعده لكي يكون مكاني بعد ذلك، هو يتفوق عني بأنه يمتلك الشق الفني، ليستكمل جزء غير موجود لدي”.

وأكمل: “محمد شوقي سيستكمل الاتفاق الذي بدأته مع اللاعبين الذين سيجددون للنادي”.

وأتم حديثه عن تألق إمام عاشور: “أكثر من سبب وراء تألقه، المناخ الموجود فيه حاليًا أفضل من السابق، وأصبح عنده نضج ويستمع للأكبر منه، وزملائه حاليًا غير زملائه في السابق، وصدق نظام النادي الأهلي واجتهاده وإخلاصه، بالإضافة إلى توفيق من الله”.

South Africa allrounder is as ready to dive into the Hundred after long, hard road to get here

Valkerie Baynes20-Jul-2021

Marizanne Kapp has spent six seasons with the Sydney Sixers•Getty Images

Age, experience and expertise have done little to ease Marizanne Kapp’s nerves ahead of the opening match in the Hundred.Kapp, the 31-year-old veteran of nearly 200 international matches across formats and ranked as the world’s leading ODI allrounder, is part of a formidable three-pronged South African contingent who will turn out for Oval Invincibles against Manchester Originals in the first match of the tournament at the Kia Oval on Wednesday night.”To be honest, I’m really, really nervous,” Kapp told ESPNcricinfo. “We had our first training match yesterday, it’s definitely something to get used to but once you understand it, it’s quite exciting.”I’m usually someone who gets nervous but the quarantine adds to that because obviously now you didn’t really train cricket for two weeks and the uncertainty of the new format just makes you nervous because you want to do well.”Of comfort to Kapp is the fact that she is joined by Shabnim Ismail, with whom she regularly opens the bowling for South Africa, and Dane van Niekerk, Kapp’s wife of three years who captains her country and will also lead Invincibles. But the road hasn’t been the easiest to this tournament, postponed since last year because of the Covid-19 pandemic.Following their 4-1 ODI series victory in India in March, the South Africans returned home, then made their way to England via a two-week quarantine period in Croatia, which involved one week confined to their rooms. Another five days’ quarantine once in England whereby they could train but not mingle with their team-mates meant they had to play a practice game on Monday whilst keeping their distance and the first time they will have normal contact with the rest of the team will either be on the eve of the first match or game day itself.During that training match, Kapp found herself bowling at the death with her side behind on over rate and with the resultant penalty of having only three rather than four fielders outside the circle. Combined with having 20 fewer balls to play with, the format poses real conundrums for bowlers, said Kapp, who is also a seasoned franchise player, having featured in the KSL and played six WBBL seasons with Sydney Sixers before signing with Perth Scorchers for the next edition.”It’s really challenging,” she said. “I told one of the coaches yesterday, my preparation is key and I felt so good leaving South Africa because I worked hard and then you go into quarantine and you lose a bit of rhythm.”Now I’m stressed because you didn’t hit enough balls or you didn’t bowl enough balls and it’s a new format and Covid and the quarantines are a massive headache for me.”They just kept on telling me, ‘look you’re so experienced, you’ve been playing so many years, you’ll be fine’. I’m someone who, if I don’t hit 1000 balls or bowl 200 balls then I feel like I’m not prepared but actually, I was decent yesterday, if I can say it that way.”Related

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It’s hard enough on the bowlers, so spare a thought for the captains.”I told Dane last night that I feel sorry for her because she was also in quarantine, so I know how I feel if I didn’t prepare as well as I would have liked, and now you put captaincy on top of that and a new format,” Kapp said. “I don’t know how she does it but we’ll see how it goes tomorrow.”This whole competition is going to be a challenge because we’re so used to being in our comfort zones and this is the complete opposite… when she’s there, you immediately feel a bit calmer because you know she’s going to get the job done.”Kapp is clear that she feels fortunate to be in the situation she is in – a fact brought home even more powerfully by the ongoing devastation of Covid-19, looting and violence in her home country.”You worry a lot, I’m not going to lie,” she said. “It’s heartbreaking but I’m blessed to be able to be here and continue playing my sport that I love.”Kapp had her own battle with Covid before South Africa’s T20I series with Pakistan in Durban in January and February. She was struck down for weeks with the illness, which prevented her from having a medical procedure for an ongoing heart condition, which forced her to retire hurt from a WBBL match last November.With a hectic schedule leading up to, and beyond, next year’s World Cup, Kapp will now have to continue managing the condition.Kapp suffered an elevated heart rate during a WBBL match•Getty Images

“I ended up not going for the [procedure] because I was really, really sick with Covid,” Kapp said. “It’s just something that I’ve learnt to play with. When it happens, it’s not nice but usually I can get it under control.”When they got me back to training [after Covid], first I had to start walking and just with walking my heart rate was 180, so I really struggled to get back. Throughout that whole Pakistan series I wasn’t 100 percent, especially with the bowling, I really struggled and I was so tired. But I’m fine now.”With the rescheduled World Cup looming in New Zealand in February and March, Kapp believes South Africa, the No. 3-ranked ODI team behind Australia and defending champions England, have a golden opportunity.”The squad we have now is probably the best we’ve ever had and the best we’ll have for the next couple of years so if we don’t do it now we’ll never do it,” she said. “Our team is especially good ODI team at the moment so with this ODI World Cup being pushed back it’s a bit annoying but that’s the ultimate goal for me.”And, even if that goal is achieved, Kapp has no intention of stopping there, with ambitions to play until she’s 35.”Now, for the first time, I know my skill batting and bowling wise,” she said. “If I knew what I know now a few years ago, I’d be so much better. I still have a lot to give, hopefully.”

Shimron Hetmyer, Sheldon Cottrell and Roston Chase are set to make ODI comebacks during West Indies’ upcoming three-match series against Australia, which will begin on July 20 in Barbados.Related

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• Russell returns to WI squad for SA, Australia, Pakistan series

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The trio had missed out on selection for the team’s last 50-overs assignment, against Sri Lanka in March, for failing to meet the team management’s fitness standards.Allrounder Chase and middle-order batter Hetmyer featured in the Test and T20I legs, respectively, of the just-concluded home series against South Africa, but Cottrell, the left-arm quick, has not played for West Indies since November 2020.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Batting allrounder Kyle Mayers, who made his ODI debut against Bangladesh earlier this year, and offspinner Kevin Sinclair, who is uncapped in ODIs, didn’t find a place in the squad, but Anderson Phillip, the fast bowler who made his ODI debut against Sri Lanka in March, kept his place in the side.”This squad is coming off a comprehensive series win against Sri Lanka which should boost their confidence going into what is expected to be a tougher contest against Australia, chief selector Roger Harper said. “The return of Shimron Hetmyer, Roston Chase and Sheldon Cottrell adds greater depth and experience to the squad.”Playing in familiar home conditions, hopefully will bring out the best in each player thereby enabling the team to perform at a consistently high standard.”The ODIs will be played on July 20, 22 and 24, and will be part of the ODI Super League for automatic qualification for the 2023 World Cup in India.Before the ODI series, West Indies will face Australia in five T20Is in St Lucia, from July 9 to 16. The same squad that featured in the T20Is against South Africa is set to play this series and the upcoming one against Pakistan as well.

Tim Sherwood slammed the critics of Liverpool's Trent Alexander-Arnold after the right-back's performance against Manchester United.

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• Alexander-Arnold had horrific outing against Man Utd
• Questions asked about defensive attributes
• Sherwood believes criticism has been "harsh"

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• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The highly anticipated clash between Liverpool and Manchester United saw Alexander-Arnold come under the microscope after a defensive lapse contributed to United’s early lead through Lisandro Martinez. Pundits, including Roy Keane, did not hold back, with the former United captain sarcastically suggesting the full-back would be better suited to League Two side Tranmere Rovers than Spanish giants Real Madrid, who he has been heavily linked with.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  WHAT SHERWOOD SAID

  However, Sherwood believes that the criticism has been over the top and argued that the Liverpool star’s value lies in his creative contributions rather than traditional defensive duties.

  "I think the criticism of Trent Alexander-Arnold recently has been really harsh," he told . "He wasn’t at his best against Manchester United on Sunday, but I hate it when people talk about him as a right-back because he’s not a proper defender – he’s a provider of goals and assists at the other end of the pitch.

  "He’s got the best passing range of anyone in the Premier League, even the likes of Kevin De Bruyne. He’s up there with the best we’ve ever seen at passing in the competition’s history, like David Beckham when he gets it on the right-hand side. The timing and weight of his passing is just sublime, so I think we sometimes overlook the positives that he offers and focus on the negatives."

  Alexander-Arnold’s future at Liverpool remains unclear, as he has entered the final six months of his current contract. Speculation about a potential move to Real Madrid has intensified, but Sherwood dismissed the idea that the player’s mind is already in Spain.

  "It wasn’t his best game last weekend, but I don’t think his head is in Madrid – it’s at Liverpool. If he were to leave the club then it will be in the summer, and I think he will want to leave on a high with a couple of trophies in the bag this season."

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Adding to the contract drama at Liverpool, star forward Mohamed Salah shared a photo on social media featuring himself alongside Alexander-Arnold and Virgil van Dijk. With all three players in the final year of their contracts and no extensions announced, the post has fueled speculation about their futures. Sherwood, however, was optimistic about Salah’s situation, suggesting the Egyptian forward is likely to remain at Anfield.

  "I would only comment on Mohamed Salah’s contract approach if his performances were declining, but if anything he’s getting better," he said. "If I’m a Liverpool fan, then I’m thinking that he just needs to carry on with whatever he needs to do because the kid is an absolute genius. He’s already scored as many goals as he did last season and he looks like he’s playing with a smile on his face again.

  "I thought last season with Jurgen Klopp was the beginning of the end for Salah – he had that little rift with him on the touchline at the London Stadium – but he looks a lot happier at the club now. I personally think he will stay at Liverpool and sign a new contract – I just have a sneaky feeling his future lies at Anfield."

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  WHAT NEXT FOR LIVERPOOL?

  As contract negotiations and speculation swirl, Liverpool will turn their attention to the Carabao Cup. The team is set to face Tottenham in the first leg of the semi-finals, and this is followed by an FA Cup third-round clash with Accrington Stanley on January 11 and a Premier League trip to third-placed Nottingham Forest on January 14.

After last weekend’s disappointment, Leeds United returned to winning ways with a relatively routine victory away to Cardiff City on Saturday afternoon, with goals from Largie Ramazani and substitute Joel Piroe proving the difference on the day.

Having slipped to a 1-0 defeat at the hands of newly-relegated Burnley last time out, the Yorkshire side were handed a welcome boost in the early stages this time around, with Joel Bagan seeing red for a foul on Wilfried Gnonto after just 23 minutes.

The visitors swiftly made that advantage count as new man Ramazani curled home in fine fashion, although it wasn’t until the 87th minute that the points were finally secured, with ex-Swansea City star Piroe expertly converting from the angle, following Pascal Struijk’s earlier spot-kick attempt which had been denied.

All in all, it’s a case of take the win and move on for the Whites after having not quite been at their free-flowing best, although manager Daniel Farke will still have plenty to ponder amid what was a mixed bag of a performance from his side.

Leeds' star performers vs Cardiff

A word must, of course, be said for the aforementioned Ramazani, with the diminutive winger – who arrived on a £9m deal from Almeria over the summer – making the most of his first start for the club with that well-taken, first-half strike.

On the opposite flank, it was young Gnonto who proved to be ‘Leeds’ most creative and influential player going forward’ – as per the Yorkshire Evening Post’s Graham Smyth – with the 20-year-old Italian also completing three successful dribbles and registering one key pass as he looked to make things happen for his side, as per Sofascore.

With the likes of Georginio Rutter and Crysencio Summerville no longer in the equation, Farke will be looking to this wing pairing to provide Leeds’ creative spark, alongside the returning figure of Brenden Aaronson.

One place where creativity remains hard to come by, however, is in the midfield ranks, with the solid, but unspectacular pairing of Ethan Ampadu and Ilia Gruev hardly setting things alight from their double pivot.

Having struggled to break down the Bluebirds at times, the question remains as to whether that duo represents the most fruitful solution moving forward.

Ilia Gruev's game in numbers vs Cardiff

It would be harsh to suggest that Gruev, in particular, did anything hugely wrong up against the ten men of Erol Bulut’s side, having notably enjoyed a stunning pass success rate of 96% from his 89-minute outing.

With former Chelsea man Ampadu – who won eight duels in total – tasked with breaking up the play, the onus was on Gruev to try and dictate the tempo, yet far too often did the Bulgarian opt for the safe approach.

That can be evidenced by the fact that despite having 100 touches, the 24-year-old didn’t provide a single key pass, having also completed just one of his three long balls attempts.

As per Smyth – who awarded Gruev a 6/10 match rating – the left-footer ‘couldn’t provide anything really incisive’, having at one stage even drawn groans from the away end for his desire to go backwards, rather than look ahead.

While Farke will be happy for his side to control games, there will also be a need to provide quality service to the front four – something which neither Gruev, nor Ampadu, appear best suited to do.

89 minutes

100 touches

96% pass accuracy

0 key passes

0/2 crosses

1/3 long balls

0/0 dribbles completed

1/4 ground duels

1/1 aerial duels

2x dribbled past

With Gruev also somewhat suspect defensively on occasion – having been dribbled past twice while also winning just one of his four ground duels – it could be the former Werder Bremen man who is sacrificed, rather than his skipper.

It would, of course, be a bold move to change a winning team, but with the likes of Ao Tanaka and Joe Rothwell waiting in the wings, the former Norwich City boss may need to be ruthless.

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