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Leeds United “would sell” Wilfried Gnonto in the January transfer window, with it being revealed they would reinvest the money raised into a different key area of the squad.

The Whites may need to reshuffle their squad somewhat this winter, given that results have gone downhill considerably over the past few weeks, suffering defeats in four of their last five matches in the Premier League.

Losing games is one thing, but it will be particularly concerning for Daniel Farke that his side were beaten by fellow strugglers Burnley and Nottingham Forest, with Sean Dyche’s side running out 3-1 winners at the City Ground last time out.

There are some difficult fixtures on the horizon before Christmas, with the 2024-25 Championship winners set to take on Manchester City, Chelsea and Liverpool, which means they are at real risk of being cut adrift by the time the transfer window opens.

Leeds willing to sell Wilfried Gnonto to fund move for new striker

Consequently, Leeds may have to take drastic measures in an attempt to preserve their Premier League status, with top source Dean Jones revealing they are prepared to cash in on Gnonto, saying: “This is going to be a transfer window of opportunism and there are clubs who have been tracking Gnonto, wondering if he is finally going to leave. I expect someone to try their luck, and I have a feeling the player will have his head turned if a big enough side comes in for him.

“Leeds would sell him at the right price, I’m pretty sure of that.

“I get the feeling he’s a player they would now sell and then reinvest because they really are looking for some new life in their attack.

“Primarily that would be in the shape of a striker, but I wouldn’t rule out any player with attacking nous at this point because the club’s hierarchy know they have left the team short of options up top.”

The £40k-a-week winger has struggled on the injury front this season, being ruled out due to a calf issue, but he was unable to make a real impact even prior to being ruled out, failing to register a goal or an assist in his opening four Premier League games.

At 22-years-old, the Italian is still young, and he has previously received high praise from Junior Firpo, who said: “Nobody expected it, when he first came in. He is a shy guy, didn’t talk too much; on the pitch, too. But unbelievable from day one.”

However, Leeds clearly need to bring in a new striker, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin failing to hit the ground running, having scored just once in nine Premier League games, so it may be worth cashing-in on Gnonto to fund a move for a centre-forward.

Leeds and 49ers keen to sign Troy Parrott in January

Leeds and 49ers keen to sign Troy Parrott in January after Ireland heroics

This would be much-needed for Daniel Farke.

By
Henry Jackson

Nov 17, 2025

Oftentimes, after MLB managers are ejected, the absolute last thing you'll hear from them is some sort of mea culpa:

It just doesn't happen.

But something to that effect occurred following the Red Sox' 4-1 loss to the Houston Astros on Wednesday, during which Boston's manager Alex Cora was ejected in the seventh inning.

Cora's protestations began in the top of the sixth inning with Astros righthander Hunter Brown on the mound. After Brown walked Red Sox outfielder Jarren Duran, he was called for a balk. Two batters later, Brown switched from the full windup to the stretch mid at-bat, prompting the Red Sox to object to ultimately no avail.

An inning later, Cora emerged from the dugout to further discuss the call—or lack thereof—with the umpires, who then ejected him. Cora explained what led him to emerge from the dugout and even surprisingly admitted that the umpires were correct in their ruling.

"First of all, they got it right," Cora said. "They got the call right. The only thing for me is that we've seen that situation before, that guys who have a regular windup and they ask the guys to declare. You don’t have to declare if you have a hybrid windup; that’s when you have to declare, because that way you’re not deceiving the runner.

"But throughout the last two years, we’ve seen situations that is a regular windup, and they’ve asked the pitcher to declare, that was the only thing. I went out there to educate myself to be honest with you. That’s what I told him. I want to learn. I don’t know if he took it that I was being sarcastic. I wasn’t. I was walking back, and he threw me out.”

Cora's ejection seemed to stem from a miscommunication with the umpire, as he insisted to reporters after the game that he wasn't trying to get tossed from the contest.

"…I hate getting thrown out," Cora continued. "My job is to be in the dugout and help this team to win games from the dugout. This whole thing about rallying the troops and getting thrown out—that's bull—-. My job is to be in the dugout…"

Danny Welbeck has been backed to mentor Benjamin Sesko as the forward is sensationally linked with a return to Manchester United. The striker might be approaching his 35th birthday, but he has been backed to retrace his steps to the Old Trafford dressing room, where he will find a struggling 22-year-old Slovenian desperate to find his feet in the English top-flight.

• Welbeck's stunning renaissance at Brighton

  Under Brighton head coach Fabian Hurzeler, Welbeck has rediscovered the sharpness and efficiency in front of goal that once made him one of Carrington's brightest academy graduates. He has already scored six Premier League goals in 11 appearances, which has sparked a transfer rumour linking him back to United. The Red Devils are struggling for goals, and Sesko's latest injury has added to the urgency of recruiting a striker in the January transfer market. He came off the bench in the 58th minute during the recent Tottenham clash in London and nearly delivered the decisive moment before Spurs’ Micky van de Ven produced a superb recovery tackle. His evening ended in frustration after he was forced off with a knee issue. 

  Speaking about the injury, Ruben Amorim said: "I have no idea. Because it's the knee, we never know. I'm concerned with the injury because it's in the knee. We need Ben to be a better team. We have to check everything, we have to check what has happened with him."

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  A veteran reborn on the south coast

  Welbeck has scored in 17 consecutive Premier League seasons, and his recent form shows that the striker is far from slowing down anytime soon.  Former Scotland international Don Hutchison believes United would be foolish not to consider bringing Welbeck back, arguing that his leadership and experience could be transformational for Sesko, who has scored just two goals in 11 appearances. For Hutchison, the former Arsenal striker represents the kind of steadying influence the young Slovenian needs around him.

  In an interview with he said: "I mean, it'd be a brilliant fit. He'd be a fantastic signing because Danny Welbeck's one of those players, where if he went back to Man United, it would be like when Jonny Evans returned.

  "When Johnny Evans went back there a couple of years ago, he was happy to be a sort of mentor inside the dressing room. He was happy to be a mentor to the players that were playing. He was happy to play his part when needed. He was happy to be on the bench. I think Danny Welbeck going to Man United would be a really good fit in terms of he can still play, he can still score goals, he's still really fit. But he would still have the attitude where it would be a fantastic move forward, being back to Man United with the knowledge that he'd be mentoring the likes of Sesko. I think it would be a perfect move."

• England calls growing louder

  Alan Shearer also weighed in on Welbeck’s revival, insisting that Tuchel would be right to keep him in contention for the 2026 World Cup. 

  Speaking to BBC Sport, Shearer noted the scarcity of genuine alternatives behind Harry Kane, and said: "If you look at the forward options in Tuchel's last squad there aren't many obvious stand-ins for Harry Kane. Anthony Gordon, Jarrod Bowen, Bukayo Saka aren't going to fill that role and Ollie Watkins hasn't been firing for Aston Villa, so any English striker scoring goals in the Premier League is going to be talked about.

  "It's seven years since Welbeck's last cap and he's 35 this month but Tuchel isn't worried about the future. His only focus is the six weeks of the World Cup so there's no reason why Welbeck couldn't be involved if he keeps scoring and stays injury free."

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  A final chance to force a World Cup narrative

  Although Welbeck was overlooked by Tuchel for the November internationals, he still has several months to influence selection ahead of England’s World Cup build-up. With his form peaking at precisely the right time and his goals driving Brighton forward, the window of opportunity remains firmly open. Welbeck will next be in action after the international break when Brighton host Brentford at the Amex on November 22. 

Lancashire needed 303 to win and were 138 for 3 when rain forced the players off, just after Marcus Harris reached 50

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay11-Sep-2025Despite some spasmodic pyrotechnics on the final day, the Rothesay County Championship match between Kent and Lancashire ended in a draw, with the weather ruining what might have been a thrilling run chase.Ekansh Singh hit 60, his highest first-class score, as Kent posted 293 aided by a hugely entertaining cameo from Matt Quinn, whose 42 was his best score for Kent.Mitchell Stanley also had a career day, taking 6 for 100 to finish with match figures of 11 for 180.Lancashire needed 303 to win and were 138 for 3 when rain forced the players off, just after Marcus Harris had reached 50. Quinn took 2 for 21, but then limped off with an injury.Some 28 overs were lost due to rain but when play finally began both sides immediately went on the attack.Ekansh hit the second ball of the day from Tom Hartley for six, but Mo Rizvi was lbw to Stanley’s first delivery from the Nackington Road End, getting a pair on his first-class debut.When Stanley then bowled Matt Parkinson for a second-ball duck, in the same over, the lead was only 221, but Quinn joined Ekansh for a partnership worth 71 that steered Kent out of danger.He blazed 22 off Stanley’s next over (including four byes) and left Stanley kicking his crease in frustration. He even improvised a ramp shot off a full toss that somehow ended up at point and by lunch Kent were on for 276 for 7.The final three dismissals were all caught behind. Stanley finally got Quinn and George Balderson got Ekansh after a bouncer caught his raised bat. Ben Compton, playing despite a wrist injury, came in at 11 but only faced one ball before Michael Cohen was out to Stanley for four.This pattern continued in the Lancs’ reply when Keaton Jennings edged Quinn to Harry Finch for 4 and Wells then went to the same combination for 19, but Josh Bohannon and Harris took the heat out of the situation for the visitors with a partnership of 91.Harris reached 1000 runs for the season when he reached 23 and it was 73 for 2 at tea, but Quinn then pulled up injured during a run-up, stumbling at the crease and walking straight off, to be replaced by Rizvi.His first over went for 15 and he was immediately replaced by Evison, whose third ball bowled Bohannon’s off stump for 46. At 16.34 however, the rain returned and this time there was no chance of a resumption.

Stats highlights from MI’s first win of IPL 2025, against Kolkata Knight Riders at the Wankhede Stadium

Sampath Bandarupalli31-Mar-202510-2 – Mumbai Indians’ (MI) win-loss record against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at the Wankhede Stadium in the IPL. They are the first team to win ten IPL matches against an opponent at a single venue.The eight-wicket win on Monday was their 24th overall against KKR in the IPL, three more than any other team against a single opponent.5256 – Balls taken by Suryakumar Yadav to complete 8000 T20 runs – the second quickest to the milestone behind Andre Russell, who took 4749 balls to score 8000 runs. Suryakumar passed the milestone during his unbeaten 27 off 9 balls against KKR.4 for 24 – Ashwani Kumar became the first Indian bowler to take a four-wicket haul on IPL debut. Amit Singh’s 3 for 9 against Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings) in IPL 2009 was the previous best by an Indian on IPL debut.6 – Bowlers with four or more wickets on IPL debut, including Ashwani. He has the fourth-best figures (4 for 24) for an IPL debutant, behind Alzarri Joseph (6 for 12 vs SRH) in 2019, Andrew Tye (5 for 17 vs RPGS) in 2017 and Shoaib Akhtar (4 for 11 vs DD) in 2008.14 – Number of players to take a wicket with their first ball in the IPL, before Ashwani got Ajinkya Rahane on Monday. Matheesha Pathirana, in 2022, was the previous, while Hanuma Vihari, in 2013, was the last Indian to strike with his first ball in the IPL.30 – Wickets taken by Trent Boult in the first over of an IPL innings – the most for any bowler. His dismissal of Sunil Narine was his 11th for MI in the first over; the other 19 were for his previous franchise – Rajasthan Royals (RR).5/5 – Narine has fallen to Boult in all five T20s in which he has faced the left-arm quick. He has scored only 23 runs off 19 balls from Boult.

Southampton return to action in the Championship this weekend as they prepare to travel to Charlton on Saturday, and they appear no closer to appointing a permanent successor to Will Still.

TalkSPORT recently claimed that Sport Republic are ‘seriously considering’ appointing current interim manager Tonda Eckert on a permanent basis, after his first two matches in the dugout.

The 32-year-old head coach is set to lead the team out for a third game against Charlton this weekend, and another win would do his chances of landing the role no harm.

Why Southampton should not appoint Tonda Eckert

Eckert deserves credit for providing the team with an instant boost after Still’s departure, as he masterminded a 2-1 win over QPR and a 3-1 win over Sheffield Wednesday in the Championship.

However, it may not be the right time to appoint him as the permanent head coach because of his lack of experience in first-team management in his career so far.

Eckert had only ever been an assistant manager before his move to join the U21s as their head coach this summer, and he managed nine Premier League 2 matches before his two senior games as the current interim, per Transfermarkt.

Manager Focus

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This means that Southampton have no evidence available to judge what an Eckert team will look like in 15, 20, or 30 games, or if he has the first-team coaching ability to lead a promotion push.

Earlier this month, Michael Carrick was named as a reported contender for the job, and hiring the former Middlesbrough boss could end the Eckert experiment at St. Mary’s.

Why Southampton should hire Michael Carrick

Unlike the German interim, Carrick would arrive on the south coast with bundles of Championship experience as a manager, which may be what the Saints need right now.

The former Manchester United midfielder, who was hailed as an “insanely talented coach” by former Boro player Lukas Engel, has been out of work since moving on from Middlesbrough at the end of last season.

Carrick also has the specific experience of taking over a team in a similar position to the one that Southampton are in now and leading them to a play-off finish, as that is what he did with Boro in the 2022/23 campaign.

As you can see in the table above, the 4-2-3-1 tactician took over with Middlesbrough after they had a dismal start to the season, in 18th place, and led them to fourth and the play-offs.

Southampton are currently 17th after 15 matches, with 18 points on the board, which means that Carrick would arrive in an incredibly similar situation at St. Mary’s. This could make him the ideal candidate for the job, as he has very specific experience for the job that is required.

Some supporters may see that he finished 10th and eighth in his last two seasons with Boro, but the underlying numbers behind those two campaigns suggest that he was let down by his squad.

As you can see in the table above, Boro ranked inside the top six for xPTS in both of those seasons, suggesting that their performances were of a play-off calibre, but the players did not make the most of those performances to pick up the results needed.

This is why Southampton should not be put off by Carrick’s ‘failure’ to get Boro in the play-offs in the last two seasons, and is further evidence that he could be a major upgrade on the inexperienced Eckert.

Southampton can land Still upgrade by hiring manager who's won 13 trophies

Southampton could land an upgrade on Will Still by hiring this 4-3-3 manager.

By
Dan Emery

Nov 12, 2025

Therefore, the out-of-work English manager could be the perfect hire for Southampton for the position that they currently find themselves in, as he has the coaching ability and experience to drive the team back up the table to fight for the play-offs.

Bangladesh and Sri Lanka will begin the Super Four round on September 20

ESPNcricinfo staff18-Sep-2025Sri Lanka and Bangladesh will take on each other to begin the Super Four stage of Asia Cup 2025 on Saturday. By knocking Afghanistan out of the tournament in the penultimate group-stage game in Abu Dhabi, Sri Lanka ensured they progressed to the next round unbeaten, along with Bangladesh from Group B.India and Pakistan had confirmed their spots from Group A after Pakistan’s win against UAE on Wednesday. That means the second India vs Pakistan game in the tournament will be played on September 21 in Dubai. India had beaten Pakistan in their group-stage fixture in Dubai and are undefeated ahead of their game against Oman, which will close out the first round.Pakistan will get a day’s break before they take on Sri Lanka in Abu Dhabi. But Bangladesh will have play on consecutive days as they take on India on September 24 and Pakistan the next day. Both matches are in Dubai.India and Sri Lanka will conclude the Super Four stage on September 26 in Dubai. The two teams topping the table will play in the final on September 28, also in Dubai. The teams will not carry any points from the group stage into the Super Four round.

Lionel Messi has sent another “we’ll be back” message to Barcelona after being crowned the “most beloved player” in the club’s history. The Argentine superstar has been awarded that honour following a supporter vote. He feels proud to have received such a title, given the calibre of talent that he was up against, and remains determined to head back to Catalunya at some stage.

• Messi's Barcelona record: Goals & major trophies

  Messi was recently in that part of the world when taking in a secret visit to Camp Nou, as that iconic venue prepares to throw open its doors again following a stunning redevelopment project.

  Eight-time Ballon d’Or winner Messi became a global icon when gracing that turf – registering 672 goals through 778 appearances. He won 10 La Liga titles and four Champions League crowns with the Blaugrana – helping him to become the most decorated player in history.

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  GOAT status: Messi fends off Cruyff & Ronaldinho

  He has now been named the GOAT by Barca fans – fending off competition from the likes of Johan Cruyff, Ronaldinho, Xavi and Andres Iniesta. Messi said when being presented with that prize by : “This award is very special because of what it represents and where it comes from. We've been through a lot together, both good and not so good, but that's normal because not everything in a career is perfect. This is my home, my place, and my people.”

• Homecoming: Messi & Antonela intend to live in Barcelona again

  Messi remains untouchable in the eyes of many Barcelona followers, even those of the younger generation that did not get to see much of him before an emotional farewell was taken in when heading to Paris Saint-Germain in 2021.

  There is seemingly no end to that sporting love affair, despite the South American forward now plying his trade thousands of miles away in MLS with Inter Miami. Paths will cross again at some point.

  Messi reiterated when discussing his future plans, having already admitted that he and wife Antonela intend to set up camp again in Barcelona once his playing days are over: “Obviously, I'm going to come back. I'm going to be at the stadium like any other fan, following the team, the club, and being just another supporter. For now, I'll be here [Miami] for a few more years, most likely, but we'll return to Barcelona because, as I've always said, it's my place, my home. We miss it a lot, so we'll be back there.”

  Messi added on his unbreakable connection with Barcelona, having been shown a video in which supporters thanked him for his contribution to the collective cause: “The truth is, we’ve been through so much together, good and not so good, which is normal in a career of so many years; not everything is rosy, and you go through difficult times. But well, it’s my home, my place, my people. I would have liked to spend my whole career there without having to go to another club. And… and, well, to have only played there in Europe.”

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  Playing return: Loan from MLS considered to be unlikely

  He went on to say of heading to PSG when it became apparent that Barca did not have the funds to put a new contract in place: “Unfortunately, things turned out differently, but I'll always have lifelong memories of all the moments we shared. And, well, I'm grateful for that. It's been a long time since I've been to Barcelona, since I've been to the stadium. I had to leave the club without fans because of the pandemic, so it was an unusual year too. And, well, many beautiful memories, so thank you very much to all the people of Barcelona. And, obviously, I also have a very special affection for everyone there.”

  Talk of Messi making a playing return to Barcelona has been quietened for now, with a stunning loan agreement during the MLS off-season considered to be unlikely. He has committed to a new three-year deal in South Florida that will take him through 2028. At 38 years of age, he is expected to form part of Argentina’s World Cup title defence in the summer of 2026.

It was a small auction, mainly for plugging holes. Some teams did that well, some teams couldn’t quite pull it off

Shashank Kishore16-Dec-2024

Delhi Capitals

Hot take: Taniya Bhatia has been outstanding behind the stumps, but her batting impact has been negligible in recent times. DC have tried to address this by signing Nandini Kashyap, an upcoming youngster capable of being a finisher, and Sarah Bryce, who could be a fifth overseas starter in the XI because she belongs to an Associate nation – Scotland. Bryce was the second-highest run-getter for Sydney Sixers in the recent WBBL.Possible first XI: 1 Shafali Verma, 2 Meg Lanning, 3 Jemimah Rodrigues, 4 Marizanne Kapp, 5 Alice Capsey , 6 Minnu Mani, 7 Jess Jonassen, 8 Nandini Kashyap/Sarah Bryce (wk), 9 Shikha Pandey, 10 Arundhati Reddy, 11 Radha YadavOther players
Retained: Sneha Deepthi, Taniya Bhatia, Annabel Sutherland, Titas Sadhu
New buys: Niki Prasad, Shree CharaniHaving Deandra Dottin in your squad can only be a good thing•ICC/Getty Images

Gujarat Giants

Hot take: GG have tried to address their batting issues from the previous year by signing two explosive players in Deandra Dottin and Simran Shaikh – the latter fresh off recent success with Mumbai in the domestic T20s – but challenges remain. Who keeps if Beth Mooney is injured? Where is the experience in the seam department? Questions, more questions.Possible first XI: 1 Beth Mooney (wk), 2 Laura Wolvaardt/Phoebe Litchfield, 3 D Hemalatha, 4 Deandra Dottin, 5 Harleen Deol, 6 Ash Gardner, 7 Simran Shaikh, 8 Shabnam Shakil, 9 Meghna Singh, 10 Priya Mishra, 11 Tanuja KanwarOther players
Retained: Bharti Fulmali, Kashvee Gautam, Mannat Kashyap, Sayali Sathgare
New buys: Danielle Gibson, Prakashika NaikThere’s a lot of excitement around G Kamalini•ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Mumbai Indians

Hot take: Their first XI appeared sorted even before the auction, but in continuing with their long-standing tradition (in the men’s game, to start with) of scouting prodigious domestic talent, MI have signed 16-year-old swashbuckling opener G Kamalini, who can also keep wicket if required. They have also tried to plug a possible injury hole by drafting in South Africa’s Nadine de Klerk, who may have a big role to play if Pooja Vastrakar doesn’t recover from a long-standing back injury.Possible first XI: 1 Hayley Mathews, 2 G Kamalini/Yastika Bhatia (wk), 3 Nat Sciver-Brunt, 4 Harmanpreet Kaur, 5 Amelia Kerr, 6 S Sajana, 7 Pooja Vastrakar, 8 Amanjot Kaur, 9 Shabnim Ismail, 10 Saika Ishaque, 11 Jintimani KalitaOther players
Retained: Amandeep Kaur, Chloe Tryon, S Keerthana
New buy: Nadine de Klerk, Sanskriti Gupta, Akshita MaheshwariThe acquisition of Danni Wyatt-Hodge has bolstered the RCB line-up•ICC/Getty Images

Royal Challengers Bengaluru

Hot take: Two of their four action picks are first-XI material. Raghvi Bist offers lower-order batting power, while Prema Rawat is an excellent reinforcement for the injured Asha Sobhana, who could be touch-and-go for the tournament as she recuperates from a knee injury. In acquiring Danni Wyatt-Hodge through a trade, RCB may have also accounted for a ready overseas replacement for Sophie Molineux, who is also under an injury cloud. The glaring miss, though, is a back-up wicketkeeper to Richa Ghosh.Possible first XI: 1 Smriti Mandhana, 2 Danni Wyatt-Hodge, 3 Ellyse Perry, 4 Sophie Devine, 5 Kanika Ahuja, 6 Richa Ghosh (wk), 7 Raghvi Bist, 8 Sophie Molineux/Georgia Wareham, 9 Shreyanka Patil, 10 Renuka Singh, 11 Prema Rawat/Asha SobhanaOther players
Retained: S Meghana, Kate Cross, Ekta Bisht
New buys: Joshitha JV, Jagravi PawarWill Chamari Athapaththu have to start out on the bench?•Getty Images

UP Warriorz

Hot take: With a budget of INR 3.4 crore unused from their purse, UPW may have erred by missing out on a gun overseas fast bowler. They are also light on Indian seam options – they have Anjali Sarvani and Saima Thakor, but both are still finding their feet at the top level. It means they could be forced to play Tahlia McGrath just to bring in an experienced seam option, which could leave Chamari Athapaththu on the bench. Rajeshwari Gayakwad is also battling a chronic knee injury. There’s plenty to ponder.Possible first XI: 1 Alyssa Healy (wk), 2 Vrinda Dinesh, 3 Uma Chetry, 4 Grace Harris, 5 Tahlia McGrath, 6 Deepti Sharma, 7 Kiran Navgire, 8 Sophie Ecclestone, 9 Anjali Sarvani, 10 Saima Thakor, 11 Rajeshwari Gayakwad/Gouher SultanaOther players
Retained: Chamari Athapaththu, Shwetha Sehrawat, Arushi Goel, Poonam Khemnar
New boys: Alana King, Kranti Goud

Arne Slot sat and beamed at the reporters in front of him. The mood had shifted considerably from the pre-match press conference only one week before, when Liverpool prepared for the visit of Aston Villa, having lost four Premier League matches in a row.

Now, the Reds have established the foundation of a revival, having beaten off the Villans and then produced a resounding display to sink Real Madrid in the Champions League. The 1-0 win could have been heftier, save for the many saves of Thibaut Courtois between the sticks.

Liverpool looked like themselves, and we haven’t been able to say that all too often this term. Slicker in attack, far more robust and steely in midfield, whilst the defence kept the likes of Vinicius Junior and Kylian Mbappe at bay.

Some, such as Sky Sports’ Jamie Carragher, still feel improvements are needed in defence, and it might be that Liverpool require external reinforcements, having failed in their efforts to sign Marc Guehi from Crystal Palace last summer.

A deal for the England international may yet materialise, but Liverpool have widened their scope.

Liverpool preparing to sign a centre-back

Liverpool have not been at the races defensively this season, shipping far too many goals across the opening months of the campaign. The past few fixtures have indeed rebalanced the equilibrium, but time will tell whether this is a false dawn or a sustained return to form.

Despite summer recruit Giovanni Leoni’s season-ending injury on his debut, the Reds have the resources at the back to achieve their goals this year. However, Ibrahima Konate is out of contract at the end of the term and is being considered by Real Madrid. Virgil van Dijk is here until the end of next season at the least, but the skipper is 34 years old and a replacement will need to be signed.

Guehi was earmarked as the man for the job, but that deal fell through on deadline day after Crystal Palace failed to land a replacement.

Liverpool remain keen, but Guehi, who is a free agent in June, is now being chased by a whole host of top European outfits, and so sporting director Richard Hughes has found an exciting alternative with a wealth of Premier League experience.

And that man is Aston Villa’s Ezri Konsa, who, according to Italian outlet L’Interista, is emerging as a candidate for the centre-back vacancy on Merseyside. Inter Milan are also keen on striking a deal.

Rumour has it that the 28-year-old is available for a relatively affordable €35m (about £31m) fee, too. FSG will maintain their pursuit of Guehi, sure, but Konsa could be a fantastic alternative, and perhaps even a better fit.

What Ezri Konsa would offer Liverpool

Guehi is a talented Premier League player. He is composed on the ball and adventurous in the right moments. He picks and chooses, and he gets it right.

But he is rivalled in this by Konsa, who has actually been described as “one of the best CBs in the world” by journalist Joe Mulberry. Villa’s Three Lions star is not quite so outgoing with his passing, but he is as sharp as a tack and always aware of his surroundings.

Indeed, Konsa is one of the strongest defenders in the duel out there. By placing him alongside Van Dijk or Konate or whoever, Slot’s side will only improve, sending a tactical throughline into the midfield and then to the attack.

Guehi is a commanding challenger himself, but the 6 foot talent hasn’t always been the most convincing aerially. As per Sofascore, the 25-year-old only won 54% of his aerial duels in the Premier League last year, albeit having improved in this metric across ten fixtures so far this season.

But Konsa is more convincing in this regard, and partnered alongside a more expansive defender beside him, he might even prove the perfect addition to Slot’s backline. The Dutch coach is all about control, after all, and thus Konsa might hold the key to lasting success.

The Englishman is hardly one-dimensional, though. Konsa is so composed and intelligent on the ball, with Aston Villa writer Ryan McKeown hailing him as a “possession-retaining monster” for Unai Emery’s outfit.

In this, he could excel under Slot’s wing, providing a rhythm from defence and into the centre of the park, keeping things simple while ferrying the ball forward consistently.

Moreover, he is accomplished in a four-man backline, whereas Guehi has principally played in a back-three under Oliver Glasner’s wing at Selhurst Park. Guehi is adaptable, for sure, but might it be that Konsa’s playing style would allow him to sail more smoothly into Slot’s project on Merseyside?

Given that he has played a healthy share of football at right-back, Konsa also boasts versatility that could please Slot. Inverted full-backs are becoming more common in football, and the Villa man’s more pragmatic style suits the role he would be designated to perform. No defender in the Premier League boasts a higher pass completion rate this season than Konsa (94.8%).

Liverpool need to sign a central defender in 2026. This much is clear. However, as we have seen this season, an influx of players from overseas has hampered the fluency that was so effectively strung together last year. Konsa has only gone from strength to strength since joining Villa Park from

He has made 208 appearances in the Premier League, and he is at the top of his game. Guehi would be a credit to Liverpool’s squad, but Konsa might be the better fit, a shrewd signing whose skills would raise the level o those Liverpool players around him.

Slot has just found the new Gini Wijnaldum in "special" Liverpool star

Liverpool produced a show-stopping performance to send Real Madrid packing in the Champions League.

By
Angus Sinclair

Nov 7, 2025