Category Uncategorized

تحدث عمرو بسيوني مدير التعاقدات ونائب المدير الرياضي بنادي بيراميدز، على بيان الأهلي بشان دعم رمان صبحي لاعب الفريق السماوي بعد أزمة إيقافه لمدة 4 سنوات من قبل الوكالة الدولي لمكافحة المنشطات وأيضًا قضية حبسه بسبب التلاعب في أوراق رسمية. 

وقال عمرو بسيوني في تصريحات لقناة “النهار”: “بيراميدز على أتم الاستعداد للمواجهة المقبلة في بطولة دوري أبطال إفريقيا أمام باور ديناموز”.  

وأضاف: “استقبلنا بيان الأهلي بتقدير شديد عن دعم رمضان صبحي، شيء ليس غريب عن الأهلي ومجلسه بقيادة الخطيب، رمضان صبحي هو واحد من أفراد عائلة بيراميدز، يمر بمشكلتين كبار جدًا في وقت قصير”.

وتابع: “رمضان صبحي يحتاج إلى جهود كل شخص متواجد في المنظومة الكروية المصرية، رمضان شاب أعطى الكثير للكرة في مصر، لاعب دولي وكان له دور كبير في السنوات الماضية ببيراميدز”. 

طالع.. ترتيب مجموعة بيراميدز في دوري أبطال إفريقيا بعد فوز نهضة بركان على ريفرز يونايتد

وتابع: “الأهلي هو أكبر قلعة رياضية في مصر هو والزمالك، خطوات الخطيب محترمة ومشرفة جدًا، دائمًا في كل مواقفنا نحرص على التعاون المستمر والعلاقة التي تسودها الود والاحترام مع الأهلي، ودائمًا نتحدث كيف نقرب المسافات المتواجدة بين الناديين، المشاكل المتواجدة على السوشيال ميديا، والعلاقة بين الإدارتين محترمة جدًا”.

وأردف: “علاقتنا جيدة بمجلس إدارة الأهلي، دائمًا عندما نتقابل في المباريات تكون هناك حفاوة، العلاقات الشخصية في المسؤولين بالأهلي هائلة ومحترمة، ولو هناك فرصة نزور الأهلي سيكون شيئًا هائلًا أو العكس”.

وشدد: “رمضان صبحي يستحق مننا تظافر كل الجهود لكي نقف بجانبه، يجب أن يشعر أن هناك ناس في ظهره وتساعده بشتى الطرق، نحترم القضاء المصري، من حقنا ومن واجبنا نقف بجانبه، وبعض الشائعات ظهرت بالأمس أن النادي لن يجدد لرمضان صبحي؟ الموسم الماضي رمضان جدد عقده لمدة 4 سنوات، هو فرد من عائلة بيراميدز، المشاكل وارده في حياتنا أهم شيء يشعر أنه يوجد أحد في ظهره، لم يطرح من الأساس فكرة ايقاف التعاقد معه أو فسخ عقده، هذا الكلام ليس وقته”. 

وأكمل: “مايلي واسامة جلال عقودهما تنتهي بنهاية الموسم، محمد حمدي عقده مستمر لموسم مقبل، ومايلي افضل لاعب في إفريقيا ومهاجم كبير وإضافة كبيرة لبيراميدز وللدوري المصري بشكل عام، ونحاول أن نحافظ على اللاعبين المميزين، سنبدأ التفاوض معه على التجديد عقده، هو حاليًا أصبح أفضل لاعب في إفريقيا ومتبفي في عقده 6 أشهر”. 

واختتم: “مايلي حتى الآن لم يوقع بشكل رسمي على التجديد، ويجب أن تكون الرغبة متبادلة بين الطرفين، ونحن نريد استمراره، وهو سعيد بتواجده في بيراميدز، وأسامة جلال لاعب هائل وصادفه سوء حظ بسبب الإصابة وفتحنا التفاوض معه ومع وكيله وفي أقرب فرصة ملف أسامة سيكون منتهيًا”.

Wolverhampton Wanderers fans would have been largely encouraged by their side’s first 45 minutes post-Vitor Pereira, as the Old Gold were holding Enzo Maresca’s Chelsea to a tense 0-0 stalemate.

However, after Malo Gusto opened the scoring for the Blues early into the second half, it ended up being one-way traffic as the West Londoners picked up their sixth Premier League win of the season, which, in turn, consigned the lowly visitors to their depressing ninth defeat of the campaign.

Journalist Nathan Judah stated at the final whistle that the West Midlands outfit are “destined” to be in the Championship next season, and it’s hard to dispute this claim, with Wolves still stuck at the bottom of the unforgiving division on just two points.

It will be up to Rob Edwards to somehow steer the sinking ship back on course, with their replacement for Pereira ditching the luxuries of being in a promotion race in the EFL with Middlesbrough, for an intense relegation dog-fight in the top-flight.

Interim manager James Collins did state that he thinks Wolves can stay up, despite their pitiful start, after the dust had settled on the 3-0 defeat, as Edwards assesses what players he will stick by and what players he will ditch after the Saturday night loss.

Edwards' immediate selection dilemmas at Wolves

Watching the Chelsea defeat in great detail, the former Luton Town manager will surely stick with Sam Johnstone in between the sticks.

Without Johnstone in goal, Wolves would have been on the receiving end of a far worse battering, with five saves in total picked up by the ex-West Bromwich Albion goalkeeper. He had become Pereira’s first choice over Jose Sa, and that looks unlikely to change.

Hwang Hee-Chan might find his starting spot is on shaky ground, though. He didn’t register a single shot on Robert Sanchez’s goal, with Edwards hoping that his strike partner on the day, Jorgen Strand Larsen, finds his goalscoring mojo again when he enters the Molineux dug-out, as another goalless display passed him by.

While the forward line desperately needs to improve, something needs to drastically change with the backline in front of Johnstone, with Wolves now conceding a horrific 25 goals after the Chelsea defeat, making them the leakiest team in the entire division.

In particular, this ropey Old Gold defender could already be on borrowed time heading into the brand-new Edwards’ era, even with previous shouts from Gary O’Neil, stating he is an “incredible” talent to work with.

Wolves defender is on borrowed time under Edwards

O’Neil was chosen as the first immediate name to replace Pereira, only for advanced talks to go awry last minute.

No doubt, if his return to the Molineux hot-seat did come true, he would have stuck by Toti Gomes, based on his prior adoration, with the Portuguese centre-back also shining under Pereira’s reign in flashes.

During the early days of Pereira’s stint, as Wolves-based content creator Ryan Leister put it, the Old Gold were a far “better side” with him placed in the starting XI.

Indeed, this is backed up by some mightily impressive numbers, with Gomes winning a commanding 18 duels at the end of December last year against Leicester City and Manchester United to secure Pereira his first two league victories in the West Midlands.

In the here and now, however, Gomes looks a shadow of his former self, as the £25k-per-week defender let Gusto have all the time in the world to head the Blues into a one-goal lead, among other shoddy moments from his lacklustre day at the office, which also saw him win no tackles or aerial duels.

Toti Gomes’ decline at Wolves
Stat (* = per 90 mins)	24/25	25/26
Games played	30	8
Goals scored	0	0
Assists	1	0
Touches*	68.1	53.6
Accurate passes*	46.5 (87%)	37.6 (87%)
Tackles*	2.0	1.0
Ball recoveries*	3.7	3.3
Clearances*	4.7	2.6
Total duels won*	4.8	3.0
Clean sheets	8	0
Stats by Sofascore

With Edwards priding himself on making his former Luton side more “difficult” to break down – as Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta put it – he is likely to want to axe Gomes based on his porous performances so far this season, regardless of his impressive showings under previous regimes, and when Pereira was at his peak in the Molineux dug-out.

Of course, that isn’t to say Gomes will be completely written off, as Edwards attempts to get a tune out of those who are visibly faltering and can do better.

But, it might be beneficial for the underperforming number 24 to be removed from the starting XIs initially when Edwards enters the building, as the 42-year-old attempts to inject some much-needed fight into his downtrodden troops.

Manager's future takes twist after advanced Wolves talks and "dramatic U-turn"

He held discussions with the Molineux side.

By
Emilio Galantini

Nov 8, 2025

Stuttgart are bracing for a decisive summer as interest intensifies in Angelo Stiller, with Real Madrid, Manchester United, Liverpool, Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund monitoring his situation. Stuttgart director Fabian Wohlgemuth accepts that there is growing interest in the midfielder, but insists there have been no concrete proposals from other clubs.

• The growing chase for Angelo Stiller

  Stuttgart find themselves at the centre of one of Europe’s most intriguing transfer stories, as Stiller’s remarkable rise continues to attract elite clubs. The 24-year-old deep-lying playmaker has been linked for months with Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund and a host of Premier League sides.

  Sporting director Wohlgemuth, speaking on , attempted to steady the growing speculation. “He has a contract with us. It’s far too early to speculate about that,” he said when asked about potential summer departures. “Of course, one or two clubs will have had their eye on him. He's having an outstanding season. Maybe he'll even play in a World Cup, we'll see. We're happy he's with us.”

  Despite the calm public tone, Stuttgart privately accept that Stiller has reached a level that naturally draws heavyweight attention, especially after a season in which his influence has been impossible to ignore.

Advertisement

• Getty Images
  

  Europe’s elite are circling Stiller

  The Spanish giants, undergoing a period of midfield transition following the departures of Toni Kroos and Luka Modric in consecutive seasons, identified Stiller as a long-term organiser capable of anchoring the Bernabeu midfield for years.

  Stiller himself is reported to favour Madrid over Premier League projects, viewing Los Blancos as the ideal next step. While no formal bid has been made, Madrid’s informal approach in 2025 has kept the story simmering.

  Reports from Spain note that head coach Xabi Alonso views Stiller as a natural successor to Kroos being a calm, technically immaculate deep-lying conductor who controls rhythm rather than relying on physical explosiveness. Alonso had monitored him closely during his time at Bayer Leverkusen and is said to have personally endorsed him as a 'priority target' for Madrid’s future core.

  But Madrid are not alone. The Red Devils and Liverpool have monitored him closely, while Bayern, the club where he was developed, and Dortmund have both discussed internal strategies for 2026. For a midfielder who arrived from Hoffenheim for €5.5 million in 2023, Stiller’s trajectory has been nothing short of meteoric.

• Breakout season and Stiller's rising value

  Stiller’s appeal is grounded in a remarkable 2024-25 season, which established him as one of Europe’s most complete young midfielders. Across all competitions, he made 47 appearances, scoring four goals and providing 11 assists which are extraordinary numbers for a deep-lying playmaker.

  His influence extended beyond individual brilliance. Stiller played a decisive role in Stuttgart’s DFB-Pokal triumph, anchoring midfield throughout their cup run. Further, his form earned him five caps for the German national team following his debut in 2024.

  Since joining Stuttgart from Hoffenheim 2023, his market value has multiplied, and European interest reflects just how quickly he has risen from promising talent to elite-level organiser. This season the German international has scored one goal and registered five assists.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• Getty
  

  Contracts, clauses and what next?

  Stuttgart moved early to secure Stiller’s future, offering an improved extension in early 2025 that runs until 2028 and elevates him to one of the club’s top earners. The contract includes a release clause estimated around €40m, though it does not activate until summer 2026. Crucially, Stuttgart also hold an internal option to buy out the clause for around €2m, meaning they could remove it at any time and negotiate freely with interested clubs.

  Despite this, Stuttgart’s internal valuation sits much higher. Reports in Germany suggest the club would demand at least €50m if approached before 2026, especially given the global interest. Wohlgemuth acknowledges the persistent speculation but insists the club remain calm: “That’s part of the entertainment we have to cover. But there’s nothing concrete. He can concentrate fully on Stuttgart.”

  Stiller, meanwhile, remains committed to Stuttgart’s project, but has also made no secret of his ambition to take the next step when the timing is right. With major clubs preparing summer strategies, the coming transfer window may be decisive. If Madrid, United or Liverpool formalise their interest, Stuttgart will face a pivotal decision over one of Germany’s most coveted midfielders.

Trent Rockets concluded their campaign with a third successive win, Nat Sciver-Brunt’s third half-century of the competition setting up a nervy three-wicket victory over Birmingham Phoenix to nudge her team up to fourth in the table.Sciver-Brunt finished as the leading run-scorer in last summer’s women’s competition and the England skipper’s thrilling innings of 52 from 29 balls at Trent Bridge moved her up to second place in this season’s batting charts, behind Meg Lanning of Oval Invincibles.After the Rockets had been set 124 for victory, Em Arlott clean bowled the dangerous Bryony Smith for 10 with a superb slower yorker but Sciver-Brunt was quickly into her stride, sharing a second-wicket stand of 46 with Grace Scrivens (16) before Scrivens holed out to Arlott off the impressive Phoebe Brett.Ash Gardner struck two quick boundaries before falling to Megan Schutt via a stunning catch in the deep by Ailsa Lister and the Rockets threatened to implode when Sciver-Brunt chipped to extra cover off Hannah Baker immediately after bringing up her fifty and Brett dismissed Heather Graham and Ellie Threlkeld in the space of four deliveries, the young left-arm spinner finishing with figures of 3-19 as the hosts slipped to 109-6.Alana King made a crucial 9 to settle the nerves a little and when she edged behind off Schutt (2-24), courtesy of a superb catch from Amy Jones, it was left to Jodi Grewcock to hit the winning boundary with three balls to spare, securing a first home win of the season for the Rockets.Earlier, Emma Lamb’s second half-century of the competition had steered the Phoenix to 123-6, the England opener batting through the innings to finish unbeaten on 56 from 42.It was tough work at times for Lamb, who struck five boundaries, but she played judiciously as the Rockets’ high-class spin triumvirate of Kirstie Gordon (2-24), King (1-21) and Gardner (1-18) served up very few loose deliveries.Ellyse Perry (14), Marie Kelly (14) and Lister (12 off 6) played useful cameos to help push the visitors up to a competitive target but ultimately it wasn’t enough to prevent them slipping to a sixth defeat in eight.Sciver-Brunt, the Meerkat Match Hero, said: “I would have liked to be there at the end and made it a bit calmer for everybody but it wasn’t to be. In the three games I have made runs that’s not been the case, so that’s something to think about in future.”As a batting group, we’ve always said if we can get ahead of the game, try and stay ahead of the game. That was the tempo I wanted to go at. Getting out at that point, had we not been ahead of the game as we were, it probably would have been even more stressful.”It’s always nice to win at your home ground in front of your home fans and we haven’t been able to do that until today. The wicket is quite specific, it’s quite slow, and we probably didn’t adapt to that as quickly as we wanted to.”

Nottingham Forest haven’t enjoyed a positive start to life under Ange Postecoglou and a key update on his future has now emerged from the City Ground.

Nottingham Forest suffer damaging Europa League defeat

The fairytale return of Nottingham Forest to the European scene was a just reward for an excellent campaign last term. However, their shock 3-2 defeat at home to FC Midtjylland was a stark reminder of the frailties present within Postecoglou’s side.

Despite being alive in the majority of the Australian’s matches so far, conceding at awkward times has led to six games without a win under the former Celtic boss, breeding an elevated level of pressure on him to get it right in the East Midlands.

Speaking post-match, Postecoglou remained unbothered by chants calling for his dismissal, claiming that nothing surprises him in football anymore.

He said: “I heard it. They’re fans, they want to see their team win, and they’re entitled to their opinion. Nothing surprises me in football any more. We’ve just got to keep going. There is no hiding in the sport we’re in. Got to keep your head up and recover. We have a tough game against Newcastle at the weekend.”

With high-profile pundits such as Tim Howard among his detractors, Postecoglou has work to do in order to prove the doubters wrong, but that sort of challenge saw him win the Europa League last term, hence why it would be premature to count him out.

Nottingham Forest star fumes at something he's "never seen" before vs Sunderland

The Tricky Trees are still yet to find a victory under Ange Postecoglou.

BySean Markus Clifford Sep 28, 2025

Newcastle United await on Sunday and won’t be an easy outfit to overcome. Nevertheless, their indifferent start to the Premier League season may offer a sliver of hope to the travelling supporters.

Either way, a change in mood is needed at the City Ground, though how are the Nottingham Forest hierarchy feeling about Postecoglou’s situation? Fabrizio Romano has delivered an update on that front.

Fabrizio Romano on how Nottingham Forest view Ange Postecoglou

Writing in his GIVEMESPORT newsletter, Romano has confirmed Nottingham Forest are being patient with Postecoglou and believe that he simply needs time to adapt before results improve at the City Ground.

Truthfully, Postecoglou is between a bit of a rock and a hard place, though he is certainly made of strong stuff and has shown he has the thick skin to come through adversity.

However, his side need to find a level of stability, as two draws and four defeats isn’t going to cut it if Nottingham Forest want to survive. Making their priorities clear, Evangelos Marinakis and company are opting to keep the faith for now.

أكد فيرجيل فان دايك، قائد نادي ليفربول، على أهمية مواجهة فريقه أمام كريستال بالاس اليوم الأربعاء بـ”كأس كاراباو”، موضحًا أن الريدز يجب أن يظهر رد فعل فوري ويجب أن يبدأ من لقاء اليوم.

ليفربول عانى الأمرين خلال الفترة الأخيرة من هذا الموسم، بعد الهزائم المتتالية والتي كانت آخرها ضد برينتفورد 3-2 بالدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز.

وقال فان دايك في حديثه لموقع ليفربول الرسمي: ”رسالتي قبل هذه المباراة بسيطة، سنبقى متحدين مهما كانت الظروف”.

وأضاف: “نعلم أن هذه لحظة صعبة، وأن النتائج والأداء ليسا كما نتمناه وهذا سيؤدي إلى ضغوط وتدقيق وانتقادات من الخارج”.

وأوضح: ”نحن نتقبل ذلك، عندما تلعب لنادي مثل ليفربول فإن ذلك يتطلب معايير وتوقعات معينة، لذا، عندما لا ترقى إلى مستوى تلك المعايير ولا تلبي التوقعات، عليك أن تواجه ما سيأتي وهكذا هي الأمور”.

وأردف: “ثم عليك أن تظهر رد الفعل الصحيح، عليك أن تراجع نفسك وأن تظهر القوة والشخصية وأن تعمل بجد، وأن تجد طريقةً للتعافي، هذا بالضبط ما سنسعى إليه هذا المساء”.

وتابع: “كان يوم السبت مخيباً للآمال للغاية، بالطبع بعد أن قدمنا أداءً جيداً في فرانكفورت بدوري أبطال أوروبا، أردنا أن نحاول البناء على ذلك في برينتفورد، للأسف لم نتمكن من ذلك، والخسارة بهذه الطريقة كانت صعبة علينا، لا شك في ذلك”.

اقرأ أيضًا.. سلوت قبل مواجهة ليفربول وكريستال بالاس: لا توجد أعذار لنا ومسؤوليتنا أن نصحح الوضع الحالي

وواصل: “لكن الشيء الجيد في كرة القدم عالية المستوى هو أن هناك دائماً مباراة أخرى قادمة بسرعة وفرصة أخرى لتصحيح الأمور، لا وقت للشعور بالأسف على نفسك، خاصة وأنت تمثل هذا النادي”.

وقال: “يجب أن يبدأ ويظهر رد فعلنا الآن، لقد قلت هذا مراراً وتكراراً، لكن كل شيء يبدأ بالعمل الجاد والتواضع والتكاتف، نحن فريق واحد وعلينا أن نظهر ذلك في السراء والضراء، إذا فعلنا ذلك فأنا واثق من قدرتنا على تجاوز هذه الفترة الصعبة”.

وأضاف: ”مبارياتنا الثلاث القادمة ستكون على أرضنا وعلينا استغلال ذلك لصالحنا، أنفيلد مكان لا يرغب أي فريق في اللعب فيه ولهذا نحتاج من الجميع، لاعبين وجهازًا فنيًا والجماهير أن يكونوا في أفضل حالاتهم، بدءًا من الليلة”.

وأوضح: ”نعلم أن كريستال بالاس فريق جيد وسيصعبون علينا الأمور، كما فعلوا في جميع مبارياتنا الأخيرة، نعرف ما نتوقعه منهم وعلينا أن نكون مستعدين لذلك”.

وأردف فان دايك: ”كأس كاراباو بطولة أكسبتنا ذكريات رائعة على مر السنين، ونريد أن نتقدم إلى أقصى حد ممكن هذا الموسم”.

واختتم: ”والأهم من ذلك كله، نريد أن نضع خيبة أمل يوم السبت خلفنا وأن نعود إلى سكة الانتصارات وأن نقدم لكم جميعًا شيئًا يفرح قلوبكم، معًا، دعونا نظهر الرد الصائب اليوم”.

The Lewis family are making big plans behind-the-scenes at Tottenham, as ENIC prepare for life beyond chairman Daniel Levy.

Levy has been the face of Spurs’ day-to-day running for the last 24 years, and often the subject of real criticism, before Tottenham’s shocking announcement on Thursday last week that the 63-year-old resigned from his post as executive chairman.

While it was a technically a resignation of his own accord, the consensus is that ENIC pushed Levy out of the door, and it is even believed that the ex-chair didn’t find out he was going to resign until just hours before Tottenham made it official (The Times).

Levy was a polarising figure among the Lilywhites fanbase, often finding himself at the centre of mass ENIC protests towards the end of his tenure in particular, but it cannot be understated that he helped to transform Spurs into a financial powerhouse.

Real Madrid

£1.2 billion

Man City

£727 million

PSG

£700 million

Man United

£668 million

Bayern Munich

£664 million

FC Barcelona

£659.5 million

Arsenal

£621.5 million

Liverpool

£620 million

Tottenham Hotspur

£533 million

Chelsea

£474 million

Levy oversaw Tottenham’s move to their state-of-the-art new stadium and training facilities, which has gifted the club a far greater commercial appeal off the field, and you could even argue that they were more successful on the pitch in comparison to Sir Alan Sugar’s era leading Spurs.

However, the departure of Levy has now ushered in a new era for the north Londoners, with the Lewis Family’s restructuring of the board attracting serious investment interest from parties in Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the USA (TEAMtalk).

ENIC’s owners are also determined to bring more success after Tottenham won their first major trophy in 17 years back in May.

Now, Sky Sports reporter Kaveh Solhekol has shared how they could be planning to do just that.

ENIC plot transfer statement in boost for Tottenham post-Daniel Levy

Speaking on Sky, Solhekol states that ENIC are plotting a cash injection into Tottenham, and this could be used on transfers to help them compete for silverware.

Thomas Frank could be set for an almighty boost by this message, as the Dane seeks to eventually transform Spurs into eventual Premier League challengers.

Liverpool’s summer transfer window shows no signs of slowing down.

Having already brought in Jeremie Frimpong, Milos Kerkez, Florian Wirtz and Hugo Ekitike, the Premier League champions continue to fine-tune their squad under Arne Slot.

The Dutchman, who delivered the title in his first season at Anfield, knows that the competition at the top of English football is fiercer than ever.

With Darwin Núñez and Luis Díaz both departing and Federico Chiesa alongside teenage sensation Rio Ngumoha providing depth from the bench, the Merseyside club remain active in reshaping their attack.

Their pursuit of Newcastle’s Alexander Isak – which could cost upwards of £130m – has dominated headlines.

Yet behind the Swedish international’s saga, another intriguing story is developing.

If Harvey Elliott seals his proposed switch to RB Leipzig, Liverpool are ready to test Aston Villa’s resolve over one of their brightest talents.

Liverpool prepare move for Premier League talent

According to Football Insider, Liverpool have set their sights on 23-year-old Morgan Rogers, with PSR potentially forcing the Midlands club into at least one major sale before the window closes.

The attacking midfielder – once described by journalist Jacob Tanswell as “a machine” – is valued at around £80m, a figure that reflects his rapid rise.

Liverpool’s interest is also closely tied to Elliott’s future.

The England Under-21 international has slipped down the pecking order at Anfield and is the subject of strong interest from Leipzig, who are pushing to close a deal believed to be worth between £45 – 50m.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

Should Elliott depart, the report suggests that Liverpool are ready to make an approach for Rogers late in the window. The Villa man is viewed as the perfect replacement: a versatile creative force with Premier League experience and the athleticism to thrive in Slot’s pressing system. T

Rogers has been on a sharp upward trajectory since leaving Manchester City in 2023 in search of first-team football.

A short but productive spell at Middlesbrough convinced Aston Villa to secure his services for £8m, and the Midlands side were richly rewarded.

Last season, the Birmingham-born midfielder played 54 times in all competitions, including 37 in the league, producing 8 goals and 11 assists.

His impact extended into Europe too, where he scored four times and set up three in Villa’s run to the Champions League quarter-finals.

Such performances earned him a place in Thomas Tuchel’s most recent England squad and alerted top clubs across the Premier League.

Tottenham are also circling, but Liverpool’s readiness to act swiftly – combined with Villa’s need to balance their books – makes Anfield a very possible destination.

Why Rogers could be the bigger prize than Alexander Isak

While much attention is understandably focused on Liverpool’s pursuit of Isak, the case for prioritising Rogers is compelling.

At 25, the Swede is a proven Premier League striker who scored 23 goals and provided six assists last term.

Matches Played

34

Goals

23

Assists

6

Progressive Carries

83

Progressive Passes

88

He would be an immediate headline arrival but prising him from Newcastle requires a mammoth bid of around £130m.

In contrast, Rogers represents a younger, more malleable option, whose all-round game may prove just as valuable over the long term.

Statistically, the comparison between the two is closer than many might expect.

Rogers contributed to 18 goals across all competitions in 2024/25, while Isak managed 29.

Yet when examining progressive actions – the hallmark of a modern forward in possession-heavy systems – the Villa man stands out.

According to FBref, he averaged 3.29 progressive carries and 3.55 progressive passes per 90 minutes, compared to Isak’s 2.71 and 2.88 respectively.

His creative spark is further underlined by a near-identical output in shot-creating actions: 3.04 per 90, edging the Swede’s 3.01.

Where Isak excels is in direct finishing.

The 25-year-old averaged over three shots per game, hitting the target with an impressive 43.2% accuracy.

Rogers, by contrast, attempts fewer efforts but contributes heavily in build-up, completing more passes on average (19.2 compared to Isak’s 17.0) and progressing the ball further with his distribution.

For Slot, who demands flexibility and interchanging roles across the front line, such traits could make the 23-year-old the more strategic fit.

There is also the question of squad balance. With Ekitike, Chiesa and Ngumoha providing a blend of direct running and finishing, Liverpool may not need another pure goalscorer.

What they arguably lack is another creative midfielder who can link attack and midfield while chipping in with goals.

Rogers fits that profile precisely.

Furthermore, the financial equation tilts in favour of the Aston Villa man. An £80m outlay, though substantial, is considerably less than the nine-figure sum required for Isak.

Given that Liverpool have already invested heavily this summer, spreading resources across multiple signings rather than one marquee addition may prove more sustainable.

Ultimately, whether Elliott’s departure to Leipzig materialises could be the decisive factor. Should that door open, Rogers is primed to step through it.

With his athleticism, intelligence in possession and growing pedigree at both domestic and European level, he may not only be a solution to Liverpool’s immediate needs but also a long-term cornerstone.

Slot and his recruitment team must now weigh their options carefully.

Isak would be the blockbuster arrival, but Rogers may turn out to be the smarter investment – a player capable of shaping Liverpool’s next era with the energy and versatility that has already made him indispensable at Villa Park.

Imagine him & Isak: Liverpool prepare last-minute offer for £100m "machine"

Liverpool are looking to complete a deal for a Premier League midfielder before Monday’s deadline.

1 ByAngus Sinclair Aug 30, 2025

Sciver-Brunt’s second consecutive fifty made sure Mumbai kept a perfect 5-0 record against Giants

Ashish Pant18-Feb-2025

Hayley Matthews starred with three wickets•BCCI

There was an air of inevitability right from the time a beaming Harmanpreet Kaur won the toss and elected to bowl in Mumbai Indians’ second match of WPL 2025 against Gujarat Giants. Teams chasing had won every single game so far this season. Couple that with Mumbai’s 4-0 record against Giants coming into this match and odds were stacked heavily in Mumbai’s favour.And the game panned out accordingly.Hayley Matthews’ frugal three-wicket squeeze backed up by two-wicket hauls from Nat-Sciver Brunt and Amelia Kerr helped bowl out Giants for 120. Sciver-Brunt then continued her stellar run with the bat, scoring her second fifty on the bounce to shepherd Mumbai’s chase.She finished with 57 off 39 balls as Mumbai chased down the target by five wickets and 23 balls to spare. The win not only helped Mumbai open their account in WPL 2025, but also extended their lead over Giants to 5-0. Giants are now the only side in the tournament to not have a single win against a particular team.Giants’ powerplay malfunctionHarmanpreet spoke at the toss about capitalising in the first few overs before the dew set in. She went pace from both ends up top and the move paid dividend with Sciver-Brunt accounting for Beth Mooney, who sliced a simple catch to Sanskriti Gupta at backward point in the second over.Shabnim Ismail then got rid of Laura Woolvardt, whose lofted drive could only go as far as S Sajana stationed perfectly at deep cover. That reduced Giants to 14 for 2, which four balls later became 16 for 3 when Matthews sent back D Hemalatha whose across-the-line heave was caught wonderfully by Kerr sprinting to her left from deep midwicket.Ashleigh Gardner, Giants’ wrecker-in-chief in the first two matches, started fluently again striking a four and six but was undone by a Sciver-Brunt slower delivery which she mistimed to Sajana at deep midwicket.At 28 for 4 after six overs, Giants couldn’t have asked for a worse start. This was their third-lowest powerplay score in the WPL and comfortably the lowest for any team this season. What also hurt Giants were the sheer number of dot balls at the start. Twenty-six of the 36 balls in the powerplay were dots, the joint-most in WPL history.Nat Sciver-Brunt used the scoop again•BCCI

Deol fights, no one else doesIt might be a case of Giants worrying about the dew later on or just them not trusting their defence enough that despite the fall of wickets, the batters continued going for their shots. Deandra Dottin got going with a reverse sweep, but a wild mow across the line off Kerr brought about her downfall, with Yastika Bhatia executing a quick stumping.Kashvee Gautam, like many of her team-mates, started strong smashing debutant Parul Sisodia for two fours and then lifted Ismail for a six over long-on, but like the others, flattered to deceive edging Matthews behind.In all this, Harleen Deol stood tall. She played the waiting game, but did not let any scoring opportunities go. The sweep became her ally as she breached the gaps with consistency during her 31-ball 32.But the wickets continued to fall at the other end and when Deol departed with the score on 103 for 8 in the 17th over, the end was nigh. However, Sayali Satghare and Priya Mishra ensured that Giants played out their full quota of 20 overs.For Mumbai, Matthews was miserly in her four-over spell going for just 16. She bowled 16 dot balls in her spell, as did Sciver-Brunt while 19 of the 24 balls that Ismail bowled were dots.Sciver-Brunt’s flawless fifty in MI’s first winComing into the tournament, there were questions raised on Sciver-Brunt’s form considering she had a relatively quiet Ashes. In a matter of two innings, she’s brushed aside the doubters.A 121-chase was never going to be daunting. Matthews started fluently, striking three fours but ended up smashing a rank long-hop from Tanuja Kanwar straight to Deol at square leg. If Giants were entertaining any thoughts of a collapse, Sciver-Brunt shut that down quickly.She got going with a fierce pull first ball and it was one-way traffic thereon. Dottin was crashed through point before Priya Mishra was pulled through square leg twice in three balls. While Bhatia fell mistiming Mishra to long-on and Harmanpreet was trapped in front by Kashvee, Sciver-Brunt stood like an immovable force.It was not just power but also precision and the ability to find gaps at will that kept Sciver-Brunt going. She added a 45-run stand with Kerr off 38 balls to take Mumbai closer. She took 34 balls to collect her fifty before falling just seven runs shy of the target. G Kamalini, on debut, struck her first ball for four while Sajana finished the game by depositing Dottin over mid-off to give Mumbai their first win of WPL 2025.The win has taken Mumbai to second place on the points table while Giants’ NRR has taken a hit, though they are in third place.