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With the BBL set to explore privatisation, Smith says SA20 will look to continue to “dominate” in the southern hemisphere

Firdose Moonda18-Aug-2025The SA20 organisers believe they have established enough of a foothold not to be threatened by the BBL’s aim to become the second-biggest league in the world after the IPL, according to commissioner Graeme Smith.The SA20, which will begin its fourth season on Boxing Day this year and has IPL ownership across all six franchises, has the second-highest salary cap after the IPL of R41 million (US$2.31 million). By that measure, it could be regarded as the next-best league in the global game and with a marquee auction scheduled for September 9, Smith explained they plan to stay that way.”When we started we were built up against the ILT20 and Big Bash and we set ourselves big ambitions upfront,” Smith told ESPNcricinfo ahead of the closing of player registration for the auction. “In the southern hemisphere window we want to dominate and we want to be the biggest league outside the IPL. Three years in, we’ve set the standard. Every decision we make is around making sure that we uphold those standards. I expect there will be a top number of leagues that will elevate themselves in a calendar cycle and that will be the priority for players, investors and fans. Our ambitions are to remain right at the top of that alongside IPL.Related

• CA exploring BBL investment 'unashamedly' to be second behind IPL

• BBL privatisation and later start among recommendations

• SA20: Markram heads to the auction ahead of 2026 season

Smith’s comments come less than two weeks after CA CEO Todd Greenberg told that his board would “unashamedly” chase second spot by exploring privatisation. “It’s going to be very hard to chase the IPL, given the scale of cricket in India, but unashamedly, we want to run a league that comes second. And to do that we’re going to need to make sure that player availability and player salaries are commensurate with everything else that goes on around the world, and there’s one thing you need for that, you need money, you need investment. We’d be naive if we weren’t asking ourselves these questions and making sure we’ve got an eye on what’s next,” Greenberg said.The BBL’s move to seek private investment will make it the last of the established leagues to look for funding outside of board structures. The Hundred is the most recent to make the same moves, with deals for six out of their eight teams finalised ahead of next season. While happenings in the Hundred do not affect the SA20 because it is played in a different window, the BBL clashes with the SA20, which could mean a clash over status and crucially, player availability.Again, Smith had reason to be bullish. While the BBL is played at the same time as Australia’s international summer and so does not have Test players fully available, all South Africa’s national and domestically contracted players will prioritise the SA20, even if at the expense of international games. South Africa sent an understrength Test side to New Zealand last year, as an example of this policy in action. At the time, it drew criticism, but with South Africa going on to win the World Test Championship final, Smith sees it as proof that formats can co-exist if the planning is right.”Everyone was worried that we were going to destroy Test cricket but we’ve seen our national team go on a few years later to win the World Test Championship final. We’ve all played our role in the ecosystem,” he said. “We’ve been part of bringing gravitas back to South African cricket, seeing new fans come back to the game and new energy.”Graeme Smith expects a strong England presence in the upcoming SA20 season too•Sportzpics

At the same time, the SA20 also attracts internationals from other countries and last year had several English Test players, who had the winter off, join the tournament. This season, with the Ashes on, could be different but Smith still anticipates a strong contingent.”In the first two seasons we saw a lot of the England white-ball players come through and then with the FTP ebbing and flowing every year that changes,” he said. “So this year with the Ashes, we see some of those white ball players come back and maybe the Test players won’t form part of this season. The Ashes finishes on the ninth (of January, 2026). I don’t know if some of their players will form part of replacement lists but we’ve seen the likes of a Jos Butler come back into the tournament this year as an example.”Buttler, who played for Paarl Royals in the first two seasons, has been pre-signed by Durban’s Super Giants for the fourth season. Each franchise was allowed a maximum of six retentions or pre-signed players ahead of the new season. Of the 36 spots available, only a third (13) have been filled by South African players which Smith believes will create a lively auction. “I expected a lot more top South African players to pre-sign and that didn’t happen,” he said. “From our perspective it’s set up a very exciting auction with a very big purse.”The fourth season of the SA20 will be played over the festive period as South Africa do not host any home Tests this summer. Matches will not be played on any of the new drop-in pitches which are planned for the 2027 ODI World Cup but Smith hopes the lack of cricket this season will result in surfaces with a bit more life in them compared to last year, when they showed signs of wear.”The pitches last year didn’t play as well as we would have liked and it’s something that’s being worked on in terms of revamping stadiums and facilities ahead of the World Cup,” he said. “We’re working closely with Cricket South Africa in terms of improving the quality of stadiums, lights and pitches. Everything is a big work in progress behind the scenes.”The SA20 auction will take place in Johannesburg on September 9. Player registration for the auction closes on Monday, August 18.

This season is shaping up very nicely for Chelsea at the moment.

Enzo Maresca’s side are second in the Premier League and have the chance to cut Arsenal’s lead to just three points on Sunday.

Then in Europe, they sent a warning out to the rest of the sides in the Champions League with their thumping 3-0 win over Barcelona, a game in which Estevao shone once again.

Maresca and Co will have a chance to make Chelsea’s season even better once the transfer window reopens in just over a month, not just by signing players, but by selling one who once looked like Estevao when he was a youngster.

Estevao's sensational start to life at Chelsea

The expectations placed upon Estevao have been monumental for quite some time now, to the point that respected analyst Ben Mattinson labelled him a “future Ballon d’Or winner” months before Chelsea even signed him.

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Since then, the hype surrounding him has only grown, thanks in large part to his fine form in Brazil, where he produced 17 goal involvements in 37 games last season.

Even so, few would have expected the start to this season he has had.

The youngster is not only playing a decent number of minutes, but he’s chipping in with important goals and has already shown a hugely impressive ability to get the fans on their feet.

So far, the 18-year-old has scored five goals and provided one assist for the Blues in 17 appearances, totalling 740 minutes.

That comes out to an excellent average of a goal involvement every 2.83 games, or every 123.33 minutes, which would be commendable for a seasoned veteran, let alone a teenager.

The Franca-born wonderkid has been so effective this year that fans and pundits have actually spoken about him being a particular threat to league-leading Arsenal ahead of Sunday’s game.

However, while Chelsea should be delighted with their new wonderkid, they also need to find a way to sell one of their biggest duds, who once looked like Estevao when he was first breaking through.

The Chelsea flop who needs to be sold

Chelsea have become quite good at moving on players they don’t want in recent years, but even then, a couple remain in the bomb squad who are proving tricky to sell, like Raheem Sterling.

The former Manchester City star joined the club in 2022, and while he’s had moments for the club in which he’s looked excellent, they’ve only ever been that, moments.

Moreover, while his tally of 19 goals and 15 assists in 81 games isn’t terrible, he’s never really put together a string of impressive performances, which is why he was allowed to join Arsenal on loan last year.

Unfortunately, that move only made the situation worse, as he ended up scoring just a single goal and providing five assists in 28 games for the Gunners, and was labelled a “passenger” by journalist Charles Watts.

Since returning to Stamford Bridge, the 30-year-old has been left to train separately from the first team, and with a weekly wage of £325k, that is far from ideal.

It is a serious shame that things have not worked out for the former England international, as before his move south, he was one of the best players in the league.

For example, during his time at the Etihad, he scored 131 goals and provided 86 assists in 339 appearances and won four league titles.

He was even a brilliant player for Liverpool, making his debut in the 11/12 season, but making his name in the 13/14 season, when, like Estevao now, he was just 18 years old.

In that season, the Kingston-born phenom managed to rack up an incredible tally of ten goals and seven assists in 38 appearances, totalling 2535 minutes, which is an average of a goal involvement every 2.23 games, or every 149.11 minutes.

It wasn’t just the goals, though, as, like the Brazilian, he was a serious threat with the ball at his feet, thanks in part to his speed and close control.

Ultimately, Sterling will go down as a legend of the Premier League, but for the sake of all parties, Chelsea need to sell him in January, even if they barely get anything.

The original Estevao: Chelsea lead race to sign "best player in the world"

Chelsea could sign the original Estevao for a mega-money fee.

By
Jack Salveson Holmes

Nov 28, 2025

Everton are now reportedly racing to sign a La Liga star ahead of both Leeds United and Juventus in the January transfer window.

Everton join race to sign Conor Gallagher

La Liga seems to be where it’s at for Everton ahead of the January transfer window, with reports now claiming that they’ve joined the race to sign Conor Gallagher.

The Ateltico Madrid midfielder has put the Premier League on high alert as he looks to leave the Spanish club this winter, and Everton could yet secure his signature.

A move for the England international would highlight the progress that the Toffees have made since moving into the Hill Dickinson Stadium. Currently sat 10th, David Moyes’ side are just three points off Chelsea in fourth and there’s every chance that they could push for a shock European place if their current form continues.

It’s worth noting that Gallagher’s not the only one on Friedkin’s radar ahead of January, either. The Toffees are in search of reinforcements across the pitch, perhaps starting with their frontline.

Whilst Thierno Barry is beginning to show glimpses of his quality, he remains without a goal after securing a £27m move from Villarreal in the summer. As such, Everton have reportedly set their sights on signing Franculino Dju ahead of Bayern Munuch.

Then comes the task of adding to Moyes’ backline and that has reportedly seen club chiefs turn their focus towards welcoming impressive Real Betis centre-back Natan.

Everton join race to sign Natan

As reported in Spain, Everton are now ready to compete in the race to sign Natan against both Leeds United and Juventus. The Real Betis defender has impressed in La Liga this season and is set to cost any potential suitor around €40m (£35m) in the January transfer window.

Dubbed a “physical” centre-back by Como scout Ben Mattinson, the South American has already played in Italy with Napoli and Spain with Real Betis. Now, a Premier League move could be calling, as Everton and Leeds do battle for his signature.

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Standing at 6’2, the 24-year-old would certainly fit the part at Everton, who have a number of aerial dominators in Moyes’ backline as it is. There’s every chance that Natan would receive the game time that he’s after, too, given that Jarrad Branthwaite continues to struggle with injuries.

If the Toffees are to push into the European places this season then further investment will be the key. Whether it’s Natan, Gallagher or Dju in January, Friedkin would be wise to repeat their summer work and add quality in depth to Moyes’ side this winter.

Everton eyeing up move to sign former-Liverpool star who's been "fantastic"

Will India go with spin-heavy, seam-heavy or find a middle ground?

Karthik Krishnaswamy30-Sep-20252:05

Chopra: A chance for Rahul to ‘right the wrongs’

Barring last-minute injury or illness, this is almost certainly how India will line up in the first Test against West Indies: Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, B Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill, Dhruv Jurel, Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, X, Y, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj.Who X and Y are will mostly come down to conditions. Two days before the Test match, the Ahmedabad pitch wore a healthy cover of grass; while some of it may be shaved off by day one, this is still likely to be a surface with some help for the quicks, which would be a significant departure from the sharp turners that have by and large defined India’s home Tests over the last four years or so.This makes India’s selection tricky, because recent history may have to go out of the window. To make things more complicated, the presence of four allrounders in their squad – of whom Jadeja, Washington and Axar Patel bowl spin and Nitish Kumar Reddy seam – allows them to choose from a mindboggling number of combinations, most of which make cricketing sense in one way or another.Related

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Kuldeep, Axar or neither?The luxury of having a plethora of spin-bowling allrounders has allowed India to play three spinners almost by default in their home Tests. A surface tilted towards seam could prompt a shift to two spinners, who are likely to be Jadeja and Washington, who can both bat in the top seven and turn their stock ball in opposite directions.This would mean India playing neither Kuldeep Yadav nor Axar.If India do go with three spinners, Kuldeep is likely to get the nod, given the variety he adds to the attack with his left-arm wristspin – Axar and Jadeja both bowl left-arm orthodox – and the fact that he needs less help from the surface to be able to test both edges of the bat consistently. He showed this in Dharamsala last year, picking up a day-one five-for against England when India’s fingerspinners found little assistance from the surface, after their seamers had beaten the bat frequently but lucklessly with the new ball.With India already likely to bat solidly down to No. 8, Kuldeep’s wicket-taking ability should outweigh any extra runs Axar may score.Axar, though, cannot be discounted for two reasons. One, Ahmedabad is his hometown, and the scene of three of his five Test-match five-fors (though they came on square turners in his debut series against England in 2021). Two, he has shown even in white-ball cricket that he is becoming a more rounded bowler, delivering with more overspin and pace variation than he used to in the past.Prasidh, Reddy, or both?Bumrah – unless India rest him, which they aren’t likely to in seam-friendly conditions – and Siraj are almost certain to play. Depending on how much grass remains at toss time, there’s a chance that India’s attack includes a third frontline quick in Prasidh Krishna.On Tuesday, Prasidh beat the bat consistently at the nets while getting through a solid bowling workload alongside Siraj and Reddy – Bumrah, Axar and Kuldeep, who have only just landed in India after the Asia Cup, did not bowl in the nets, though Gill, who also played that tournament, batted with the rest of the top order.Prasidh enjoys bowling at the Narendra Modi Stadium, particularly when India and his IPL franchise Gujarat Titans play on its red-soil pitches, which provide plenty of bounce. The pitch for the Test match is a red-soil strip. While Prasidh is yet to play a home Test, and has only played one first-class match at Motera, his white-ball record at the venue makes him a tempting option.He has nine wickets in three ODIs here – all against West Indies, for what it’s worth – at an average of 7.55, and more T20 wickets here (20 at an economy of 7.89) than anywhere else.The other seam option is the Reddy. The flexibility that Jadeja and Washington offer allows India to use Reddy in two ways. As X, his role would lean more towards batting, with either Prasidh or a third spinner taking the Y slot. As Y, he would be expected to shoulder the third seamer’s workload, with India picking a specialist batter in Devdutt Padikkal – or a fourth allrounder in Axar, which you cannot rule out in a team coached by Gautam Gambhir – as X.

As Borussia Dortmund prepare for a defining Bundesliga clash against an in-form Bayer Leverkusen, Niko Kovac is confronted with a growing dilemma with the uncertainty surrounding defender Nico Schlotterbeck. With contract talks stalling and interest from Bayern Munich and Liverpool intensifying, Dortmund now face the risk of losing their key centre-back.

• Kovac hit with Schlotterbeck questions ahead of Leverkusen clash

  The defender, whose contract runs until 2027, remains reluctant to sign an extension, pushing Dortmund into a corner as European giants circle. According to reports, the Dortmund defender is being circled by top European clubs with Bundesliga rivals Bayern also pushing to sign him, while Liverpool reportedly have him on a list of targets, with Ibrahima Konate possibly leaving and questions surrounding Virgil van Dijk's form.

  Dortmund are determined to convince him to stay, but Kovac admits that the situation is out of his control.

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  Kovac’s honest admission and Schlotterbeck's contract stalemate

  During his press conference ahead of the Leverkusen clash, the coach addressed the growing speculation head-on, saying: "I don't know to what extent I can influence things there – other than showing him appreciation. I show him that every day.

  "He knows what we have in him. But he also knows what he has in the club. I'm optimistic, but only time will tell. I'm not a fortune teller. Let's wait and see."

  Schlotterbeck’s hesitation stems from a mix of sporting and strategic concerns. Despite being offered a major salary increase and even the possibility of inheriting the captain’s armband, the defender remains unconvinced about Dortmund’s long-term title prospects and playing style. He previously stated the team “needs to play more football,” making his expectations clear.

  Sporting director Sebastian Kehl reaffirmed Dortmund’s stance that they want the contract situation to be resolved by the Christmas.

  "We are trying to provide conditions that offer Schlotti an attractive environment… Ultimately, a decision will have to be made," said Kehl.

• Bayern’s push, Liverpool’s interest, and the market pressure

  The tension around Schlotterbeck’s future has been amplified by Bayern's situation. Dayot Upamecano’s contract renewal has hit a wall due to a large gap in signing-fee demands. Should Bayern fail to extend him, Schlotterbeck becomes their prime target.

  That possibility has already been reported by , which claims the defender is seriously considering a switch to Munich. His second preferred destination is reportedly the Premier League, with Liverpool monitoring the situation closely.

  Dortmund’s next few matches, including consecutive Bundesliga and DFB-Pokal encounters against Leverkusen, are seen as pivotal. If the club falters while Leverkusen and Bayern accelerate, Schlotterbeck may conclude that his ambitions cannot be met in Dortmund’s current trajectory. After becoming one of the Bundesliga’s top defenders and playing a central role in Dortmund reaching the Champions League final, he now wants to compete consistently for titles.

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  The wider picture for Dortmund

  Dortmund's form has fluctuated in recent weeks with an emphatic 4-0 Champions League win over Villarreal which followed a sharply contested last-minute league draw against Stuttgart. Leverkusen, meanwhile, are thriving under coach Kasper Hjulmand, winning six of their last seven Bundesliga games and coming off a confidence-boosting 2-0 victory over Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium.

  Despite the swirling speculation around Schlotterbeck, Kovac was determined to keep the team focused on football first. He praised Leverkusen’s pace and unpredictability, acknowledged Dortmund’s improvements, and urged realism while still keeping ambitions alive.

  “We need to prepare everything now to be in the mix at the end,” he said, noting the club’s strong Champions League run and potential on all fronts. His assessments of players like Julian Brandt, Fabio Silva, and young defender Aaron Anselmino highlighted the internal progress being made.

  But the truth is unavoidable. Schlotterbeck’s decision will shape Dortmund’s defensive future. If he stays, he could become the team’s highest-paid player and its next captain. If he leaves, Dortmund may be forced into a complete reconstruction of their back line.

Yorkshire 545 for 9 dec (Revis 152*, Lyth 115, Wharton 85) beat Sussex 222 (Lamb 48, Coles 47, White 3-25) and 195 (Hughes 57, Hudson-Prentice 52, Ibrahim 51, Milnes 5-31) by an innings and 128 runsYorkshire completed an innings and 128-run victory over Sussex midway through the fourth afternoon at Scarborough to hoist themselves out of the bottom two places in Division One, in turn dragging their visitors into the Rothesay County Championship relegation fight.Sussex started the final day of this 11th-round clash on 115 for three in their second innings, trailing by 208.On a deteriorating North Marine Road surface, their fate was obvious inside the day’s opening 20 minutes as they lost three wickets for the addition of two runs in the opening 26 balls, teetering on 117 for six.So it proved, even though their resistance through to mid-afternoon was impressive. They were bowled out for 195, including five for 31 from 16.4 overs for new-ball seamer Matt Milnes – his first five-for in the Championship since September 2021 following injury. Fynn Hudson-Prentice finished 52 not out off 156 balls.Yorkshire’s third win yielded 22 points, Sussex’s fourth defeat handing them only two.The gap between the two sides is now just a solitary point ahead of the September run-in. The pair meet again at Hove midway through next month, one of three remaining games.The White Rose have been replaced in ninth place in the table – second-bottom – by Durham, who were beaten at home by Surrey this week. The gap between the two is 12 points.Yorkshire would even go above Essex should their game with Warwickshire at Chelmsford finish drawn.In their last three games, Yorkshire not only face Sussex but Durham as well. They meet at Headingley in the final match of 2025.The hosts made the ideal start to the day.Danial Ibrahim and Daniel Hughes fell, the two not out batters overnight, for 51 and 57 respectively added to the departure of captain John Simpson for a duck.Milnes claimed the first two. Ibrahim was caught low down at second slip by Adam Lyth before Hughes was bowled playing back to one which kept low and scooted through.Simpson was then bowled as he tried to leave alone one angled in from Milnes’ new-ball partner Jack White.Danny Lamb was next to go, caught behind off Will Sutherland’s seam – 143 for seven.Lamb fell chasing a wide ball having added 26 with fellow all-rounder Hudson-Prentice. Sussex needed much, much more.Sussex reached lunch at 166 for seven, Hudson-Prentice with 32.He played handsomely down the ground off seam, even using his feet against White on couple of occasion to find the boundary wide of mid-on.Hudson-Prentice was excellent in becoming Sussex’s third half-centurion of the innings, this coming off 138 balls. By the time he got there midway through the afternoon, Sussex were 188 for seven with 48 overs remaining in the day.He shared 47 for the eighth wicket with Jack Carson, who was the eighth man to fall when caught by diving Lyth at slip low down to his right – 191 for eight.Replays suggest Carson was unfortunate to be given out, confirming the initial impression given by the batter stomping off the field.Things happened quickly from there, with Sussex falling almost 44 overs short of survival.This was Milnes’ first five-wicket haul for Yorkshire as he comes to the end of his third year with the club. His last was for Kent. He has since suffered a nightmare with multiple back stress fractures.But he was excellent here, polishing things off by getting Grinder Sandhu caught at point and then Henry Crocombe caught behind with a beauty for a golden duck.In all, Milnes claimed seven wickets in the match.

Erling Haaland celebrated firing Norway to the brink of 2026 World Cup qualification by making a huge order of cheeseburgers. During the injury-enforced absence of Martin Odegaard, Manchester City striker Haaland is currently captain of his country. One of his responsibilities in that role is ensuring that jubilant team-mates get to dine out on notable performances.

• Norway closing in on first World Cup appearance since 1998

  One of those has seen Norway close in on a place at next summer’s World Cup. They have not graced that event since 1998 – making only one European Championship since then. That barren run on the major tournament front is about to be brought to a close.

  Haaland has played a leading role in firing his nation towards FIFA’s flagship event. The 25-year-old frontman continues to maintain remarkable individual standards, with few opponents able to live with him during the 2025-26 campaign.

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• Haaland reaches 30 goals through 19 appearances

  Another brace was recorded for Norway as they swept aside Estonia 4-1 in their latest qualification fixture. That deadly double has taken Haaland onto 30 goals for the campaign across 19 outings for club and country.

  He registered five efforts in an 11-1 mauling of Moldova back in September, before netting a hat-trick against Israel in October. Haaland has also hit 19 goals for City through 11 appearances – with 14 of those strikes coming in Premier League action.

  Haaland has achieved plenty at club level – with Champions League glory forming part of a Treble triumph with City in 2022-23 – but has been left waiting on something to celebrate on the international stage.

  Barring a stunning collapse against Italy on Sunday, Haaland is now counting down the days to a World Cup finals appearance. Fans sang “Norway is going to the World Cup” throughout their comfortable victory over Estonia.

• Fast food celebration: Haaland orders huge burger haul

  After that contest came to an end, Haaland made a point of visiting a local restaurant. He is said to have ordered 60-70 cheeseburgers, with cameras – including his own team that continue to produce content for his YouTube channel – catching him hauling several bags of fast food back to the Norway camp.

  Sande Berge, who also plays his club football in England for Fulham, told when being made aware of Haaland’s celebratory burger haul: "It’s a strong performance from the captain." National team coach Stale Solbakken said: "Yes, that's what it is tonight, then."

  Norwegian fans heeded calls to stay off the pitch at the end of a nerve-wrecking meeting with Estonia, allowing players and supporters to celebrate together as confetti rained down on the playing surface.

  Nils Johan Semb believes that Norway can be competitive at the 2026 World Cup, with there enough talent at their disposal to suggest that a positive impact can be made in the United States, Canada and Mexico. He said: "We have broken a barrier. It is so important that it is this good generation here that has done it. There is so much quality in the team."

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  Lewandowski goal record in sight for prolific Haaland

  Talismanic frontman Haaland has been billed in his homeland as "the world’s best footballer right now". He is considered to be "completely unstoppable" at present, with his impressive goal return helping to highlight as much.

  Norway still have Arsenal midfielder Odegaard to come back into the fold, once he has shaken off a series of unfortunate injuries, with the classy playmaker ready to take the armband from Haaland.

  Solbakken’s side are due at San Siro in Milan on Sunday for a meeting with Italy. With maximum points being taken from seven games so far, only the heaviest of defeats will see Norway slip into the play-off places. Their goal difference is currently 17 better than the Azzurri.

  Haaland could make more history, or at least match another entry in the record books, when lining up against Italian opposition. He has registered 14 goals across Norway’s qualification bid. The biggest haul in any single campaign is 16, with prolific Polish frontman Robert Lewandowski achieving that feat en route to the 2018 finals.

Liverpool head coach Arne Slot is stuck between a rock and a hard place after Mohamed Salah’s extraordinary outburst in the wake of the Reds’ 3-3 draw against Leeds United at Elland Road.

Having led 2-0 after the hour mark, Liverpool succumbed to recurrences of fragile defending and weak mentalities, and Salah’s comments were fuelled by frustration after sitting on the bench for the third successive game, this time not entering the field at all.

But the Egyptian attacker’s narrative-stealing invective has turned attention away from the latest woes from Ibrahima Konate and Virgil van Dijk, the former making yet another mistake and the captain’s collapse in confidence and composure laid bare – barer – at the weekend.

Pundit Jamie Redknapp believes the centre-backs are “playing like they’ve never met each other before”, and it’s crucial that Slot finds a way to solve this problem that is threatening to swallow the Premier League champions whole.

Liverpool need to fix their defence

With Liverpool’s star defenders flattering to deceive, it’s only natural that FSG should consider signing a new man this winter. That botched bid for Marc Guehi at the end of the summer transfer window continues to look more detrimental for Slot and Liverpool’s season.

The need for a centre-back is great, but Liverpool’s midfield has been well below standard this season, and a robust and physical force might bear dividends in Slot’s plan to rekindle balance and make his side more compact, harder to play through.

As per Football Insider, Atalanta’s Ederson has been earmarked as the candidate, FSG having been informed they could strike a deal for the 26-year-old in January.

A bid worth £50m could do the trick. Liverpool have the facilities for such an offer, and it is one they must make to arrest this disastrous slump.

What Ederson would offer Liverpool

Slot is a man on the brink. What only months ago looked like the foundation of a dynasty could now collapse like a house of cards, with so many things having gone wrong at Anfield.

In isolation, Ryan Gravenberch hasn’t been poor this season, but he’s struggling to combine with Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai and create a balanced and efficient central unit.

This is one of the many issues Slot has yet to find the answer for, and if he is to restore Liverpool’s equilibrium and get the centre-backs operating at their maximum once more, it might be a centre-midfielder who needs to be signed.

Ederson could be the perfect man for the job. Reporter Carlo Garganese described the Brazilian as a “machine” of a midfielder when Gian Piero Gasperini led Atalanta to the Europa League title, severing Bayer Leverkusen’s historic unbeaten run.

The South American enforcer packs a more powerful punch than any of Liverpool’s current midfield options, and he’s mobile and balanced in his midfield performance too, ranking among the top 8% of Serie A midfielders this season for pass completion, the top 15% for progressive passes and the top 5% for ball recoveries per 90, as per FBref.

He is a combative, ground-covering midfielder, and his impetus on progressing play could see him provide the coating Liverpool’s defence needs to turn things around, helping cover Konate’s weakness in the build-up and providing legs to ensure Van Dijk, 34, can settle in his defensive berth.

Minutes played

90′

90′

Touches

62

83

Shots (on target)

1 (1)

1 (0)

Accurate passes

40/49 (82%)

57/62 (92%)

Chances created

0

0

Dribbles

0/0

0/0

Ball recoveries

4

1

Tackles won

1/2

0/0

Interceptions

0

1

Clearances

4

15

Duels won

7/10

12/14

Italian content creator Damiano Coccia has even claimed that Ederson is “the strongest defensive midfielder in the world”, so it’s clear to see why he would be such a brilliant addition for an Anfield side in disrepair.

Against Leeds, Van Dijk and Konate combined for an abject second-half display, and this is exactly the type of player who would stop the rot and bring Liverpool back into the ascendancy.

His athleticism and tough-tackling nature would help Van Dijk and Konate play their way back into form.

Salah upgrade: Liverpool prepare British record bid to sign £131m magician

Mohamed Salah may leave Liverpool in January after an extraordinary outburst at Elland Road.

ByAngus Sinclair 4 days ago

MatériaMais NotíciasVer Resumo da matéria por IAPedro Daniel, novo CEO do Atlético, destacou em sua apresentação a necessidade de reconstruir a conexão e a sintonia com a torcida, abalada pelos resultados negativos recentes. Segundo ele, o clube busca incansavelmente novas estratégias para fortalecer esse vínculo e, nesse contexto, apresentou um novo projeto: o “Conselho da Massa”.Resumo supervisionado pelo jornalista!

Pedro Daniel, novo CEO do Atlético, destacou em sua apresentação a necessidade de reconstruir a conexão e a sintonia com a torcida, abalada pelos resultados negativos recentes. Segundo ele, o clube busca incansavelmente novas estratégias para fortalecer esse vínculo e, nesse contexto, apresentou um novo projeto: o “Conselho da Massa”.

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“Nós queremos nos aproximar mais da torcida, nós como gestão, ouvir mais da torcida, entender quais são as nossas necessidade. A gente precisa ouvir a torcida, é o nosso maior ativo, o clube vive por conta da torcida. “

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Conselho da Massa

Como uma das estratégias de aproximação com o torcedor, Pedro Daniel confirmou a criação do Conselho da Massa, para escutar e fortalecer o vínculo clube-torcida.

continua após a publicidade

“Vamos colocar em prática um “conselho da massa”, nós queremos que a torcida, que a massa esteja desse lado da mesa porque de fato ela faz parte do clube. Somos nove, quase dez milhões de torcedores, então a gente quer ouvir, esse é um dos pilares da gestão.

“Estamos em busca dessa aproximação com a massa, de fato entender quais são as necessidades, o que a gente está pecando, o que de fato a gente tem aqui que melhorar, é um ponto chave.”

continua após a publicidadeAtlético e Nike

O novo CEO também falou sobre o contrato com a Nike, nova fornecedora de materiais esportivos do clube e assunto de grande interesse da torcida. Destacou as ações entre Atlético e Nike e deixou em aberto sobre um possível manto da massa.

“Estamos discutindo com a Nike não só a questão de abastecimento, mas também sobre novos produtos com o alinhamento entre Nike e Atlético. Estamos discutindo as estratégias deles ao redor do mundo que deram certo e eles entendendo o nosso modelo, como que a massa gosta, qual a nossa linguagem.”

“Estamos discutindo e debatendo todas as pautas, se o manto da massa vai ou não existir. Estamos em fase final de debate e estou com uma expectativa bem grande.”

Tudo sobre

Atlético MineiroconselhoTorcida

MLB on Tuesday announced that the ABS Challenge System will be implemented in 2026 spring training, regular season and postseason games after a vote by the Joint Competition Committee. MLB is entering the "robot umpire" age with the ABS system, which was tested in the minor leagues and during roughly 60% of 2025 spring training games. And, according to the numbers from the league's spring training test, one position could be crucial in the ABS Challenge System: catchers.

According to spring training data from MLB's official press release, catchers had a 56% overturn rate compared to 50% for hitters and 41% for pitchers, meaning backstops were the most successful of the three position groups at winning challenges.

While one of the catcher's most important duties, pitch framing, could be rendered somewhat obsolete with a full-on automated system for calling balls and strikes (in other words, only robot umpires), it will still be a factor with the system set to be implemented in 2026.

Each team will receive two challenges per game, and all successful challenges are retained. Only catchers, hitters and pitchers can challenge calls in the ABS System. Players can signal for a challenge by tapping on their hat, helmet or verbally indicating they'd like to challenge a ball or strike call. The home plate umpire then announces the challenge to the ballpark, and a graphic showing the pitch and the result of the challenge appears on the scoreboard and broadcast, a roughly 15-second process. The ABS strike zone is a two-dimensional rectangle set to the width of home plate, with the tops and bottoms adjusted based on each individual player's height.

Teams challenged just over four pitches per game, with a near-50% success rate, during spring training.