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Brendan Rodgers was backed by the board during the summer transfer window as Celtic brought in a number of players to bolster their playing squad.

The Hoops manager lost key midfielder Matt O’Riley, who left to sign for Premier League side Brighton & Hove Albion, but was able to bring in a host of fresh recruits,

Arne Engels, Paulo Bernardo, Auston Trusty, Adam Idah, Alex Valle, Luke McCowan, Kasper Schmeichel, and Viljami Sinisalo were all snapped up by the Scottish giants.

So far so good for Celtic and their new signings as they have won all nine of their matches in all competitions this season, including keeping six clean sheets in six games in the Scottish Premiership.

Trusty played a part in the last clean sheet, against St Johnstone, as he made his full league debut for the club, following on from his £6m move from Sheffield United during the summer transfer window.

Rodgers and Celtic will be hoping that the USA international will go on to be a roaring success for the Scottish side, in the same vein as the likes of Virgil van Dijk and Kristoffer Ajer, rather than struggle – as Christopher Jullien did after his big-money switch to Parkhead.

How much Celtic paid for Christopher Jullien

In the summer of 2019, the Hoops reportedly splashed out a fee of £7m to sign the central defender from Ligue 1 Toulouse to bolster their defensive options for Neil Lennon.

The former France U20 international had played 99 times in Ligue 1 during the previous three campaigns and this meant that Celtic brought in a centre-back who had proven himself in a major European league.

Jullien hit the ground running at Parkhead and showcased that top level experience, with seven goals in 47 appearances in all competitions for the club in his first year in Scotland – including one goal in eight Europa League outings.

Christopher Jullien (Celtic)
Injury	Date suffered	Games missed
Back injury	September 2020	13
Knee injury	December 2020	59
Virus	January 2021	8
Via Transfermarkt

As you can see in the table above, however, the central defender suffered with horrible injuries during his second and third seasons with Celtic.

He missed a staggering 59 matches with a knee injury, which kept him out from December 2020 to December 2021, just over a month after he returned from a back injury.

By the time Jullien recovered, Ange Postecoglou had arrived at Celtic and established a centre-back pairing of Cameron Carter-Vickers and Carl Starfelt, which made it difficult for the Frenchman to break back into the side.

This eventually led to his permanent exit from the club in the summer of 2022. Ligue 1 side Montpellier swooped in to sign him for a reported fee of £850k, which was a significant loss on the £7m that the Hoops paid for him in 2019.

Whilst it is hard to blame the club for that loss, as his plummeting value was inflicted by unfortunate injuries, but some may wonder what could have been, as Celtic were eyeing an alternative centre-back in 2019 – Fikayo Tomori.

Celtic's interest in Fikayo Tomori

It was reported in the summer of 2019, with The Scottish Sun relaying the print edition of The Mirror, that the Scottish giants were interested in signing the central defender from Chelsea.

The outlet claimed that the Hoops wanted to snap the England U21 international up from the Premier League side on a permanent basis, after his loan spell with Derby County in the Championship.

Tomori, managed by Frank Lampard, helped the Rams to reach the play-off final that season, as they lost to Aston Villa in the final, and racked up a staggering 55 appearances in all competitions.

The report, which came out before the end of the play-offs, added that Derby would also have been interested in signing the defender on a permanent basis if they had been promoted to the Premier League.

Unfortunately, for Celtic, Chelsea decided to appoint Lampard – who managed the centre-back for the Rams – as their new manager that summer, and he opted to integrate the youngster into the first-team squad at Stamford Bridge.

One that got away

The transfers that nearly happened but never did. This article is part of Football FanCast's One That Got Away series.

This meant that the Hoops could not swoop in to secure a deal for the Englishman and his career since shows that he is one that got away from them.

Fikayo Tomori's current market value

At the time of writing (30/09/2024), Transfermarkt has the central defender’s current market value at a whopping €40m (£33m) and that is a significant rise from the €10m (£8m) it was at in the summer of 2019.

He made 15 appearances for Chelsea in the Premier League during the 2019/20 campaign, after Celtic’s interest in him, but failed to establish himself as a regular.

In January 2021, Tomori made the decision to join Milan on loan for the second half of the 2020/21 season and played 22 games in all competitions during that five-month stint.

His form during that loan spell convinced Milan to splash out a fee of £25m to sign the central defender on a permanent deal, two years on from Celtic’s pursuit of the brute.

That investment made an instant return for the Italian giants as he played in 31 of their 38 league matches as they won the Serie A title in the 2021/22 campaign.

21/22 Serie A	Fikayo Tomori
Starts	30
Pass accuracy	88%
Tackles + interceptions per game	3.9
Ground duel success rate	76%
Aerial duel success rate	51%
Clean sheets	13
Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, Tomori was a dominant defender for Milan in their title-winning season, winning an eye-catching 76% of his duels on the ground.

The 25-year-old star, who was dubbed an “incredible” signing for the Italian side by U23 scout Antonio Mango, has gone on to rack up 186 appearances for the club in all competitions to date.

Celtic should look back on Tomori as one that got away from them as they could have landed a top-class centre-back with the potential to be sold on for a significant profit, based on his soaring value since 2019.

Celtic looked at signing £152m star in the making, Bayo arrived instead

The Hoops missed out on the record-breaking centre-forward who’s now a global superstar.

By
Dan Emery

Sep 30, 2024

West Ham United will be without a key player this weekend as they prepare to host newly promoted Ipswich Town, according to reliable club insider ExWHUemployee.

Lopetegui under pressure after poor West Ham run

The Irons will be desperate to secure a much-needed three points against Kieran McKenna’s plucky Premier League newcomers on Saturday afternoon.

What Julen Lopetegui has done to leave West Ham players very "surprised"

The Spaniard is dividing opinion behind the scenes.

ByEmilio Galantini Oct 2, 2024

West Ham haven’t won a single game since late August, with their last one coming in a 1-0 victory against Bournemouth in the EFL Cup – a competition they have since crashed out of courtesy of a 5-1 defeat to Liverpool at Anfield.

Alongside their loss to Arne Slot’s side, West Ham have suffered heavy defeats to the likes of Chelsea and Man City, with manager Julen Lopetegui also lucky to escape Fulham without another defeat thanks to Danny Ings’ last-gasp equaliser to make it 1-1 in added time.

Match

Date

Opponent

Competition

Result

#8

28/09/2024

Brentford (A)

Premier League

1-1 draw

#7

25/09/2024

Liverpool (A)

Carabao Cup

5-1 loss

#6

21/09/2024

Chelsea (H)

Premier League

3-0 loss

#5

14/09/2024

Fulham (A)

Premier League

1-1 draw

#4

31/08/2024

Man City (H)

Premier League

3-1 loss

#3

28/08/2024

Bournemouth (H)

Carabao Cup

1-0 win

#2

24/08/2024

Crystal Palace (A)

Premier League

2-0 win

#1

17/08/2024

Aston Villa (H)

Premier League

2-1 loss

The Hammers also drew 1-1 at Brentford last weekend, with Tomas Soucek finding an eventual leveller after Bryan Mbeumo handed the Bees a very early lead. There are concerns over West Ham’s lack of bite, especially considering they spent nearly £120 million on new signings in the summer transfer window on nine quality squad additions.

“When you’re in a bad run of form and you concede with 41 seconds on the clock, you fear the worst. In that context, the way West Ham bounced back to earn a point at Brentford is a positive,” said Sky journalist Ron Walker.

“But that’s still as good as it gets. For a team with the depth and quality of this Hammers side, the lack of memorable moments they produced is still a concern. The Hammers’ defending has been a major cause for concern but their attacking return is an even greater worry when Julen Lopetegui was tasked with delivering a more expansive style.

“That will take time, but with an expected goals tally lower than Southampton despite Lucas Paqueta, Mohamed Kudus and Jarrod Bowen featuring in every game, even their individual quality should be enough to produce more than this.”

Some believe Lopetegui is at risk of losing the West Ham job if things don’t improve, and the Spaniard has been forced to cope without summer signing Niclas Fullkrug lately, after the German suffered an Achilles injury on international duty with Germany.

West Ham star Niclas Fullkrug set to miss Ipswich through injury

As per Ex, Fullkrug is set to miss West Ham’s clash with Ipswich through injury too – which will come as a bitter blow for Lopetegui who will have to rely on Michail Antonio and Danny Ings yet again.

“We can reveal that German forward Niclas Fullkrug is likely to be missing for the game against Ipswich,” stated Ex on The West Ham Way Patreon.

“His injury has taken longer than expected and the club are now saying they expect he will only be fit after the international break, which comes after the Ipswich game.”

The 31-year-old racked up 26 goal contributions (10 goals, six assists) for Borussia Dortmund in all competitions last season, but has been limited to just 63 minutes in the Premier League over three substitute appearances so far at West Ham.

MatériaMais Notícias

Apesar dos gritos de “bicampeão” da torcida durante a goleada do Atlético-MG por 4 a 0 sobre o Athletico-PR, pelo jogo de ida da final da Copa do Brasil, no Mineirão, neste domingo, Keno manteve os pés no chão. Em entrevista ao “Sportv” ao fim da partida, o atacante, que marcou o segundo gol do Galo, ressaltou que é preciso respeitar o Furacão e previu um confronto de volta “muito difícil”.

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– Não, não (está decidido). A gente sabe que final é um jogo muito disputado, é jogo de 180 minutos. Sabemos que temos que respeitar o Athletico-PR, eles não chegaram à toa na final. Conheço o Valentim, trabalhei com ele, é um grande treinador. A gente tem que chegar lá com o intuito de ganhar também porque sabemos que vai ser muito difícil. Eles vão ter a torcida deles, mas nós temos uma equipe experiente.

Keno também foi questionado sobre o placar elástico de 4 a 0, o que construiu uma grande vantagem ao Atlético-MG para o próximo jogo. O atacante destacou que o time entrou determinado para sair vitorioso, mas, novamente, pregou pés no chão e falou sobre a importância de lutar na segunda partida.

– Entramos determinados para ganhar o jogo. Sabemos que jogar no campo sintético é um pouco ruim, e, no vestiário, focamos nesse jogo. A vitória é importante, ainda com 4 a 0, a gente não pode entrar lá e relaxar. Temos que chegar lá, lutar e batalhar para sairmos com o troféu.

Atlético-MG e Athletico-PR voltam a campo na próxima quarta-feira, às 21h30, na Arena da Baixada. O confronto é válido pelo jogo da volta da final da Copa do Brasil e terá transmissão em tempo real do LANCE!.

يواصل الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي الزمالك، تحضيراته المكثفة لمواجهة بتروجيت، حيث يسعى الأبيض لمواصلة سلسلة انتصاراته وتعزيز موقعه في صدارة جدول ترتيب الدوري المصري الممتاز.

ويحل الزمالك ضيفًا على بتروجيت، غدًا الأحد، ضمن منافسات الجولة الرابعة عشرة من بطولة الدوري المصري، في لقاء يحتضنه ملعب الإنتاج الحربي، وسط ترقب جماهيري لمواصلة الفريق عروضه القوية.

طالع أيضًا | محمود فتح الله: ما حدث في الزمالك أمر كارثي.. والإدارة تلعب قمار

وتلقى المدرب الجديد للفريق، البرتغالي جوزيه بيسيرو، دفعة معنوية كبيرة قبل المواجهة، بعدما استعاد خدمات الثنائي عبدالله السعيد وعمر جابر، عقب تعافيهما التام من الإصابة وحصولهما على الضوء الأخضر من الجهاز الطبي للمشاركة في اللقاء، مما يعزز خيارات الفريق الفنية.

وكان الزمالك قد انتزع فوزًا ثمينًا في الجولة الماضية على حساب فاركو بهدف نظيف، ليرفع رصيده إلى 26 نقطة، ويواصل الضغط على متصدر الدوري بيراميدز، والوصيف الأهلي.

ويسعى الفريق الأبيض لتحقيق انتصار جديد أمام بتروجيت، مستفيدًا من استعادة قوته الضاربة، في ظل تطلعات جماهيره لمواصلة الزحف نحو الصدارة.

Opener’s availability may be impacted by Australia series in the Caribbean

ESPNcricinfo staff17-May-2021

D’Arcy Short had a stint with Durham in 2019•Getty Images

Hampshire have announced D’Arcy Short, the Australia batter, as one of their overseas signings for the summer’s Vitality T20 Blast.Short was earlier named in Australia’s preliminary squad to play ODIs and T20Is in the West Indies in July, and if he is selected for the final touring party, that could impact on his availability for the Blast. Hampshire hope to have him involved throughout the tournament.Short, 30, has previously appeared in the Blast for Durham, as well as featuring in T20 leagues around the world, including the IPL. An aggressive opener, he averages 36.40 with a strike rate of 133.58 in T20, and also offers a handy bowling option with his left-arm wristspin.Related

Hampshire sign de Grandhomme for second half of T20 Blast

Qais Ahmad joins Kent for T20 Blast, two Championship games

Labuschagne to miss WI tour, will continue stint with Glamorgan

“We are delighted to secure the signing of D’Arcy for this summer’s Vitality Blast competition,” Giles White, Hampshire’s director of cricket, said.”He is a high-class performer who has consistently shown his ability to score a high volume of runs at the top of the order, both for Australia and in a number of the world’s best T20 competitions. Alongside his skill with the bat, he also gives us another spin bowling option with the ball so we’re excited about what he brings to the side and are looking forward to having him with us.”Short’s most-recent Australia outings came in December, during the T20I series against India. Overall, he has 23 T20I caps and eight in ODIs, having debuted in 2018.Short said: “I am so excited to join a club with as much history as Hampshire Hawks. I can’t wait to get to the Ageas Bowl and hopefully we can have a strong season and win our first title since 2012.”Hampshire, who came bottom of the South Group in last summer’s T20 Blast, have also signed Colin De Grandhomme for the second half of the Blast, and have South Africa seamer Kyle Abbott on their books as an overseas player.

GOAL reviews key takeaways from Americans playing in Europe, including Pulisic's calf injury, more PSV scoring

The holidays are nearly upon us, and this weekend was a reminder for Americans Abroad that sometimes the soccer universse can be just as naughty as nice.

There was plenty of nice to go around in Eindhoven, for example, where PSV's Americans went wild in a big win. Everyone involved there continues to thrive and, as we continue on through the final few weeks of 2024, there's no sign of that coming to an end. PSV are cruising through the Eredivisie, scoring goal after goal with their Americans leading the charge.

As for the naughty, though, look no further than Milan. There was a big scare there as Christian Pulisic limped off early on against Atalanta, bringing back those pesky old concerns about his fitness. That injury will keep him out for the remainder of 2024 – so let it serve as a reminder of the risks that come with being a team's No. 1 superstar.

Games will becoming thick and fast now, which is usually a blessing and a curse. The final weeks of 2024 are upon us, and they promise to be pretty chaotic. GOAL looks at key takeaways from Americans Abroad this weekend.

GettyPulisic's injury concerns

Mauricio Pochettino was hammering the point home as early as October. Before he'd even managed a USMNT match, Pochettino was speaking about the importance of protecting Christian Pulisic.

Pochettino's words proved unfortunately prophetic. After several months of leading the charge for club and country, Pulisic's body finally broke down. The USMNT star was forced off in the first half of Milan's loss to Atalanta, and it was later confirmed that he'd sustained a calf injury.

The American star is now expected to miss the final few weeks of 2024, which isn't ideal but isn't a total blow for Milan, either. Pulisic is rather fortunate that the injury appears to be relatively manageable, although, given their place in Serie A, Milan will need to pick up a lot of slack and find results where they can without the USMNT star.

This feels like a warning shot from the soccer gods. Pochettino was aware of it when he called for Pulisic to be rested in October. Now, that message has been driven home with this injury setback.

AdvertisementAFPAmerica's team goes wild

If you're a fan of the USMNT and you aren't following along with PSV every week, you're missing out. The team's American stars are in the spotlight, and it's usually because of a wild goal or two.

On Friday, it wasn't a goal or two, though; it was three. Ricardo Pepi, Malik Tillman and Richy Ledezma each scored one a piece, leading the way in a 6-1 win over FC Twente. No matter how commonplace it's become with this team in recent weeks, it still seems surreal to see so many American players scoring week in and week out at this level.

PSV are running riot through the Eredivisie, with the club's Americans leading the charge. Pepi is second in the Golden Boot race. Tillman is fourth. Ledezma has carved out a role with Sergino Dest still waiting in the wings as he continues his road to recovery. It's already been a special season for PSV and, for American fans, there's plenty of reason to tune in so you don't miss the next goal explosion.

Getty Images SportWeah and Juventus fight back, but concerns remain

It's been a weird few weeks for Juventus. RIght now, just can't really find ways to win games, and that was the story on Saturday, too. Heavily favored against Bologna, Juve had to claw their way back to earn a 2-2 draw thanks to a late equalizer from Samuel Mbangula.

This, in general, wasn't pretty. Thiago Motta and Juventus still have a lot to figure out.

Moving Tim Weah back out wide was helpful, although he didn't look fully comfortable starting on the left-hand side. Weah picked up an early yellow and walked a tightrope all game long, struggling to really impact the attack in his 80 minutes. It just wasn't his day and, if not for two late goals, it wouldn't have been Juve's either.

Right now, something is off with this team. The return of Dusan Vlahovic has helped the attack, but things are still flat. The midfield doesn't feel totally right without Weston Mckennie. Defensively, Juve haven't been as solid as they need to be if they want to be legitimate Serie A contenders.

Right now, they aren't that, and all involved have a bit of work to do to get there.

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GettyCaptain Jedi

There was a sequence in the final moments of Fulham's 1-1 draw with Arsenal Sunday in which Antonee Robinson went bursting forward. Wearing the captain's armband, Robinson darted forward on a 50-yard run, tracking down a ball that few on the field would have any reason to chase.

It was a perfect symbol of what Robinson brings to Fulham, and the perfect demonstration of why he's been handed the armband in Tom Cairney's absence.

Facing off with Bukayo Saka, Robinson was fantastic all game long as Fulham picked up a huge point against a title contender. Aside from one sequence in which a Saka goal was ruled out, Robinson really kept a lock on the Arsenal winger while making a few lung-busting runs forward himself to keep the Gunners defense honest.

By the end, Robinson had whipped in four crosses, made five passes into the final third, provided five clearances, made three interceptions and won eight of 13 duels. He was all over the field all through the 90 minutes.

It was a captain-worthy performance from Fulham's fill-in captain, who continues to play like one of the best in the Premier League.

MatériaMais Notícias

Após a derrota para o Red Bull Bragantino por 1 a 0, no último domingo (24), no Nabi Abi Chedid, o São Paulo definiu sua programação para a semana. Em seu cronograma, o Tricolor fará apenas uma partida, contra o Internacional, no domingo (31), no Morumbi, pelo Brasileirão.

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A semana começa com folga para o elenco nesta segunda-feira. Logo depois, na terça, o time se reapresenta na parte da tarde, onde começa a preparação para encarar o Colorado.

Na quarta e na quinta-feira, mais treinamentos, todos na parte da manhã. No sábado, o elenco comandado por Rogério Ceni fecha a preparação. No domingo, o time joga diante do Internacional.

CONFIRA A TABELA ATUALIZADA E SIMULE OS JOGOS DO BRASILEIRÃO DE 2021!

Vale destacar que não foi divulgado nenhum treino ou atividade nos dias dos jogos, como era de praxe na comissão técnica de Hernán Crespo.

VEJA A PROGRAMAÇÃO

Segunda-feira (25/10)
Livre

Terça-feira (26/10)
Treinamento – Tarde
CT da Barra Funda

Quarta-feira (27/10)
Treinamento – Manhã
CT da Barra Funda

Quinta-feira (28/10)
Treinamento – Manhã
CT da Barra Funda

Sexta-feira (29/10)
Treinamento – Manhã
CT da Barra Funda

Sábado (30/10)
Treinamento – Manhã
CT da Barra Funda

Domingo (31/10)
São Paulo x Internacional – 18h15
Campeonato Brasileiro – 29ª Rodada
Estádio do Morumbi

يأمل نجم فريق ليفربول، محمد صلاح، التسجيل في مباراة الغد المرتقبة ضد نظيره فريق ليل، في بطولة دوري أبطال أوروبا موسم 2024/25، من أجل تحقيق إنجاز شخصي جديد.

ويستضيف ملعب “الأنفيلد” مباراة الفريقين في إطار منافسات الجولة السابعة من دوري أبطال أوروبا، مرحلة الدوري، في النظام الجديد للبطولة.

ويتصدر ليفربول جدول دوري أبطال أوروبا بالعلامة الكاملة، 18 نقطة، حيث تأهل بالفعل إلى دور الـ16، باعتباره الفريق الوحيد الذي حقق ذلك حتى الآن.

من جهة أخرى، يسعى محمد صلاح إلى التسجيل في مباراة ليفربول وليل المرتقبة مساء الغد، في دوري أبطال أوروبا.

ويقترب محمد صلاح من الوصول إلى هدفه رقم 50، على الصعيد الأوروبي، رفقة ليفربول حيث أنه على بُعد هدف واحد فقط من تحقيق ذلك.

اقرأ أيضًا | كوناتي يعلن مفاجأة بشأن مستقبله مع ليفربول.. ويعترف: لم أتعاف بنسبة 100%

كان محمد صلاح قد سجل 43 هدفًا مع ليفربول في دوري أبطال أوروبا، و5 أهداف في الدوري الأوروبي، وهدفًا في التصفيات المؤهلة إلى دوري الأبطال.

ويقدم محمد صلاح أداءً رائعًا في الموسم الحالي تحت قيادة المدرب آرني سلوت، حيث سجل 21 هدفًا وصنع 17 في 30 مباراة في مختلف المسابقات.

وأحرز محمد صلاح هدفين وصنع 4 في النسخة الحالية من دوري أبطال أوروبا، على أمل التسجيل في مباراة الغد المرتقبة.

With attacking reinforcements clearly a high priority for Manchester United this summer, it appears that Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Dan Ashworth are currently discussing new attacking options for the Red Devils.

Zirkzee just the start of United's attacking rebuild

The big news out of Old Trafford this week has been the seemingly imminent arrival of Bologna talisman Joshua Zirkzee. Erik ten Hag's men have long been the favourites to land the Netherlands striker with a recent update from Fabrizio Romano suggesting that all personal terms have now been agreed and Zirkzee has informed his current side of his intention to move to Manchester.

£120,000-per-week player set to leave Tottenham as Man United chase him

Erik ten Hag is among his summer suitors.

ByEmilio Galantini Jul 4, 2024

United's quest for attacking talent does not stop with Zirkzee however as the club are currently linked with deals for a number of highly-rated forward players.

Jaden Philogene has been a surprise name that has done the rounds in recent days, but the Red Devils look set to lose out to Ipswich Town for the signature of the English winger. Bologna and Switzerland’s versatile attacker Dan Ndoye is also said to be a target for United with the Swiss press claiming that the 23-year-old's current side are asking for a fee in the region of £21million to secure his services.

With Ratcliffe and Co still targeting forward players, it appears that the club have been having internal discussions over a new striker to support the incoming Zirkzee.

Premier League duo in United's sights

As first reported by The Athletic's Laurie Whitwell, Manchester United have discussed both Brentford’s Ivan Toney and Everton’s Dominic Calvert-Lewin internally as they look to further reinforce their striking options. Whilst talks have not progressed beyond these initial discussions, it is interesting to see a striker still high on the club's list of priorities.

Whilst it is unlikely that Toney would want to come to Old Trafford and be the third-choice option behind Zirkzee and Rasmus Hojlund, Calvert-Lewin could be enticed with a fresh start in Manchester.

Across his time in the Premier League, Calvert-Lewin has scored 54 goals in 213 appearances, however has struggled for consistency in recent seasons. The 27-year-old managed just 7 goals in the league last season, suggesting that it may be time for him to leave Goodison Park this summer.

Despite his recent issues, when Calvert-Lewin is on form he is among one of the most dangerous strikers in the league. Speaking after the 27-year-old scored twice in a 3-1 win over Chelsea back in 2019, the Premier League's all-time top goalscorer Alan Shearer was quick to praise the striker: “I was hugely impressed with [Calvert-Lewin] today because he absolutely battered the two centre-halves, Zouma and Christensen,

“He didn’t give them a moment’s peace. When you’re a forward, if you can’t win the header then make sure the defender doesn’t win it either. He did it all afternoon."

Whether he arrives as a back-up option or a temporary leading man, United could do a lot worse than an established top flight striker like Calvert-Lewin.

Virgil van Dijk did little to allay the concerns that he is nearing the conclusion of his illustrious Liverpool career, speaking after the Netherlands lost against England in the semi-finals of Euro 2024.

The Dutch skipper, of course, cut a dejected figure after Ollie Watkins' last-gasp winner, an agonising blow for Oranje and Van Dijk in their quest to claim their first slice of silverware since winning the Euros in 1988. But the seeds of fear have been planted nonetheless.

The 33-year-old, who Liverpool signed from Southampton for £75m in December 2017, hinted at an Anfield exit during one post-match interview, saying that he will "think carefully this summer about what I want at club level and as an international player", before entering the 2024/25 after a well-deserved break.

Van Dijk, the club's captain, is entering the final year of his £220k-per-week contract, and while Arne Slot and Co are confident that he will play a central role at the start of a new era, signing a successor would be a prudent move.

Liverpool transfer news

According to Tutto Juve – as reported earlier this week – Liverpool have submitted a €60m (£50m) bid for Juventus centre-back Gleison Bremer this month, with FSG clearly seeking to strengthen the Anfield side's rearguard.

The 27-year-old is one of the Serie A giant's prized possessions but, with financial concerns simmering in Turin, could be cashed in on, with the Reds pushing for a deal.

What Bremer would bring to Liverpool

In an interview with DAZN back in February, Bremer cited Liverpool's captain as his inspiration, claiming that the Dutchman is "two steps" ahead of him. While this might be the case, the Old Lady's star centre-half has all the tools to craft a high-level career for himself.

While Bremer has yet to try his hand in the Premier League, he does seem to hold many properties that would suggest success on English soil, even described as "world-class" by CBS Sports commentator Matteo Bonetti.

As per FBref, the Brazilian ranked among the top 20% of positional peers across Europe's top five leagues last season for goals scored and the top 16% for aerial duels won per 90, using his 6 foot 2 frame to the highest effect.

Van Dijk, meanwhile, is one of the most aerially dominant defenders in history, blending such quality with an elite ball-playing ability, ranking among the top 20% of positional peers for assists, the top 10% for pass completion, the top 9% for progressive passes and the top 3% for aerial duels won per 90.

A "monster" of a defender – as noted by analyst Ben Mattinson – Bremer is the heart and soul of Juventus' backline and has the mobility, defensive dominance and technical prowess to succeed Van Dijk, stepping into his prime in the Premier League to lead Liverpool's project over the next several seasons.

Matches played

36

36

Goals

3

2

Assists

0

2

Clean sheets

15

9

Pass completion

86%

91%

Key passes per game

0.2

0.3

Ball recoveries per game

5.2

4.7

Tackles per game

1.6

1.1

Interceptions per game

1.1

1.1

Clearances per game

4.0

3.9

Duels won per game

5.2 (63%)

5.4 (76%)

As you can see, he might not be aligned with the staggering metrics of Van Dijk, but Bremer can certainly hold his own against the best that Europe has to offer, and Liverpool are right to consider such an exciting player.

Priority target: Liverpool lining up their answer to Rodri in £101m talent

FSG are believed to be readying a bid for this prodigious player.

ByAngus Sinclair Jul 11, 2024