Rangers have had a torrid start to life under Russell Martin as they currently sit one place above the bottom of the table on four points. Their winless run in the Scottish Premiership has given way to many questions about Martin’s decisions and capabilities.
One of the biggest questions that Rangers fans have been asking surrounds the treatment of Nicolas Raskin. Last season, Raskin was one of Rangers’ standout players, contributing five goals and 11 assists from midfield. However, this year his appearances have been few and far between.
In the league, Raskin has only played 197 minutes, the 12th most in the squad, after playing the 5th most league minutes last season. Raskin has featured more prominently in the Scottish League Cup and in their failed push for Champions League qualification, but has been notably absent in the league, where they desperately need points.
With no clear answer from Martin as to why he is handling Raskin in this way, some have taken to speculation as to what may have led to Raskin falling out of favour. However, in a recent interview, Keith Jackson rubbished one of the rumours.
Jackson dispels Raskin leaks rumour
This weekend saw Raskin receive a rare start as he scored the opener in Rangers’ 2-0 win over Hibernian in the cup. Following the game, Keith Jackson spoke to Hotline Live about the Raskin/Martin situation: “And you’ve seen this rumour, and I don’t believe it for a second about Raskin leaking team news to the Brugge manager. That doesn’t fit with what I’m told about Raskin as a person.”
Part of what led to the speculation about Raskin leaking the team news is that, following the 6-0 defeat, he was absent from the entirety of the next two match days. However, with the result leading to Rangers missing out on Champions League qualification, and in turn millions of pounds that could have gone towards improving the team and the squad, it is almost certain his punishment would have been far more severe if the rumour was true.
A more likely reason for Raskin’s absence is a tactical decision from Martin. At points this season, Raskin has had to play out of position as Martin has utilised the Bournemouth loanee Max Aarons centrally. Jackson didn’t mince his words when he expressed his dissatisfaction with this strategy from Martin.
Raskin may be key to Martin's survival
Raskin’s performance after being left out in the cold has demonstrated he’s worthy of coming back into the first team. He’s popped up with two goals and an assist in all competitions this season, and Martin needs to get his team scoring if he wants to remain in the job.
The experimentation with Aarons drifting inside hasn’t been paying off, and adapting his style of play to incorporate the aspects of the team that worked under Philippe Clement and Barry Ferguson may be the only way Martin can turn things around.
Newcastle United fans will be hoping to see plenty of improvements on the pitch at St James’ Park from their team when the international break is finished.
The lacklustre Toon currently find themselves in a seriously below-par 17th position in the early Premier League standings, having failed to win any of their three opening matches.
There were positives aplenty to take away from the exhilarating 3-2 defeat at the hands of Liverpool, but that high-octane performance was then followed up by a flat 0-0 draw against Leeds United at Elland Road.
While Eddie Howe’s Magpies loiter in and around the relegation spaces, Elliot Anderson is at least further up the division with Nottingham Forest, with the former Newcastle youth product never looking back since departing Tyneside in the summer of 2024 for a chance at the City Ground.
Anderson's rise since leaving Newcastle
PSR-related troubles would see both Anderson and Yankuba Minteh leave St James’ Park behind that summer for fresh opportunities elsewhere in the Premier League.
Howe and Co will feel plagued with more regret now that they let the 22-year-old go over the Minteh situation, considering the Forest number 8 has now just won his first senior England cap after regularly impressing for Nuno Santo’s Tricky Trees.
It’s a well-deserved moment in the spotlight for the 5-foot-10 star, too, having exploded into life from minute one of his Forest journey to be considered a very crucial cog for Nuno and Co in the same vein as Morgan Gibbs-White and Chris Wood.
Indeed, his 2024/25 offering in league action would see him tally up two goals and six assists as a creative spark centrally.
But, when you dive even deeper into the numbers, it’s his relentless vigour that catches the eye more so than his ability to create an opening, winning a mightily impressive 6.5 duels per game last season in the league, as Forest clinched Europa League football.
Howe would love to call upon Anderson in his team right now to generate a buzz to get his side out of their malaise, but their costly loss has ended up being Forest’s immense gain.
Still, the out-of-sorts Magpies will be hoping that they have picked up their own version of Anderson in the chaotic transfer window, having snapped up a promising midfielder from a fellow Premier League foe.
Newcastle's next version of Anderson
Thankfully, Newcastle are no longer in the same dire financial straits, helped no doubt by the £125m boost to their bank account when Alexander Isak unsurprisingly changed allegiances to Liverpool.
Off the back of such a hefty injection of cash, Newcastle went all out to land both Yoane Wissa and Nick Woltemade, with the £43m pick-up of Jacob Ramsey from Aston Villa perhaps flying under the radar subsequently.
While Howe’s men will be sympathetic to Villa’s own PSR obstacles in the here and now, they have benefited directly from Unai Emery’s side having to sell a prized asset to balance the books by signing Ramsey, much like Forest knew they were on their way to stealing a gem when securing Anderson.
Despite finding himself in and out of the first-team picture at Villa Park – much like Anderson before him at St. James’ Park – there has been more than enough promise in the 24-year-old’s displays in the West Midlands to suggest he could be an impactful starter on Tyneside, having once been branded as a ‘”terrific” talent by ex-Villa boss Steven Gerrard.
Ramsey’s league numbers for Villa
Games played
138
Games started
94
Goals scored
14
Assists
12
Passes completed
3004 (85%)
Tackles
193
Duels won
487
Stats by the Premier League
The table above certainly validates the argument that Ramsey could become Howe’s own Anderson, with the lively midfielder registering a healthy tally of 14 goals and 12 assists in the top-flight to date, even as 44 of his 138 Premier League clashes for his boyhood side came from off the bench.
Moreover, he also displays the same fight and hunger Anderson has in abundance, winning 3.5 duels per game, making him a lively character that could soon propel the Toon up the division, after a slow start out of the blocks.
There were many grumbles online after the £43m man’s move to St James’ Park was confirmed, as Villa bemoaned PSR-related issues resulting in the loss of one of their own.
Newcastle know all too well the same agony, but they will hope they can capitalise on the unfortunate situation at hand, away from being stung again.
Newcastle hit the jackpot on “outstanding” star worth more than Anderson
While Elliot Anderson thrives at Forest after his £35m transfer, Newcastle have a rising star of their own
Olympics legend Usain Bolt slammed Manchester United's "joke" of a performance in their 3-1 defeat against Brentford in the Premier League on Saturday. The celebrity fan criticised his beloved Red Devils in a match which saw him struggle to identify with "one good thing" as pressure continues to mount on under-fire head coach Ruben Amorim.
Thiago scores twice as Brentford down struggling United
After raising hopes of a revival in fortunes following the 2-1 victory over Chelsea last weekend, United slipped back into old habits against Brentford. Amorim’s men found themselves two goals down inside 20 minutes thanks to a brace from Bees striker Igor Thiago. United did respond when Benjamin Sesko scored his first goal for the club following his summer move from RB Leipzig, but a late effort from Mathias Jensen helped Brentford earn all three points in what was a disappointing afternoon for the visitors.
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Bolt could not hide frustration in series of social media posts
And football fans who were following the match live on social media would have been quick to notice Bolt’s anger throughout proceedings. After Thiago put Brentford two goals to the good at the Gtech Community Stadium, eight-time Olympic gold medalist Bolt was quick to write on X: "This must be a joke."
And after United’s fourth loss in all competitions this season was confirmed, Bolt then wrote in the aftermath: "Can’t Identify one good thing we good at.."
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United's loss at Brentford was their fourth defeat of the season
United’s loss at Brentford was yet another setback in what has been a troubling start to the 2025-26 campaign. Amorim’s side have won just two matches so far this term – against both Burnley and Chelsea in the Premier League – while they also drew with Fulham on August 24. United have suffered defeats against Arsenal, Manchester City and Brentford in the league, while they were also eliminated from the Carabao Cup in embarrassing fashion as they fell to a 12-11 penalty shootout loss to League Two outfit Grimsby Town on August 27.
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Amorim yet to win back-to-back league games as Man Utd boss
The defeat against Brentford has only intensified speculation surrounding Amorim’s future at United. The Portuguese, who replaced Erik ten Hag as manager in November 2024, has won just nine of his 33 league matches since arriving at Old Trafford, while he is also yet to lead his team to back-to-back league wins under his stewardship.
It had to be Rashid Khan. After starring in each of Afghanistan’s previous three Test wins – in Dehradun, Chattogram and Abu Dhabi – he wrapped Zimbabwe up with a match haul of 11 for 160 in Bulawayo. That included career-best figures of 7 for 66 in the second innings, with expectations of a thrilling finish being quashed only 15 deliveries into the final morning. Zimbabwe were 73 runs away from victory, with all hopes from their captain Craig Ervine. Afghanistan needed two good balls to finish the game off.But even the short span of play on the fifth day was enough for plenty of drama. The day started with exactly what Afghanistan wanted: Rashid bowling to Zimbabwe’s No. 10 Richard Ngarava. Four balls into play, Afghanistan got exactly what they wanted – almost. Ngarava skied an attempted slice off Rashid, and the ball popped up behind the man at silly point. Hashmatullah Shahidi, placed at cover, moved to his right. Fareed Ahmad, at point, stepped to his left.With his attention divided between the dipping ball and the approaching Fareed, Shahidi dropped Ngarava. Rashid couldn’t hold back an angry expression towards his captain, who had stretched both his hands out, only for the ball to never stick. Ngarava survived, but for hardly any longer.Ngarava did play out the remaining two deliveries of the over to ensure Ervine had the strike for the next. Starting on his overnight score of 53, and being the last recognised batter, he had a spread-out field to play with. After turning down two singles, Ervine decided he should go for the third. He drove Yamin Ahmadzai towards deep extra cover, where the man was placed only about three-fourths of the way to the boundary.Shahidullah collected the ball while chasing it forward, and fired a flat throw at the wicketkeeper. Perhaps not expecting Ervine to go for the run that early in the over, Ngarava was late to take off. But Ervine was well down the pitch by that time, and wicketkeeper Afsar Zazai whipped the bails off with Ngarava miles short.Last man Blessing Muzarabani defended the next two deliveries and left the third one alone. Ervine again took strike for the next over, with Zimbabwe having yet to add to their overnight score. Rashid went short for the first two balls, but pitched it much fuller the third time. The ball landed just outside off, turned in, and struck Ervine in front as he missed an attempted sweep.Rashid and his mates went up right away, even as umpire Ahsan Raza’s finger took its time to show up. But it eventually did, although the first impression was of the ball missing leg stump. However, there was no DRS to turn to, leaving the Afghanistan players jumping and celebrating.It was a come-from-behind win fashioned by centuries from Rahmat Shah and debutant Ismat Alam in the second innings, which Afghanistan had started 86 runs in the arrears. Not to be left behind with the bat, Rashid even contributed what turned out to be crucial innings of 25 and 23.As a result, Afghanistan took the two-match series 1-0 after a high-scoring draw in the first Test, and left Zimbabwe with a series win across each of the three formats.
The 21-year-old quick became the 12th Queenslander to take a five-wicket haul on debut and first since 1986-87
AAP21-Oct-2024
Tom Whitney claimed a five-wicket haul on his first-class debut•Getty Images
Young quick Tom Whitney wrote himself in Queensland’s Sheffield Shield record books, before helping bat the Bulls back into their match against South Australia.Whitney created history on Monday, becoming the first Queenslander in 38 years to claim a five-wicket haul on debut with his 5 for 60.Related
Hunt shines with century but debutant Whitney aids Queensland fightback
Live – Sheffield Shield, day two
And after the visitors were all out for 314 early on day two in Brisbane, Whitney produced a late cameo with the bat to help Queensland to 308 in reply.South Australia then lost first-innings century maker Henry Hunt caught behind first ball of their second innings to Michael Neser.But it was a day for Whitney, as Queensland also benefitted from Jimmy Peirson’s counter-punching 94 with the bat at Allan Border Oval.Arriving at the crease at 271 for 9 late in the day, Whitney blasted five boundaries on his way to an unbeaten 24 from 11 balls to help Queensland reach close to parity.After taking three wickets on Sunday, Whitney had both Nathan McAndrew and Wes Agar caught early on Monday morning.The wickets made the 21-year-old just the 12th Queenslander in history to take a five-wicket haul on debut, and the first since former police officer Mick Polzin in 1986-87.Jimmy Peirson led Queensland’s fightback•Getty Images
Neser also finished with 3 for 61, getting the key wicket of Hunt on 136 as the opener fell just short of carrying his bat.In reply, Queensland’s big names struggled. Test opener Usman Khawaja was lbw to McAndrew for a duck, as Queensland fell to 16 for 3 early with the ball swinging around.Matt Renshaw was also lbw to Jordan Buckingham for 2, denting his slim chances of joining Khawaja at the top of the order for the first Test in Perth.Marnus Labuschagne also failed to make any real impact, caught at forward square-leg flicking a ball off his toes.But from 80 for 5, Queensland were able to launch something of a counteract. Ben McDermott hit 52, while Neser and Peirson combined for a 97-run seventh-wicket partnership.Still Peirson pushed through, hitting 14 boundaries in his knock and driving with ease whenever South Australia’s quicks went too full.The wicketkeeper-batter looked set for his century, before he hesitated in coming back for a second with Mitchell Swepson and being run out by Jake Lehmann.
Sixteen wickets fell on an eventful opening day of the first Test between Bangladesh and South Africa in Dhaka. At stumps, the visitors managed to take a lead of 34 runs despite Taijul Islam returning a five-wicket-haul on a surface that has helped spinners to grip and turn the ball. Kyle Verreynne and Wiaan Mulder’s unbeaten knocks took South Africa to 140 for 6 before bad light stopped play six overs short.South Africa dominated the first two sessions but Bangladesh came back into the contest in the final session when conditions became difficult for scoring. Tony de Zorzi looked comfortable against spin and consumed the most of number of balls among the South Africa batters but Taijul sent him back for a 72-ball 30 in the last session to dent South Africa. This was after Taijul induced a top edge of David Bedingham for his second wicket. From a comfortable position of 65 for 2 post tea, South Africa slipped to 108 for 6.Debutant Matthew Breetzke exposed his stumps expecting the ball to turn away but the ball skidded on to clean him up, and that wicket made Taijul only the second Bangladeshi bowler to reach 200 Test wickets after Shakib Al Hasan, who was forced to miss his farewell Test game due to security reasons.Earlier, South Africa got into the act quickly with Mulder, Kagiso Rabada and Keshav Maharaj ripping through Bangladesh with three wickets each to skittle them out for just 106 inside two sessions.Kagiso Rabada dismissed Mushfiqur Rahim and Litton Das on the way to 300 Test wickets•AFP/Getty Images
The majority of the damage was done by the two fast bowlers in the morning session when they left Bangladesh six down and hurt them in hazy Mirpur after Najmul Hossain Shanto decided to bat first. Mulder and Rabada utilised the grass cover on the surface for extra movement off the surface while also finding early swing to leave Bangladesh reeling at 60 for 6. Mulder was exceptional in his six-over opening spell, taking three wickets and bowling three maidens. Rabada picked up two in the morning to cross 300 wickets in Tests.Maharaj spun a web around the lower middle order and had Mehidy Hasan Miraz lbw at the stroke of lunch. Mahmudul Hasan Joy was patient in his 97-ball 30 before offspinner Dane Piedt bowled him to end Bangladesh’s chances of redemption.Mulder’s third wicket was set up nicely when he removed the left-hand Shanto going around the wicket after four balls only for the batter to get a tame leading edge to Maharaj at extra cover when he tried to work through midwicket against the angle.Rabada, after bowling four overs in his first spell, came back and dismissed Mushfiqur Rahim straightaway when he got one to zip through the gap between his bat and pad to rattle the stumps. A few overs later, he hit the hard length and forced Litton Das to edge one to a flying Stubbs at gully.Taijul and Nayeem Hasan put on 26 runs for the ninth wicket – also the highest stand of the innings – but Rabada came back in the second session to remove Nayeem. Bangladesh added 46 runs and lost four wickets post lunch.Poor shot selection and good bowling saw Bangladesh being bowled out for a small total. South Africa have also lost half the side on the wicket that’s turning and bouncing but by gaining a small lead, they are slightly ahead at the end of day’s play.
Manchester United are now in talks to sign an “incredible” striker who Ruben Amorim thinks is a perfect fit, according to a report.
Man Utd's striker pursuit takes new twist
Man United have set out to sign a new striker this summer, with Viktor Gyokeres being identified as a potential target, having recently made calls in an attempt to lure the Sweden international to Old Trafford.
The 27-year-old is determined to leave Sporting this summer, even threatening to speak to the media himself if the Portuguese club continue to stand in his way.
The Sporting star is worried that the £68m asking price could deter potential suitors from making a move, with the forward dreaming of making a move to Arsenal, and there has now been a new update on his future.
Sporting Club's Viktor Gyokeres.
According to a report from The Mirror, United have now accepted defeat in the race for Gyokeres, as they are convinced he would rather sign for Mikel Arteta’s side, meaning they have now moved on to alternative targets.
The Red Devils are now stepping up their interest in Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins, having held tentative talks over a deal for the England international, with Amorim of the belief he would be the ideal player to lead the line.
A deal will not be cheap, however, with Villa set to hold out for a fee of £60m, which Man United are unwilling to pay, considering he is now 29-years-old, which means there is a lack of re-sale value.
Man Utd in contact for £34m star who's "the best in his role in the world"
The Red Devils have now approached the agents of a player who featured in the 2025 Champions League final.
ByDominic Lund Jul 3, 2025
There had been a willingness to use Marcus Rashford in a swap deal, but Unai Emery’s side are no longer interested in signing their former loanee.
Watkins could be "incredible" Gyokeres alternative
Of course, Amorim knows all about Gyokeres from their time working together at Sporting, and his goal record last season speaks for itself, but there are plenty of signs that Watkins could be a solid alternative.
Unlike Gyokeres, the Torquay-born forward has already proven himself over a number of years in the Premier League, picking up 75 goals and 36 assists in 184 appearances in the competition.
The Englishman also has experience at the highest level, most notably scoring a dramatic late winner to send the Three Lions to the Euro 2024 final.
Man United have made the mistake of signing players without Premier League experience in the past, with Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee failing to adapt to life in England, while Watkins has already proven himself to be a reliable source of goals.
An “outstanding” Liverpool player is now reportedly on the verge of leaving the club this summer, with the Reds reaching an agreement with a new club and a medical set to take place next week.
Players who could leave Liverpool this summer
While much focus is on the shiny new signings arriving at Anfield, with Jeremie Frimpong and Florian Wirtz already brought in and Milos Kerkez on the way, there are a host of Reds players who are expected to depart ahead of next season.
Trent Alexander-Arnold has already moved on to Real Madrid and his great friend and fellow full-back Andy Robertson has been strongly linked with a summer switch to Atletico Madrid, potentially bringing an end to eight legendary years at the club in the process.
Jarell Quansah has also been backed to seal a summer exit, having struggled to kick on during the 2024/25 season, and the same applies to Harvey Elliott, who has hinted at leaving the club he grew up supporting in recent weeks and has been linked with a move to Brighton.
In attack, Mohamed Salah genuinely feels like the only player whose future isn’t up in the air, with Federico Chiesa and Darwin Nunez feeling particularly likely to wave goodbye to the Premier League champions.
Indeed, a busy summer is on the horizon at Liverpool as Arne Slot looks to build a squad capable of dominance across multiple competitions.
"Outstanding" player on the verge of Liverpool exit
According to the reliable Paul Gorst of the Liverpool Echo on X, Liverpool have reached an agreement with Bayer Leverkusen over the signing of Quansah in a £35m deal.
Quansah is currently away with England Under-21s at the European Championships, and started their 3-1 quarter final win over Spain on Saturday. He will undergo a medical when the tournament finishes, which is next Saturday, so it could be into next week before this deal is fully ratified.
Jarell Quansah for Liverpool
Opinion may be split over Liverpool selling Quansah, with some feeling that he has the potential to grow into an elite-level centre-back as the years pass.
On the flip side, though, the England international didn’t kick on as much as many hoped last season, and there is an argument to say that the Reds will never be able to sell him for more than £35m in his career.
It is a risk by Liverpool, not least because Virgil van Dijk is a big admirer of the defender, calling him “outstanding” and saying the “sky is the limit for him”, but the likes of Michael Edwards and Richard Hughes need to be trusted.
The Reds must be ruthless after their title win, which includes dispatching of players not deemed good enough to take the team forward, and the brutal reality may be that Slot doesn’t quite feel Quansah is at the level required.
Liverpool "issue" resolved as medical booked for next signing on 5-year deal
This is great news for the Reds.
1
By
Henry Jackson
Jun 22, 2025
If Liverpool were able to sign Marc Guehi as his replacement this summer, as Gorst hints at in his update, it could immediately strengthen Slot’s squad, increasing their chances of defending their title next term.
Liverpool know they have a significant summer ahead of them. Some might even label it a critical juncture in the club’s modern history.
Arne Slot has done ever so well at Anfield this season, steering Liverpool toward the brink of the Premier League title. It’s not wrapped up, but the Reds’ 13-point lead is surely unassailable at this late stage.
But the 2025/26 campaign will be here in a jiffy, and it’s clear that Liverpool need to embellish Slot’s first-team squad with attractive new bits, for Liverpool have scarcely dipped into the transfer market since Jurgen Klopp completed his midfield rebuild with the signing of Ryan Gravenberch in August 2023.
Jurgen Klopp and Liverpool beat Chelsea in the 2022 Carabao Cup final.
Klopp’s long-standing midfield had eroded away during the 2022/23 season, finally succumbing to years of unrelenting pressure, high-octane pace hitting like whipping breakers against a rocky coastline.
That erosion saw Jordan Henderson and Fabinho sold to the Saudi Pro League after Naby Keita, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and James Milner all departed at the end of their contracts. It was an exodus, all right, but one which needed to happen.
Jordan Henderson and Fabinho
There was another midfielder who actually survived the wipeout; he bore the highest quality of them all, but all things considered Thiago Alcantara perhaps needed to move on more than the rest, his natural talent overruled by a shoddy fitness record on Merseyside.
Thiago's time at Liverpool
In 2020, Premier League winners Liverpool needed to consolidate their position at the top of the English and European pyramids.
What better statement of intent than to sign one of the game’s foremost midfielders? Bayern Munich were paid £20m and Thiago made the move to Merseyside, with Wolverhampton Wanderers’ Diogo Jota soon to follow.
Liverpool midfielder Thiago Alcantara
One of the most technically gifted players of his generation, Thiago was regarded as a major coup for Klopp’s title-winning side, giving them something different in the middle of the park as Gini Wijnaldum’s contract wound down.
However, injuries had been his undoing in the past and the intensity of Klopp’s system and the rigorousness of the Premier League limited this wonderful footballer to little more than a small part role, influential and inspiring when on the grass but finding such time limited.
Thiago Alcantara’s Time in the Premier League
Season
Apps (starts)
Goals
Assists
Minutes
23/24
1 (0)
0
0
5′
22/23
18 (14)
0
0
1,256′
21/22
25 (17)
1
4
1,537′
20/21
24 (20)
1
0
1,858′
Stats via Transfermarkt
As you can see above, Thiago’s involvement in the Premier League was always a frustrating thing, his body effectively shutting down during his final year, Klopp’s final year, and was forced into an early retirement.
Thiago had European pedigree, to be sure, but Liverpool missed a trick with his signing. The diminutive maestro earned a staggering salary at £200k per week, something which was bettered only by Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah. A figure only they surpass still.
Barcelona and Bayern had reaped the richest harvest of Thiago’s skill set, but he arrived at Liverpool too late in his career, already worn down by years of hard graft on the continent.
Now, Liverpool find that they are suffering their new version of the distinguished Spaniard, and though he’s shown flashes of quality, would do well to be sold this summer.
Liverpool's new version of Thiago
Though Klopp left Liverpool in fine stead as Slot stepped in to replace him, there’s no doubting that frustrations simmered online as FSG opted against investment last summer.
Liverpool managerArneSlotbefore the match
Well, there was a mite of activity on that front. In August, after efforts to sign Martin Zubimendi fell short, the Reds completed the signing of Juventus’ Federico Chiesa for a cut-price £12.5m fee.
Hero at Wembley as Italy won Euro 2020 and established as one of the standout forwards on the Italian scene, Chiesa was hailed as “world-class” by ex-Italy defender Alessandro Pierini.
But injuries have indeed wrecked much of the talent’s football over the past several years, and while moving to Liverpool last summer felt like a fresh slate, it’s unfortunate to report that Slot has not been won over and he’s sat largely on the sidelines.
Federico Chiesa – Liverpool Stats by Competition
Competition
Apps
Goals
Assists
Minutes
Premier League
4
0
0
33′
Champions League
3
0
1
107′
FA Cup
3
1
1
120′
Carabao Cup
2
1
0
135′
Stats via Transfermarkt
Minutes have been sparse, especially in the Premier League. Chiesa, for sure, has a lot of quality and has showcased as such against Newcastle United in the Carabao Cup final, but it doesn’t appear to have been enough.
A poor track record on the fitness front – which hurt his early progress at Anfield, set him back from the off – suggests that Chiesa might actually be Liverpool’s new version of Thiago, especially since he arrived with bucket loads of European pedigree.
The £150k-per-week forward also earns quite the pretty penny and it’s difficult to argue that his role in the squad justifies such earnings. Again, like Thiago.
Though Liverpool wouldn’t claim the largest sum for his sale this summer, it wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world, not least because plans are already being drawn to bring in fresh faces up top.
Federico Chiesa in action for Liverpool
It’s hard to imagine Chiesa will win Slot over and dance into the forthcoming season with a view toward starting more often or not. But observers have been wrong before.
However, given that Liverpool’s boss has been loathe to unleash his Italian forward this season and is now gearing up to strengthen an already formidable frontline with several new parts, you worry for Chiesa’s future – or his personal success on Merseyside at the least.
Oh, Salah’s sticking around too, isn’t he? Chiesa is a talented and versatile winger, but he earns quite the pretty penny and has an injury record to strike fear into young, up-and-coming talents.
It might be best for all parties that Liverpool cash in this summer, especially if a youngster like Ben Doak is integrated into the firt team next season.
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It was another tough day at the office for Ipswich Town last Sunday but it was shaping up to be a remarkable one for the relegation candidates.
For a while, it looked as if Kieran McKenna’s side would come away from their game against Chelsea with all three points and close the gap on survival.
Julio Enciso and Ben Johnson had given the Tractor Boys hope of pulling off a remarkable league double against the Blues but an own goal from Axel Tuanzebe and a strike from Jadon Sancho meant they had to settle for a point.
Ipswich Town managerKieranMcKenna
Consequently, it now is really starting to look like next season will see the Suffolk side return to the Championship.
However, they certainly have the players to bounce right back, and if they are forced to sell, they’ll make a pretty penny, especially off one star who’s been compared to an international ace valued at over £100m.
Ipswich's biggest sales
So, before talking about the player who could easily become Ipswich’s biggest-ever sale, it’s worth examining those who currently make up the list, such as Tyrone Mings.
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The Aston Villa star joined the club for just £10k from non-league Chippenham Town in 2013 and would go on to make 63 appearances for the Tractor Boys, scoring once and providing eight assists.
Then, in the summer of 2015, Bournemouth paid a whopping £8m for his services, which equates to a massive 79900% increase on what he originally cost the Suffolk side – talk about wheeling and dealing.
One of the other most expensive sales in the club’s history was of striker Connor Wickham.
The Englishman was an academy product and, after making his first team debut in the 08/09 season, went on to score 15 goals and provide four assists in 72 appearances.
Wickham’s Ipswich career
Appearances
72
Minutes
4165′
Goals
15
Assists
4
Goal Involvements per Match
0.26
Minutes per Goal Involvement
219.21′
All Stats via Transfermarkt
It was in the summer of 2011 that Sunderland paid an initial fee of around £8.1m for the centre-forward’s services, which, again, netted the Blues a hefty profit.
However, if the club are forced to sell some of their stars this summer, then there is one who, thanks to his form and comparisons to other top players, could net them a fortune.
The star who could be Ipswich's biggest sale
While there are several top-quality players in Ipswich’s squad, it will likely come as no surprise that the one we are talking about is Liam Delap.
While he didn’t start the game against the Blues due a lack of training in midweek, one does wonder what the result may have been had he begun the game, notably scoring against Enzo Maresca’s side in the reverse fixtures.
Liam Delap
The former Manchester City star joined the club for around £20m in the summer and has since racked up a sensational haul of 12 goals and two assists in just 30 Premier League games.
Such a brilliant rate of return has not only caught the interest of other top sides, like Manchester United, but also seen the 22-year-old “wrecking-ball,” as dubbed by Sky Sports reporter Lewis Jones, compared to another of Europe’s most exciting strikers, Benjamin Sesko.
The comparison stems from FBref, which looks at players in similar positions in Europe’s top five leagues, the Champions League and Europa League, then creates a list of the ten most comparable players for each one and, in this instance, has concluded that the Slovenian is the ninth most similar striker to the Englishman.
The best way to see where this comparison has come from is to look at the underlying metrics in which the pair rank closely, including, but not limited to, non-penalty expected goals plus assists, key passes, crosses, goal-creating actions, ball recoveries and more, all per 90.
Delap & Sesko
Statistics per 90
Delap
Sesko
Non-Penalty Expected G+As
0.36
0.40
Shots on Target
1.01
1.13
Key Passes
0.78
0.72
Expected Assists
0.05
0.06
Crosses
0.16
0.14
Goal-Creating Actions
0.27
0.36
Ball Recoveries
2.13
2.49
All Stats via FBref for the 24/25 League Season
However, while the comparison to a Champions League striker is nice in and of itself, it’s also encouraging regarding Delap’s value.
For example, the CIES Football Observatory values the former RB Salzburg star at a whopping €116.6m, which converts to about £100m, and if the Blues’ ace is so statistically similar, why shouldn’t his price tag be?
Ultimately, while going down and losing their best player is far from ideal, Ipswich can at least rest assured that if they sell Delap this summer, he will undoubtedly become their most expensive departure of all time.
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