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Tottenham Hotspur are now pushing hard to sign a “powerful” midfielder who has been likened to Manchester City star Rodri, and his current employers could be willing to sanction a move for £30m…

Tottenham looking to strengthen in midfield after Fulham setback

Tottenham remain without a home win since the opening day of the season in the Premier League, having succumbed to a 2-1 defeat against Fulham on Saturday afternoon, and Danny Murphy has since criticised the lack of creativity in the middle of the park.

As such, Spurs may need to enter the market for some new signings in the January transfer window, and bringing in a new forward may be of key significance, given that Thomas Frank has decided he no longer wants Richarlison.

However, signing another midfielder could also be a savvy move, given the lack of creativity, and there has now been a new update on the north Londoners’ pursuit of Anderlecht maestro Nathan De Cat.

According to a report from Caught Offside, Tottenham sporting director Johan Lange is now pushing hard to sign De Cat, who has impressed scouts from across Europe, with Aston Villa, Brighton and Bayern Munich also keen.

The Belgian club had been hoping to keep hold of the 17-year-old until 2027, but they could now be willing to cash-in on the youngster, who has been compared to Manchester City star Rodri, for £30m.

"Powerful" De Cat could be future star

Likened to Rodri due to being a deep-lying playmaker, the teenager has been praised for his creativity by scout Ben Mattinson, who said he is able to unlock defences “from deep or as creator in the final third”, while also describing the starlet as “powerful.”

Fellow scout Jacek Kulig also clearly believes the Anderlecht ace could be destined for big things, having praised his performances at youth level back in July.

Since then, the Belgian has gone on to become a key player for the Anderlecht first team, making 20 appearances in all competitions this season, which is an impressive feat as such a young age.

Tottenham hold talks with Arsenal target as Frank 'craves his progressive passing'

Spurs need more creativity.

ByEmilio Galantini Nov 28, 2025

At just 17, De Cat is likely to need more time to develop before being able to slot into Tottenham’s starting XI, but he clearly has a lot of potential, and £30m could end up being a bargain in the long run.

The Jupiter Hammerheads are the single-A affiliate of the Miami Marlins. On Tuesday they began a six-game homestand against the Dunedin Blue Jays and it did not go well. The Blue Jays won 19-5 and it was even uglier than the final score suggests.

The Hammerheads pitchers combined to give up just nine hits, but walked 22 batters, which is apparently a minor league record.

They issued six bases-loaded walks and hit three batters, with one of those HBP's coming with the bases loaded for another run. They also threw three wild pitches, with one of them allowing a run to score.

The home team's announcer could barely take it.

"This is only my fifth season," he said. "And I’ve been in baseball a little under a decade because of my college days. I’ve never written so many RBI walks in a book before. This is, listen, I know that I’m supposed to be optimistic about our team here, but I mean, come on guys. I could go out there. Let me loosen up my shoulder. I’ll go help things out. Because you’ve gotta put it over the plate. You’ve gotta give your defense a shot. They’ve not been given a shot all game."

With five games remaining in this early season series it can only get better.

New Zealand 92 for 0 (Conway 51*, Young 41*) trail Zimbabwe 149 (Ervine 39, Henry 6-39, Smith 3-20) by 57 runsMatt Henry’s 6 for 39 scythed through Zimbabwe, who were bowled out for their lowest total in seven innings and second-lowest in 2025, and their lead has already been reduced to just 57 runs by the end of the first day. New Zealand wiped off 92 of the 149 runs in the 26 overs they faced and hold the advantage in all departments. Their batting was solid and bowling was incisive where Zimbabwe’s has not been throughout their last few home Tests.Henry took wickets with the new and old ball, with full and short deliveries, and followed up perfectly from finishing as the leading wicket-taker in the T20I tri-series. He was well supported by Nathan Smith, who picked up 3 for 20 in his third Test. Those figures do justice to bowlers that had the batters completely confounded with subtle changes in line and length.Related

• Zimbabwe Cricket receives US$ 50,000 sponsorship to support domestic teams

• Brendan Taylor's ban ends, added to second Test squad against NZ

• Latham out of first Test against Zimbabwe, Santner to stand in as NZ captain

According to ESPNcricinfo’s ball-by-ball data, Zimbabwe edged 22 deliveries in total, and had a control percentage of just 68.8%. Only two Zimbabwe batters, Craig Ervine and Tafadzwa Tsiga, got past 30 and both were dropped before they had reached 20. They also shared in Zimbabwe’s best partnership: a sixth-wicket stand of 54. New Zealand have already surpassed that with their opening pair.New Zealand’s threat was apparent from the outset as they found the edge six times in the first three overs, which ended with the opening wicket. Brian Bennett – who inside-edged the first ball of the match, then edged one just out of the reach from short leg and then got four as another edge went between gully and the cordon – stayed back to a slightly fuller ball from Henry and this time, the edge flew to Will Young at third slip. Ben Curran, his opening partner, went the same way but only after Henry had changed angles to go around the wicket in his fourth over.Sean Williams was fortunate not to run out Nick Welch when he got off the mark with a single that chanced Mitchell Santner’s arm, but could not find any fortune against Smith. He tried to steer past third and inside-edged onto his stumps to leave Zimbabwe in a mess at 31 for 3 after the first hour.Nathan Smith took three wickets and offered good support to Matt Henry•Zimbabwe Cricket

Welch and captain Craig Ervine used up deliveries and time but did not get many runs for most of the second hour. It took Ervine 23 balls to get off the mark, and he did it with a push past mid-off off Will O’Rourke.Santner, captaining in place of the injured Tom Latham, brought himself on in the 20th over and the introduction of spin allowed Welch to get comfortable. He swept both Santner and Michael Bracewell, who he also reverse-swept for three boundaries in nine balls to get Zimbabwe over 50. But his fun only lasted until Henry was brought back. Welch edged the second ball of the fast bowler’s second spell to second slip to send Zimbabwe to lunch on 67 for 4.Henry completed his over after the break with the wicket of Sikandar Raza, who tried to take on the short ball but gloved it high for Tom Blundell to take a simple catch. Henry could have had Tsiga in his next over but the edge fell short. Tsiga got his own back when he flicked Henry off his pads for four and then drove Smith down the ground to show his range.Ervine was on 18 when he offered Smith a return catch but it hit him on the boot. Nine overs later, Tsiga could have been O’Rourke’s first of the match when he cut him to gully but Devon Conway put it down. Ervine brought up the 50-run stand with a well-timed punch down the ground for four.The pair looked like taking Zimbabwe to tea without further damage but it was not to be. Ervine was given out lbw when he missed a flick off Smith, though the ball seemed to be sliding down leg. With no DRS in place, he could not review. Tsiga was also out lbw, when he was beaten on the inside edge and hit on the back leg in what seemed a better decision. At tea, Zimbabwe were 138 for 7.Devon Conway and Will Young gave Zimbabwe a solid start•Zimbabwe Cricket

Henry took his fifth with a snorter, short and aimed at Newman Nyamhuri’s head. He ducked and the ball took the shoulder of his bat and was caught, again, by Young. Vincent Masekesa was run out after his partner Blessing Muzarabani did not respond to his call for a single and he had to make his way back to the striker’s end. Muzarabani only lasted into the next over, when he got a leading edge off Henry and was caught by Santner at cover to give Henry his sixth. Zimbabwe were bowled out inside 61 overs.If they gave the impression run-scoring was difficult, New Zealand swiftly dispelled the notion. They raced to 40 without loss in the first ten overs when Young hit a short, wide Muzarabani ball for four and Conway took three boundaries off Tanaka Chivanga’s fourth over: a cut, a drive and a pull.Zimbabwe had their best chance when Nyamhuri, in his second over, appealed for lbw against Young when he hit him on the boot with a yorker but it was given not out.New Zealand brought up their 50 off Nyamhuri when Conway cut him for four in the 14th over. Nyamhuri continued to cause problems for New Zealand and hit Conway on the knee – too high for lbw, but enough to cause some pain. Conway continued and reached his half-century off 83 balls with a single of Raza in the penultimate over of the day. Young is nine runs away from his and with the pitch showing few signs of bother and Zimbabwe already using the spinners, both will eye going bigger on the second day.

Manchester United legend David Beckham has spoken of his pride after being officially knighted by King Charles. The former England captain's long-awaited knighthood was confirmed in the King's Birthday Honours list in June for his services to sport and charity. He received the award at a ceremony on Tuesday in Berkshire, which was attended by his family, including wife Victoria, who will now be known as Lady Beckham.

Beckham knighted by King Charles

Beckham's knighthood has been years in the making since becoming arguably the best-known footballer in the world in the 1990s with Manchester United. He increased his international fame by joining Real Madrid in 2003 and later LA Galaxy before becoming a co-owner at Inter Miami. Beckham, who grew up in east London but moved to United's academy as a teenager, made his Red Devils' debut in 1992 and consolidated his place in Sir Alex Ferguson's side in 1996, later becoming one of the most important players in the team's historic treble win in 1999. 

He became England captain in 2000, two years after becoming a figure of hate for being sent off against Argentina in the 1998 World Cup. Beckham quickly redeemed himself in supporters' eyes by qualifying England for the 2002 World Cup with his last-gasp free-kick against Greece. 

Beckham ended his trophy-laden time with United to join Real Madrid in a £25m ($32m) deal in 2003, winning the La Liga title in his final season in the Spanish capital. He saw out his career with LA Galaxy in Major League Soccer and also played for AC Milan on loan before finally hanging up his boots while with Paris Saint-Germain in 2013. 

AdvertisementGetty Images EntertainmentBeckham: Royal family most important institution in world

"It's a very proud day for us as a family today," Beckham said after being knighted. "I grew up in the east end of London in a very humble family and my dream was always to become a professional footballer to play for Manchester United to play for my country. Everything else that has come with that has been incredible. But today to be honoured by one of the most important institutions in the world and one of the most respected institutions in the world, being an East End boy, it's a very proud day."

Beckham: People around world want to discuss royal family

"The monarchy has always been very important in our family, my grandparents, my parents, myself, my kids," Beckham added. "The royal family have always played a huge role. I've always had huge respect for our royal family. Especially when I get to travel around the world, people want to talk to me about our royal family and that shows how much respect people have, and to be here to receive a knighthood by his majesty the King is pretty surreal."

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AFPBeckham waited 12 hours to see Queen lying in state

Off the pitch, Beckham played a key role in London's bid to host the 2012 Olympic Games and has worked with humanitarian aid charity Unicef since 2005. A fiercely proud royalist, Beckham queued for 12 hours to see Queen Elizabeth II lying in state following her death in 2022. He was named ambassador for the King's Foundation in 2024, supporting the monarch's education programme.

Glasgow Rangers ended their months-long wait for a win in the Scottish Premiership thanks to a last-gasp strike from Max Aarons on Sunday afternoon.

The loan defender popped up in stoppage-time to find the bottom corner with a fantastic finish from Nicolas Raskin’s corner to claim all three points for the away side.

Russell Martin’s side had four draws and one defeat on the board from their first five matches in the Premiership before Sunday’s match, which is why Aarons’ goal was so important.

Despite picking up all three points, there were several players who may not come away from the game being pleased with their individual showing, including captain James Tavernier.

How James Tavernier performed against Livingston

The Rangers skipper will rue the fact that he failed to make it 2-0 from the penalty spot in the first half when he put his spot-kick down the middle, making it relatively easy for Jerome Prior to leave a leg out and block.

The English defender, who failed in three of his four attempted dribbles (Sofascore), will be disappointed that his penalty gave the goalkeeper a chance to keep it out.

Tavernier did, however, score the opening goal of the game with a terrific acrobatic finish from Oliver Antman’s cross to put Rangers 1-0 up early on, which may allow supporters to forgive him for the penalty miss.

Meanwhile, Bojan Miovski was even worse than the captain will be thankful that Aarons saved him from being blamed for a loss of points if the Gers had drawn the game.

Why Bojan Miovski should be dropped

The summer signing from Girona was selected to lead the line for the Light Blues ahead of Youssef Chermiti, after the £10m signing from Everton started the 1-0 defeat to Genk.

Football FanCast have suggested moving to a 4-4-2 against Sturm Graz with both Miovski and Chermiti for the Europa League clash with Sturm Graz on Thursday because of Mohamed Diomande’s suspension, but the left-footed striker should be dropped for the trip to Falkirk.

Rangers travel to Falkirk in their next Premiership match next Sunday and Martin must ruthlessly ditch the Macedonia international from the XI with the favoured 4-2-3-1 or 4-3-3 formation, because he did not do enough as the lone marksman in the win over Livingston.

Minutes

90

Goals + assists

0

Shots

2

Big chances missed

2

Dribbles completed

0/3

Duels won

2/12

Key passes

0

As you can see in the table above, the Rangers number 28 was completely dominated by the Livingston defenders, losing ten of his 12 duels and failing with all three of his attempted dribbles.

On top of his incredibly lightweight play out of possession for the Scottish giants, the former Aberdeen star also spurned a glorious chance to find the back of the net in the first half.

Miovski, as shown in the clip above, was clear through on goal with the chance to score his first Premiership goal for the club, but blazed his effort well over the bar. Prior had committed and was already going the other way, which meant that the striker only had to keep his effort down and he would have been celebrating the opener.

The Gers forward was even worse than Tavernier, who won eight duels and scored the opening goal, and should now be dropped for the trip to Falkirk next weekend, providing Chermiti with a chance to lead the line.

Rangers eyeing bargain 2026 deal to sign "super" Scottish gem who's keen on Ibrox move

He’s a rising star.

ByTom Cunningham Sep 27, 2025

Miovski may have been saved from bucket loads of criticism for his performance by Aarons scoring the winner, but he may not escape being dropped from the starting XI in the league.

Celtic have endured a fairly disappointing start to the 2025/26 campaign across all competitions so far, in the Scottish Premiership and in Europe.

The Hoops sit second in the league table, behind Hearts, with five wins and two draws, whilst they are still looking for their first win on the European stage.

Brendan Rodgers has overseen one point from two Europa League matches after his team were beaten by Kairat in their Champions League play-off clash.

There have been several players in the squad who have not performed to the best of their ability this season, including central midfielder Reo Hatate.

Why Reo Hatate's form is a concern

The Japan international has gone eight matches without a goal or an assist to show for his contributions on the pitch, which is concerning for a player who typically provides creativity and quality on the ball in midfield.

Hatate delivered ten goals and created 14 ‘big chances’ for his teammates in 37 appearances in the Premiership last season, per Sofascore, but he has failed to provide the same kind of quality at the top end of the pitch in the current campaign.

Appearances

37

5

Goals

10

1

Minutes per goal

241

373

Key passes per game

1.2

0.6

Big chances created

14

0

Assists

4

0

As you can see in the table above, the Japanese star’s output as both a scorer and as a creator of goals has decreased for the Hoops in the Premiership.

This is concerning because it shows that Hatate is not as influential or effective as he once was for the Scottish giants, but it has also provided other players with a chance to step up and shine.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

One star who has stepped up and is now looking like a Reo Hatate-type player is summer signing Benjamin Nygren in the middle of the park for Celtic.

Why Benjamin Nygren looks like Celtic's new Reo Hatate

The left-footed star was signed from Nordsjaelland for £1.3m in the summer and may have been expected by some to play on the right wing, as that was where he played the majority of his football last season and Nicolas Kuhn left to sign for Como.

Despite that, Rodgers has played Nygren as part of his midfield three more often than not, essentially taking Arne Engels’ spot in the starting line-up from the 2024/25 campaign.

The Sweden international, who was described as “fearless” by Alexander Isak, has started five of the club’s seven matches in the Premiership, which shows that the manager already trusts him to start consistently.

Nygren has also shown that he can be a difference-maker at the top end of the pitch from a midfield position with four goals in five league starts, whilst no other Celtic player has scored more than two league goals for the club.

As well as being an impressive goalscorer, the summer signing ranks second in the squad for ‘big chances’ created (two) and first for key passes per game (2.6) in the Premiership.

These statistics show that Nygren has hit the ground running at Parkhead as both a scorer and a creator of goals from a central midfield position, taking on the role that Hatate played last season with his ten goals and 14 ‘big chances’ created.

The Japan international has not been at his best in the current campaign, as evidenced by his aforementioned form, but the Swedish star has stepped up to carry the team on his back at times.

Cost £0, now worth more than Tounekti: Celtic hit gold on "phenomenal" star

Sebastian Tounekti has made an impressive start to life at Celtic, but a “prolific” attacker who arrived for free has a higher estimated market value.

ByBen Gray Oct 10, 2025

There is still plenty of football left to be played this season, but the left-footed star’s form for Celtic suggests that he can be the new midfield star in the final third moving forward.

New Zealand Cricket (NZC) has become the first national governing body to invest directly in an overseas T20 league after joining forces with Major League Cricket (MLC) to launch one of the competition’s new teams in 2027.As reported by ESPNcricinfo, MLC will increase from its current six teams to eight in 2027, and there are ambitions to grow further by 2031, with the possibility a franchise could be based in Canada.The terms have been agreed, and NZC has become investors, with US-based True North Sports (TNS), which will be run by MLC co-founders Sameer Mehta and Vijay Srinivasan, to operate one of the new franchises. A NZC statement said that among the private equity investors in TNS are 49ers Enterprises, the investment arm of the NFL’s San Francisco 49ers.Related

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NZC will therefore part-own the team – with an option to invest in a second franchise at a later date – while also providing high-performance and operational support, including coaching, management and support staff, which it will be paid for, as well as integrating the franchise into New Zealand’s domestic high-performance system. In a second phase of development, NZC will provide expertise in cricket infrastructure and turf management.New South Wales and Victoria partnered with Washington Freedom and San Francisco Unicorns respectively at the initial launch of MLC in 2023, but the depth of NZC’s deal goes significantly further.Scott Weenink, the NZC chief executive, said it was vital that the sport looked beyond traditional sources of income amid the rapidly changing landscape.”We put in place a five-year strategic plan in the middle of last year and one of the things that came clearly out of that was the need to try and diversify away from a reliance on just broadcast revenue and ICC distributions,” Weenink told ESPNcricinfo. “New Zealand Cricket, like most member boards, is heavily reliant on those two aspects.”At the moment, we don’t have our own franchise cricket tournament. We have the Super Smash, which we own, and is seen more as a tournament to help develop Black Caps and White Ferns. And we’re currently looking at what we do with that, but also part of our strategic plan was looking to diversify our revenue streams to pay for and invest in our high-performance community and pathways. One of which was looking at what we did with overseas domestic franchises.”Weenink added that growing the NZC and players’ brand in India remained vital, but that the potential growth of the game in the US – including the hosting of the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles where cricket will return – made MLC an attractive proposition. There is also a timezone advantage with evening games from the US being broadcast in the middle of day in New Zealand rather than during the night.He expected the new franchise to have a “heavy New Zealand influence” but the country’s players would be free to join any team in the competition. For centrally contracted players, international duty would continue to take precedence.Weenink also said that the move did not mean the governing body was taking any of its focus away from the game in New Zealand.”It’s additional funding and revenue, which we will then be able to invest in our high-performance community and pathways game in New Zealand,” he said. “We don’t see by making this investment in an overseas league as meaning we’re not going to invest further in our own Super Smash, or other leagues. We see this as complementary because we see it as an opportunity to generate revenue, to enable us to actually invest in our network, and in particular, our leagues.”In terms of the Super Smash, which is usually played from late December to early February, Weenink said various options remained on the table including private investment. There is also the potential for providing a team in the BBL should the tournament in Australia expand. The BBL is set to undergo a review, led by Boston Consulting Group, to assess its future options.1:50

Cummins: MLC is giving cricketers a platform in the US

“We have had informal talks with Cricket Australia about potentially putting a team in the Big Bash,” Weenink said. “And that’s certainly, if we’re both in agreement, something that we would consider. But as well as looking at that and considering some options there, we are actively considering what we should do with our Super Smash. Because we’ve actually been able to generate good revenue from broadcasting and also ICC distributions, we haven’t necessarily needed to do anything like privatise the Super Smash.”But there is obviously a recognition that broadcasting and ICC distributions will potentially come under pressure. So we need to look at alternative things, including do we privatise our own Super Smash? Certainly all those things are being considered as part of our longer-term strategic thinking.”Further details of the NZC-backed franchise, including its name, are expected to be announced later this year.”TNS is delighted to partner with NZC, an organisation admired for its sustained success despite limited financial and playing resources compared to other international cricketing bodies,” Mehta said. “As founders of start-ups that have rapidly grown to established businesses, we see NZC as a perfect fit for our new franchise. With NZC’s expertise, our expansion franchise will elevate MLC’s world-class T20 product and support cricket’s rapid growth in our region.”The 2025 edition of MLC will be played from June 13 to July 14 with Oakland’s Coliseum to host matches for the first time. Devon Conway, Lockie Ferguson, Rachin Ravindra and Finn Allen are among the current New Zealand players set to take part.

Toss Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) captain Ajinkya Rahane won the toss and chose to bowl in Tuesday’s afternoon game at Eden Gardens against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG). KKR made one change for the home game, replacing allrounder Moeen Ali with left-arm seamer Spencer Johnson. LSG named an unchanged team.”The wicket looks really good,” Rahane said at the toss to Danny Morrison. “It hasn’t been hot in Kolkata, wickets will not change [in the second half]. Everybody is looking forward to this game after all our units did well in the last game [against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH)].”Rahane said KKR were not worried about their opening partnerships not clicking, backing Quinton de Kock and Sunil Narine at the top. “People are going to talk about it,” he said. “Sunil and Quinny are match-winners, so we are not worried.”2:15

Bangar: Varun and Narine will be key to counter LSG’s big-hitters

LSG captain Rishabh Pant said he wasn’t very happy with the team’s start to IPL 2025 – they have won two and lost two so far – but hoped for an upward trend in this critical period of the season. They fielded the same team that defeated Mumbai Indians (MI) on Friday.KKR’s decision to field first was an interesting one because captains in day games have preferred to bat so far this season. The team batting first has also won eight of the last 17 games at this venue.This fixture is a rescheduled one. It was originally meant to be held on Sunday, April 6. The game was moved to Tuesday after local police said they were not in a position to provide security owing to the Navratri festivities in the city that day.Kolkata Knight Riders: Quinton de Kock (wk), Sunil Narine, Ajinkya Rahane (capt), Venkatesh Iyer, Rinku Singh, Andre Russell, Ramandeep Singh, Vaibhav Arora, Spencer Johnson, Harshit Rana, Varun Chakravarthy
Lucknow Super Giants: Mitchell Marsh, Aiden Markram, Nicholas Pooran, Rishabh Pant (capt, wk), Ayush Badoni, Abdul Samad, David Miller, Shardul Thakur, Akash Deep, Avesh Khan, Digvesh Rathi

Liverpool beat Bournemouth to get their Premier League title defence off to a flyer, though it was hardly a match without its vulnerabilities for the Anfield side as their defensive frailties were exposed against a spirited Cherries side.

Arne Slot cut a cool figure throughout his maiden year at the Liverpool helm, but he was left hot under the collar after Antoine Semenyo led a fightback from the visitors, who found themselves two goals down after the hour mark when Cody Gakpo coolly dispatched following Hugo Ekitike’s first-half goal, making it two in two for the £79m summer signing.

But while there was plenty of attacking intent on display, the Reds struggled to produce the kind of complete performance that the fanbase would have hoped for as they kicked off their title defence.

Liverpool's performance vs Bournemouth

Mohamed Salah got his goal in the last embers, paying an emotional tribute to Diogo Jota as he did so. His goal followed the volleyed strike of Federico Chiesa, who restored the lead before stoppage time after Semenyo’s double exposed Liverpool’s defensive problems.

But the Merseysiders got the job done, cementing their title defence with three points. Virgil van Dijk improved after his error-strewn display at Wembley in the Community Shield, but Slot’s backline struggled to perform, with Ibrahima Konate in particular singled out as a weak link, looking rusty in central defence.

While the pursuit of Newcastle United’s Alexander Isak continues to rumble in the background, there will be plenty of attention on the other end of the field, with a £26m deal completed for 18-year-old Giovanni Leoni and a move still in the works for Crystal Palace’s Marc Guehi.

But Liverpool have already welcomed some new quality to their ranks, with two new starters playing against Bournemouth.

One of the newbies showed shades of the recently sold Darwin Nunez, and it wasn’t the goalscoring Ekitike.

Liverpool's new Darwin Nunez

Liverpool might have earned themselves a winning start to the Premier League campaign, but it was far from convincing against a slick Bournemouth side who implemented a high press to a good effect.

And Milos Kerkez certainly left plenty to be desired on his first league appearance in a Liverpool shirt. It was always going to be a match freighted with nerves for the 21-year-old, especially when pitted against his old Bournemouth teammates and Semenyo, who emerged the victor in that individual battle.

The young Hungarian lacked control and composure, lunging in with a series of challenges and being shown the flash of Antony Taylor’s yellow card before being replaced by the veteran Andy Robertson before the hour mark.

It was an erratic display which evoked memories of that man Nunez, who was sent off on his Anfield debut three years ago in a 1-1 draw with Fulham.

Milos Kerkez’s Performance vs Bournemouth
Match Stats	#
Minutes played	59′
Goals	0
Assists	0
Touches	47
Accurate passes	25/27 (93%)
Key passes	0
Dribbles	0/0
Tackles	1
Duels won	4/10
Bookings	1x
Data via Sofascore

According to Sofascore, the 21-year-old won four of his ten attempted duels and made five clearances for Liverpool, also completing 93% of his passes, but he was also handed a 5/10 match rating by the Liverpool Echo’s Ian Doyle, who drew attention to Semenyo getting the better of his former teammate at the Vitality Stadium.

Though Nunez ultimately succumbed to his mercurial nature, unable to channel it and succeed under first Jurgen Klopp’s wing and the Slot’s, his high-level talent was never up for question on Merseyside.

And the same could be said of Kerkez, who last season was remarked to be “one of the most talented left-backs in world football” by scout Jacek Kulig.

The rising star will hope to establish more of a stable level of success at Liverpool than Nunez, who joined Al Hilal this summer after three years with the Reds, but there’s no question that he will need to temper his aggression if he wishes to succeed Robertson and play a confident part in a backline that even at this early stage has shown that improvements are needed as Slot quests for a successful title defence.

He'd get Isak & Wirtz firing: Liverpool could sign "one of the best LWs"

Liverpool may yet sign a few more forwards in the transfer market this summer.

By
Angus Sinclair

Aug 15, 2025

أثيرت خلال الساعات الماضية تكهنات حول إمكانية تولي الألماني، رالف رانجنيك، مدرب منتخب النمسا، تدريب النادي الأهلي، بعد تداول أنباء عن عرضه على إدارة القلعة الحمراء من جانب بعض الوكلاء.

وجاءت تلك الأنباء بالتزامن مع ما نشره موقع “ترانسفيرماركت”، الذي أشار إلى أن عقد رانجنيك مع منتخب النمسا ينتهي في 31 ديسمبر المقبل، ما زاد من الشكوك حول مستقبله التدريبي.

لكن المدير الفني لمنتخب النمسا، رالف رانجنيك، حسم الجدل تمامًا في تصريحات خاصة لـ بطولات، مؤكدًا أنه لا صحة إطلاقًا لما تردد بشأن تدريبه الأهلي خلال الفترة المقبلة.

وقال رانجنيك نصًا: “مستحيل هذا يحدث، لأنني مستمر مع منتخب النمسا، وعقدي لا ينتهي في 31 ديسمبر المقبل بل بعد كأس العالم في يوليو 2026”.

ويركز رانجنيك بشكل كامل مع منتخب النمسا، خاصة بعد النتائج المميزة في تصفيات كأس العالم، حيث ينافس على صدارة مجموعته برصيد 12 نقطة من أربع مباريات بالتساوي مع البوسنة والهرسك.

وظهر رانجنيك أمس في تدريبات منتخب النمسا وهو يتنقل بعربة جولف بسبب جبيرة على كاحله، لكنه بدا في حالة معنوية مرتفعة أثناء الإشراف على المران.

وبتصريحاته الخاصة لـ بطولات، أغلق رانجنيك الباب نهائيًا أمام الشائعات، مؤكدًا أن المعلومات المنتشرة عبر المواقع غير دقيقة.