England fans paid heartfelt tribute to outgoing England boss Gareth Southgate after the team's rollercoaster Euro 2024 campaign.

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Southgate resigned from England jobHis eight-year reign has come to an endFans show their love to the outgoing managerWHAT HAPPENED?

The 53-year-old chose to step down from his position as the manager of the England men's senior team following their heartbreaking 2-1 defeat to Spain in the Euro 2024 final at the Olympiastadion in Berlin. Although a section of the fans were calling for his head in the aftermath of the defeat, the reaction has been much sobre after Southgate officially handed in his papers.

AdvertisementGettyWHAT THE FANS ARE SAYING

An England fan, @willbrazier, wrote: "The greatest England manager in my lifetime, he’s given me the best days as a fan watching our national team, from picking us up from the Iceland catastrophe to making final appearances a regular occurrence. Thank you, Gareth Southgate."

Whereas, @GeorgeElek, wrote: "Supporting England before Southgate was miserable, but under him, it's been a joy. Gutted that he wasn't the man to end the years of hurt with a trophy, but he did in many other ways. When the success comes it will be because of his work, not as a result of his departure."

Meanwhile, @MarcusSpeller opined: "Under Southgate, it’s been the best time being an England fan. He’s given us so many great memories. Some will always point to the lack of a trophy win but that paints a misleading picture. He restored pride and joy back to the England men's team and I’ll be forever grateful 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿"

Daily Mail journalist @OllieHolt22 wrote: "Gareth Southgate steps down as England manager. He transformed the nation’s fortunes in his 8 years in charge. He made us contenders again even without the same quality of players as we had in 98 and 04. A man with class as well as a superb manager. A tough act to follow."

Holt's thoughts were echoed by @henrywinter: "Gareth Southgate restored pride in England. For players and supporters. He leaves with his head held high. #ENG".

Meanwhile, @mrjakehumphrey wrote: "Gareth Southgate changed the mentality of English football. He leaves us believing again. I’ve seen people saying that losing two finals will leave a mark. Let’s reframe that…Making two finals will leave a mark. Thank you, Gareth. ❤️"

@FootyAccums stated: "Whatever your opinion of Southgate, you can't deny that he's given England their best times for decades. Yes he didn't win anything and yes it's 100% the right time for change, but it's still the end of an era that finally brought hope back to the country."

THE BIGGER PICTURE

The FA have already started their hunt for Southgate's successor and revealed that they already "have an interim solution in place if it is needed". Several high-profile names are being linked to the post like Graham Potter, Jurgen Klopp, Eddie Howe, Mauricio Pochettino and Thomas Tuchel.

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DID YOU KNOW?

Southgate happens to be the only manager, barring 1966 World Cup winner Sir Alf Ramsey, to guide the Three Lions into a major tournament final, which highlights the profound impact he had during his eight-year spell.

Flayed with the ball and overwhelmed with the bat, Sri Lanka have just two days to dust themselves down

Andrew McGlashan28-Oct-2019Almost everything that could go wrong, did go wrong for Sri Lanka in Adelaide. And the one thing that went right for them, turned out badly.Lasith Malinga called correctly at the toss and put Australia in. Twenty overs later they had 233 against them. The chase was equally, if not more, one-sided as Sri Lanka limped to 9 for 99 to suffer their heaviest runs defeat in T20Is by a considerable margin.On a short tour they have just 48 hours to pick themselves up before the second match in Brisbane on Wednesday if they are to take the series to a decider in Melbourne – a ground where they have a 2-0 record over Australia in T20Is.Bowling first in T20Is does not always come down to conditions if it is genuinely the preferred way of a team going about their game plan, but there seemed very little in favour of the decision on Sunday. It was a mid-afternoon game, so no early-morning movement, a mild, clear day and a pristine-looking surface.It also went against Sri Lanka’s route of recent success in Pakistan where they defended totals through the T20I series to win 3-0 – on two occasions having won the toss and batted first.The Sri Lankans cited uncertainty around how the pitch would play as the reason for putting Australia in, but two years ago they played at this ground and did the same thing. Malinga was part of that team as were Kusal Mendis and Dasun Shanaka. That day Aaron Finch and Michael Klinger started with a 79-run opening stand and the eventual margin was a 41-run defeat, albeit in a series they had already won.”It was a short stay for us in Adelaide, so we didn’t know what sort of wicket it would be and we knew it wouldn’t be bad for us to bat second,” batsman Bhanuka Rajapaksa, said. “So we didn’t want to take a chance, and that was a collective decision of the players and we decided to bowl first and look at how the bowlers would go. But it was clinical to us.””We had some plans to keep them under a good score but things didn’t come off for us as well as we planned during the tour. But we don’t want to lose our hope and we don’t want to put our heads down.”It was a surprise to see allrounder Isuru Udana left out of the XI. He took 3 for 11 and 2 for 38 in the two matches he played against Pakistan and his left-arm angle would have provided some variety while he also has a batting strike rate of 131.78. After the treatment handed out to Kasun Rajitha, who conceded the most runs in a T20I, there would appear a good chance of a change for Brisbane.However, it won’t matter what type of bowling attack Sri Lanka put out if they are unable to challenge Australia’s bowlers.”Looking at Warner, Finch and Maxwell and how they batted, I think there’s a lot to learn,” Rajapaksa said. “Especially the way they ran between wickets, and I’m sure we got a lot to learn a lot about that. In Australia, it’s about hitting the gaps and getting the doubles. There’s a lot of runs on the boundaries.”We’d like to have another couple of days to practice on, but we’ve got so much travelling as well so we need to adapt really soon. So we’re hoping to get ourselves back together and deliver better.”

علق محمد بركات عضو اتحاد الكرة، على بيان مجلس إدارة الزمالك بشأن الاعتذار لـ دولة الإمارات بعد أزمة احتجاز الثلاثي، بسبب أزمة مباراة الفريق مع مسؤولي الأمن بعد مواجهة بيراميدز الماضية.

وتم التحفظ على الثلاثي عبد الواحد السيد، مدير الكرة، واللاعبين مصطفى شلبي ونبيل دونجا من قبل الشرطة الإماراتية، للاعتداء على فرد أمن بمباراة بيراميدز، التي حسمها الفارس الأبيض بركلات الترجيح والتأهل إلى نهائي كأس السوبر المصري.

وقررت المحكمة الإماراتية، تقديم موعد جلسة محاكمة الثلاثي إلى غدا الخميس بدلا من ٢٩ اكتوبر.

وأكد الزمالك في بيانه، على احترامه لدولة الإمارات، ونفى تحدث أعضاء المجلس لوسائل الإعلام في الفترة الأخيرة.

طالع | اعتذار وقرارات تأديبية.. الزمالك يُصدر بيانًا جديدًا بشأن أزمة الثلاثي المحبوس في الإمارات

وقال محمد بركات في تصريحات تلفزيونية عبر قناة إم بي سي مصر: “سعيد ببيان الزمالك وكنت أتمنى البيان يكون بعد المباراة مباشرة ستكون الأمر أفضل بكثير”.

وأكمل: “كل الدول العربية أشقائنا، معظم المباريات نلعبها في السعودية والإمارات ونحب شعوب البلدين، هذه الأمور تحدث، ولكن يجب أن نتحكم في أعصابنا أفضل من ذلك خصوصًا لو نلعب خارج أرضنا”.

وأردف: “يجب تقبل كل شيء وتفكيرنا يكون داخل الملعب فقط، وكل مثل هذه الأمور فرعيات، هؤلاء اللاعبين كلهم نجوم ويجب أن نتعلم من هذا الموقف، (كان الموضوع ممكن يتلم أسرع من ذلك)”.

وواصل عن ظهور صور للاعبي الزمالك: منظر بايخ أنا رجل نجم وأشعر باللاعبين لأننا كنا لاعبي كرة بالتأكيد، في يوم من الأيام كنا نتوتر في الملعب في نهائي دوري أبطال إفريقيا، تعرضت للطرد بسبب عصبيتي، وحتى يومنا هذا ألوم نفسي لأنني لم أتمالك أعصابي  فقدت أعصابي، وألوم نفسي لأنني لو كنت لعبت مع 11 لاعبًا، لكان الوضع مختلفًا، وندمت على ما فعلته”.

وأردف: “أنا ألوم نفسي لأنني تعرضت للطرد، فالنجم يُحاسب على كل شيء. موقف لاعبي الزمالك يجب أن نتعلم منه جميعًا، ليس الثلاثي فقط ولكن جميع لاعبي الأندية”.

واختتم: “كل تصرف يفعله النجم يحسب عليه، يجب أن نحافظ على مظهرنا، ويجب أن نتعلم ونتمنى ألا نرى مثل هذه الأمور”.

Trent Boult is likely to miss the second Test of New Zealand’s series against England after leaving the field due to a pain in the right-hand side of his ribs on the fifth day of the first Test.Boult, who bowled one over on the final day before going off, will undergo an MRI scan tomorrow to determine the extent of the injury. In his absence, his fellow left-arm quick Neil Wagner stepped up with five wickets to seal an innings-and-65-run victory.The second Test at Hamilton starts on Friday, and with New Zealand starting a three-match series in Australia soon after that fixture, it seems unlikely he will be risked. Lockie Ferguson and Matt Henry are the other seam-bowling options in the 15-man squad.Boult has missed only three Tests since 2016, and just six of New Zealand’s 70 since his debut.”A lot was taken out of both teams in this Test,” Kane Williamson, New Zealand’s captain, said. “It was a really tough effort for long periods. But we have that squad of 15 and all the guys will meet up in Hamilton and we will have to assess the fitness of everybody.”

نجح فريق الزمالك في تسجيل هدف ثالث في شباك البنك الأهلي، خلال المباراة الجارية بينهما حالياً ببطولة الدوري المصري الممتاز.

ويلتقي الزمالك مع البنك الأهلي، على استاد السلام، في الجولة الافتتاحية من مسابقة الدوري المصري الممتاز.

طالع أيضاً.. فيديو | محمد هلال يسجل هدف تعادل البنك الأهلي.. وناصر منسي يتقدم لـ الزمالك

وجاء الهدف الثالث عن طريق عبد الله السعيد في الدقيقة السادسة من الوقت بدل الضائع للشوط الثاني عن طريق ركلة جزاء.

وكان ناصر ماهر قد أحرز هدف الزمالك الأول، في الدقيقة 38، وفي الدقيقة 53 سجل ناصر منسي، هدف الزمالك الثاني من كرة رأسية بعد عرضية رائعة من ناصر ماهر.

وسجل محمد هلال هدفي تعادل البنك الأهلي الأول والثاني في الدقيقتين 50 و77، من ركلتي جزاء.

MatériaMais Notícias

A idolatria por um jogador de futebol é capaz de fazer um torcedor cometer loucuras para conhecer o ídolo. É o caso do barbeiro Rhonan Lopes. O carioca de 24 anos, morador de São Gonçalo, região metropolitana do Rio de Janeiro, viajou por mais de 80km para chegar a Granja Comary, local do centro de treinamento da Seleção Brasileira, em busca do sonho de cortar o cabelo do craque Neymar.
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Desde o início da madrugada de quarta-feira, o barbeiro faz do carro, emprestado por um amigo, seu dormitório para ficar de plantão na porta da Granja a espera do camisa 10 do Paris Saint-Germain. Além disso, o carioca pediu dispensa por três dias do trabalho e segue aguardando uma oportunidade de encontrar com o jogador.

-Estou aqui desde as duas da manhã de ontem, sem tomar banho e só comendo biscoito – disse.

-Me criticam muito. Me chamam de maluco e falam que eu não tenho o que fazer. Já falaram para mim que esse sonho é um sonho bosta, mas não dou ouvidos. Eu sei que estou fazendo o certo. Muita gente me ajudando. Não estou errado. Só tenho um sonho e quero realizar – completou Rhonan Lopes.

Preparado, o barbeiro sobrevive à base de água e biscoito e levou também cobertores e o kit para corte de cabelo caso Neymar atenda o pedido.

Ao lado do portão da Granja, Rhonan Lopes preparou um cartaz para ficar em evidência e chamar a atenção dos jogadores e funcionários que entram no centro de preparação para as eliminatórias.

-Neymar, há cinco anos na luta pelo meu sonho, pois sei que o meu Deus é fiel para realizá-lo – diz o cartaz.

Entretanto, a última chance para Rhonan ver Neymar é nesta quinta-feira. O barbeiro deve voltar a São Gonçalo por conta do trabalho e para tomar conta de Noah, seu filho de 11 meses.

-Estou dormindo há dois dias no carro e acho que vou até amanhã (sexta-feira). Eu estou me alimentando de biscoito. Almoço num restaurante da esquina, mas o resto do dia eu como biscoito. Não estou tomando banho, pois não tem onde tomar banho, e escovo os dentes no restaurante também. Está sendo difícil, mas é o meu sonho e vou atrás dele – concluiu o fã.

The Cityzens have made up for lost time and become one of the most popular clubs across the pond, breaking records while attracting legions of fans

Manchester City are back in the United States and are set for their biggest reception to date, playing in front of a potential audience of 257,000 fans in the four games that make up their pre-season tour. They will kick off their jaunt against Celtic at Kenan Stadium in Chapel Hill on July 23, and then take on AC Milan at Yankee Stadium in New York on July 27.

Next up is a mouth-watering clash with Guardiola’s boyhood club Barcelona at the Camping World Stadium in Orlando, and City then round off the tour in style against Chelsea at the Ohio Stadium, which seats 100,000 people.

City have a lot to celebrate on their return to the States. They will be flaunting the Premier League title which they won for an unprecedented fourth consecutive season, while they can also boast of being the most popular team in the country by a number of metrics. They were the most watched Premier League club in the U.S. in the 2022-23 season in all competitions, according to sports data firm Nielsen, as well as being the most recognised Premier League brand and and the most liked club, according to YouGov.

City also made U.S. television history in March when their match with Arsenal was watched by a record 2.6 million people, the highest ever audience in the country for a Premier League game.

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  Spectacular success

  City are one of 10 Premier League clubs touring the U.S. this summer, including rivals Arsenal, Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester United. Those clubs put down roots in America long ago, enjoying a big head start on City, who only won their first Premier League title in 2012. However, thanks to a concerted strategy and homing in on what makes U.S. fans tick, City have played catch-up and raced to the front of the queue, attracting legions of new supporters.

  Their timing could hardly be better as soccer is enjoying its latest boom in the States. Lionel Messi’s signing for Inter Miami in 2023 turbo-charged the sport’s popularity and this summer the Copa America came to the States, with Messi and Argentina triumphing.

  Next year, the U.S. will host the inaugural expanded Club World Cup, where City will be taking part as 2023 Champions League winners. And in 2026, in partnership with Mexico and Canada, the States will host the largest ever World Cup.

  “We've become more sophisticated in our approach because we've made a very conscious effort towards the next generation of soccer fans in the U.S.,” Nuria Tarre, City’s chief marketing officer, explains to GOAL. “We identified very soon in our journey that the U.S. market was a very important market for us as we saw the potential of soccer growing. Our success in the last few years has been spectacular.”

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  More than football

  City’s sustained success on the pitch, including winning 17 trophies in eight seasons under Guardiola, has undoubtedly been a key factor in the club’s growth, as has the presence of global stars such as Kevin De Bruyne and Erling Haaland. But City’s strategy of appealing to young fans and tapping into their interests outside of football has played a huge part in the club’s growth.

  Tarre explains: “Success helps a lot but it is not enough. If we just based our strategy on football success, in 20 years’ time, we’d be in the same place as the other clubs that were winning 10 years ago are right now. So our strategy has always been: how can we accelerate our presence? How can we actually authentically engage with the next generation of fans and maximise the impact of the on-pitch performance?

  "Globally, and especially in the U.S., we’ve tried to position ourselves not only as a football brand, but more part of what we call the soccer culture. So we pride ourselves in being at the intersection of fashion, innovation, gaming and sports.”

  City’s development of E-Sports teams, particularly in 'EA SPORTS FC' (formerly 'FIFA') and Fortnite has been part of that strategy in appealing to young fans, as has their slate of behind-the-scenes documentaries.

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  Brave and innovative

  City were the first soccer team to film a series of ‘All or Nothing’ on , which was more associated with following NFL franchises. Arsenal, Tottenham, Juventus and the Brazil team have all since followed suit.

  “'All or Nothing' was a brave choice from our side, one that we pride ourselves on," Tarre says. "Some of the choices we made, such as being present in gaming, showing behind the scenes of the club, feel very normal now. But just six, seven years ago, they were not. We haven't been afraid to take some risks to look at the business in a different way."

  On the back of the documetary's success, the club began using its in-house production company to tell the story of each season. This year, the club partnered with to release ‘Together’, the inside story of the treble winning season, on the streaming platform.

  “We are also trying to make sure that we bring the club as close to the fans as we can. We think this is part of the success as well. We are showing the behind the scenes, showing the players as they are as personalities, but showing the club as well in its humility, its highs and its lows. And we think that whether you're a City fan for the last 20 years or whether you started being interested in City more recently, that way of showing the club resonates with that young audience.”

  The success of 'Together', which has eclipsed the number of viewers of 'All or Nothing', shows how much the club has grown. It was translated into 30 languages and within the first few weeks of its release, it appeared in the top 10 documentaries on the platform in 35 countries.

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  Over 30 million potential new fans

  Tarre also highlights the fact that Premier League fandom in the United States is more flexible than in Europe, and specifically England. Many young people who are interested in the game in the States are not yet wedded to one team. A lot of fans, particularly those who got into the sport through video games, are drawn to specific players rather than tied to a specific club.

  That presents an opportunity for City and the other Premier League teams touring the U.S. this summer, especially those looking to diversify their revenue streams to meet the league’s Profitability and Sustainability Rules (PSR).

  Fan data specialists CLV Group calculate there are 83 million soccer fans in the U.S., 44 percent of whom are undecided on which team to support. According to CLV Group’s report 'Hearts, Minds and Wallets – Connecting and Winning U.S. Fandoms : A Guidebook for European Clubs', there are a potential 36 million fans that City can look to win over, although they face fierce competition from their Premier League rivals, as well as the top European clubs and even MLS teams.

  "Manchester City's growth in the U.S. football fan market has been impressive over the past few years, but make no mistake, there’s still a huge opportunity here for growth,” Neil Joyce, CEO of CLV Group, tells GOAL. "With the ability to connect to around three million locked fan connections, the Cityzens have firmly established themselves as one of the leading Premier League clubs in terms of American support. But now they have the chance to go even further.

  "The stakes are high, and our fan identification and connection data shows that successfully connecting with this group could mean huge potential benefits for City, worth more than $30m per season – the third-highest figure for an English club behind only their rivals Manchester United and Liverpool, whilst being hot on the heels of Barcelona."

Manchester United have not been able to live up to their standards as one of the biggest clubs in the world over the past decade.

From failing to perform on the field to lacking any real strategy behind the scenes, it’s safe to say that the club as a whole has suffered tremendously in recent years.

Just by taking a look at the signings in recent years, it’s clear that there isn’t a clear idea of progression, with high-value deals turning out to be failures.

That said, it isn’t often that United actually make the correct decision to sell a player, unlike one individual whose value has significantly dropped since the summer, to the point where they’re worth three times less than Harry Maguire.

Harry Maguire’s transfer value in 2024

In 2019, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was in search of a centre-back to build his Man United team around, and at the top of his list was Maguire.

The 6 foot 4 rock switched Leicester City for United in an £80m world record deal for a defender, and in his first campaign, he led the side to 13 clean sheets in 38 Premier League games.

However, fast forward to today, and the former United captain’s value has plummeted to just £13m according to CIES’ Football Observatory, due to injuries and a lack of consistency on the field.

It marks rather poor business from a United point of view, but it's not all been doom and gloom on the transfer front with one recent departee now actually worth less than Maguire.

Dean Henderson’s transfer value after leaving Man Utd

Academy graduate Dean Henderson spent 12 years at Man United, yet despite impressing on loan at Sheffield United in particular, he was never trusted enough to fill the shoes of first-choice David de Gea.

The 27-year-old made just 29 appearances for the Red Devils over his career in the first-team setup, with more than half of them coming in cup competitions.

But in the summer, he eventually left the club in search of minutes, with Crystal Palace set to be the perfect destination to cement himself as a first-choice Premier League shot-stopper.

However, that unfortunately hasn’t been the case after his £20m move, with a hamstring injury making him miss ten games between September and December.

Amad Diallo

£4m

Willy Kambwala

£4m

Altay Bayindir

£4m

Jonny Evans

£4m

Dean Henderson

£4m

As you can see, this has caused his value to decrease significantly, to the point where he is worth three times less than Maguire's £13m. Indeed, he would now be among the lowest-valued first-team players in the United squad.

Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem as though things will be looking up for Henderson either, with new boss Oliver Glasner opting for Sam Johnstone as his number one, which has seen the "shaky" goalkeeper, as dubbed by journalist Josh Bunting, sit on the bench in the last four games.

Therefore, it’s clear that making £20m profit on Henderson was a masterstroke from United, which enabled them to complete a goalkeeper department overhaul themselves in the summer.

There are 50 days left until Jurgen Klopp leads his Liverpool squad from the dugout for the final time, with the end of an illustrious era now looming ominously close.

Sure, there's plenty to play for, and while Liverpool exited the FA Cup in dramatic circumstances against Manchester United before the international break, silverware beckons in the Premier League and Europa League.

But this does not detract from the poignancy that the German's near exit leaves, like a cloud of mist enveloping Anfield. Things just won't be the same; a piece will be missing and a sense of loss will pervade the prestigious Premier League club.

It's remarkable that the Reds have fought so valiantly despite a catalogue of injuries, but if Klopp's side are to prevail in the weeks to come, Trent Alexander-Arnold's return to fitness will be vital.

Why Trent Alexander-Arnold is so influential for Liverpool

Alexander-Arnold was promoted to Liverpool's vice-captain last summer after the summer exits of Jordan Henderson and James Milner, and he produced some scintillating football in the first half of the 2023/24 campaign, scoring two goals and supplying ten assists, though he has spent much of 2024 sidelined with a knee ligament injury.

The England international is one of the most creative and influential players in the world and his elite skills have led to a shift into midfield from right-back, something of a regular occurrence when Klopp's Liverpool hold possession, to maximise his ball-playing ability.

As per FBref, the 25-year-old ranks among the top 16% of positional peers across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for goals scored, the top 1% for assists, shot-creating actions and passes attempted, the top 2% for progressive passes, the top 9% for successful take-ons and the top 13% for interceptions per 90, showcasing his masterful faculty on the ball.

In the Premier League this season, as per Sofascore, Alexander-Arnold has created 13 big chances for his teammates despite only starting 19 fixtures, averaging 2.5 key passes, 1.3 tackles, 6.6 ball recoveries and 1.6 clearances per game and succeeding with 60% of his attempted dribbles.

Alexander-Arnold's importance to Liverpool's senior set-up is discernible to any who watches Klopp's team strut its stuff; the scouse-born phenomenon's singular style is simply unmatched in the Premier League from any playing in the backline.

As such, his significance is reflected in his market value, with his £48m market price – as per Football Transfers' player valuation model – surpassing every defender in the Premier League barring Manchester City duo Ruben Dias and Josko Gvardiol.

In today's bloated transfer market, however, it's patently obvious that Alexander-Arnold would garner a far higher fee than this, with those over at Totally Money showcasing just how ridiculous figures have reached in the modern game when crunching the numbers and showing Andy Carroll's cost in 2024 money.

Andy Carroll's market value in 2024 money

Liverpool enjoy one of the best-run, efficient systems in the Premier League. While Klopp's tactical set-up and player performance on the pitch have shaped a period of history that has seen a wealth of silverware added to the trophy cabinet, it is the work of those behind the scenes that has enabled this.

It really wasn't always this way, with the dog days of the years preceding Klopp's arrival providing much misery, barring the 2013/14 campaign, where Luis Suarez's incredible striking feats nearly won an unlikely Liverpool side its maiden Premier League title.

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Suarez signed from Ajax for around £23m back in January 2011 in what looked to be a promising move, but he wasn't the most expensive centre-forward to make the move to Liverpool that month, with Carroll arriving weeks earlier.

According to Totally Money, Liverpool would have had to have paid a staggering sum of £102m to secure Carroll's signature from Newcastle United back in 2011, obliterating what was already a staggering sum for the marksman.

Indeed, Carroll moved to Anfield for a club-record £35m fee back in January 2011 following Fernando Torres' sale to Chelsea, with the 22-year-old having scored 11 goals from 19 Premier League matches for the Magpies that season, before making his lucrative westward move.

Carroll was a talented striker but this was not a great use of money, though Liverpool were desperate after losing Torres and needed to restore the club's spearhead as soon as possible.

And after injuries and a lack of form, Carroll would only chalk up 11 goals from 58 appearances for the Merseyside outfit before being sold to West Ham United in a £15m move in 2013, with Gary Lineker commenting on the "lonely" chapter in the towering forward's career.

Liverpool record sales in the modern market

Player (year sold)

Original fee

Cost in 2024

Fernando Torres

£52.5m

£145m

Luis Suarez

£73.5m

£132m

Philippe Coutinho

£130.5m (initial)

£132m

Raheem Sterling

£57m

£93m

Xabi Alonso

£31m

£72m

Numbers via Totally Money

Given that Torres, in yesteryear's money, would have cost a staggering sum for the Stamford Bridge side himself, the cogs might well have meshed together to facilitate such a transfer rotation.

But what cannot be disputed is that Carroll proved to be one of the most dismal decisions made by those with a seat at the Anfield table, having cost a large figure while failing to deliver quite significantly.

Klopp's arrival in 2015 has changed the narrative at Liverpool and such acquisitions are few and far between now. It's a good thing too, it's one that the club will definitely not want to repeat.

Barcelona could be set to lose out on Joao Felix as Benfica's president has confirmed "ongoing" negotiations with the Atletico Madrid attacker.

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Article continues below

Benfica want Felix back from AtleticoBarcelona hoping for another loanReturn to Atletico might not be an optionWHAT HAPPENED?

Felix's future remains uncertain after his loan spell at Barcelona came to an end. Despite the forward's desire to stay at Camp Nou, Barcelona's priorities appear to have shifted towards other targets, namely Nico Williams and Dani Olmo. The Catalan giants have shown reluctance to meet Atletico Madrid's hefty €80 million (£68m/$87m) asking price for Felix, stalling any potential negotiations.

AdvertisementGettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

With Barcelona hesitating to make a formal bid and a loan deal seemingly off the table, Benfica have reportedly entered the fray with an offer of a cut-price deal for Felix. The forward, who became the fourth-most expensive player in history when he moved from Benfica to Atletico Madrid for £114 million ($147.26m) in July 2019, is now the subject of a potential return to his former club for just £12.7 million ($16.41m), while Atletico is holding out for a fee above £21 million ($27.13m). As part of the proposed deal, Benfica would purchase 50 per cent of Felix's rights, entitling Atletico to half of any future transfer fee.

WHAT RUI COSTA SAID

Benfica president Rui Costa has acknowledged that the club are indeed in talks with Atletico but refused to divulge any further details when asked about the negotiations for Felix and Renato Sanches.

"It wasn’t just Di María who did it [returning to Benfica]. We also proved that with Gonçalo Guedes. What we want are good players and if we can have players who also know the club and know Portuguese football, it’s an advantage," Costa told reporters in Switzerland.

When pressed about the potential returns of Felix and Sanches, Costa added: "These are ongoing negotiations and therefore should not be discussed publicly, as that is not helpful. Many names have been mentioned, and other names are also being mentioned."

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DID YOU KNOW?

One of the main obstacles for Benfica in re-signing Felix is his substantial £6.7 million ($8.65m) annual salary, which would make him one of the club's highest earners, alongside Angel Di Maria and Juan Bernat. To facilitate this potential deal, Benfica might consider selling defender Antonio Silva, who has attracted interest from top clubs like Manchester United, Chelsea, and Newcastle.