A declaração de Alexander Medvedev, presidente do conselho do Zenit, na última quarta-feira (14), confirmando a compra de Gustavo Mantuan, surpreendeu a diretoria do Corinthians. O meia-atacante está emprestado ao clube russo até o final de junho.
continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasCorinthiansCorinthians marca jogo-treino durante Data Fifa; saiba o adversárioCorinthians15/06/2023CorinthiansRóger Guedes retorna, mas zagueiro é ausência em treino do CorinthiansCorinthians15/06/2023CorinthiansLuxemburgo tem mais protestos do que vitórias em quase 50 dias de CorinthiansCorinthians15/06/2023
+ Lance! estreia nova marca e se reposiciona no mercado de mídia esportiva
Como soube a reportagem, os russos ainda não apresentaram proposta oficial ao Timão. Os dirigentes alvinegros irão se reunir nos próximos dias com Fernando Garcia, empresário do jogador, para tratar sobre a venda.
+ Todos os jogos doBrasileirãovocê encontra no Prime Video. Assine já e acompanhe o seu time do coração!
O desejo do atleta é permanecer no continente europeu e seguir no Zenit. Dessa forma, o negócio deverá ser concretizado até o final da semana, tendo em vista que Mantuan retorna a Russia no dia 23 de junho, visando a pré-temporada com o Zenit.
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Como informado pelo LANCE! no dia 10 de abril, o Zenit acenou com uma proposta de 3 milhões de euros (R$ 16 milhões na cotação atual) para adquirir 40% dos direitos econômicos do jogador de 21 anos. Quando o Alvinegro acertou a compra de Yuri Alberto, os brasileiros cederam 50% dos direitos de Mantuan.
+ Timão se afasta do Z4? Veja tabela e os próximos jogos do Brasileirão
Mantuan foi uma espécie de “12° jogador” nesta temporada no Zenit, começando grande parte das partidas como reservas, mas sempre contribuindo positivamente ao sair do banco. O meia-atacante disputou 28 jogos em seu primeiro ano na Europa, marcando seis gols e dando quatro assistências. Seu vínculo com o Timão vai até 2027.
Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) fast bowler Akash Deep has declared himself “100% fit and ready to play” after recovering from a back injury that kept him away from competitive cricket for the last three months.Akash Deep, who played two Tests in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy late last year, was injured ahead of the fifth Test in Sydney. He joined the LSG squad only on April 2, two days ahead of their fixture against Mumbai Indians in Lucknow.”I feel the first match is very important for me,” he told reporters on the eve of the match. “I have played one practice match, but in cricket when you get a two to three-month gap, no matter how much you practice, till you don’t play a match, the confidence does not build.”Related
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Akash Deep last played a T20 game for Royal Challengers Bengaluru in IPL 2024. That’s his only T20 match in nearly a year and a half, having played in the Syed Mushtaq Trophy before that in October-November 2023. Having been part of RCB since IPL 2022, he was released by the franchise ahead of the 2025 auction where he was picked up by LSG for INR 8 crore.”The jersey changes but the player remains the same and I am really enjoying my time with this franchise,” he said. “I have not been with the team for long because of injury, but I feel quite confident.”As an individual, you should believe in your process and focus on that process. The easier you keep your game, the easier it gets to perform. For this type of tournament, staying confident becomes very important for a player.”LSG have had a patchy start to IPL 2025 so far under new captain Rishabh Pant. They lost their opening game to Delhi Capitals by one wicket before beating Sunrisers Hyderabad comfortably. Two days ago, they lost at home to Punjab Kings by eight wickets and currently are in the bottom half of the points table.LSG have been plagued by injuries to their fast bowlers. Mohsin Khan was ruled out of IPL 2025 before the start of the tournament. Mayank Yadav’s recovery from a lumbar stress injury was delayed by a toe injury. Despite the problems, the LSG pace attack led by Shardul Thakur, Avesh Khan and rookie Prince Yadav have given a good account of themselves.”In cricket, the performance is not often in our control as a team,” Akash Deep said. “We have only played three matches and the IPL is a long tournament and in these three matches, we have seen a lot of positives. Despite four fast bowlers being injured, the way we performed in the first match, I thought it was great. The tournament is long and the best is yet to come.”He was also excited about playing under former India international Zaheer Khan, who is the LSG mentor. “I feel lucky that I am playing under such a big coach, that too for two months,” he said. “He is such an experienced bowler that he will be able to figure out what improvements I need. As a fast bowler, you can’t change too many things but the smaller technical nuances can be done. He can help me with those.”
A oposição do Corinthians teve o seu pedido atendido, e o Conselho Deliberativo do clube fará uma reunião de emergência, no dia 21 de agosto, para tratar sobre os problemas no novo Fiel Torcedor e a venda de Pedro ao Zenit, da Rússia.
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+ Renato Augusto na lista! Veja 50 jogadores que podem assinar pré-contrato neste sábado
Com mais de 50 assinaturas em ambos pedidos, a reunião se faz obrigatória, segundo o artigo 82, II, B do estatuto corintiano. Duílio Monteiro Alves, presidente do clube, é esperado para prestar contas aos conselheiros. Caso não consiga estar presente, ele designará um porta-voz da diretoria.
+ Renove o seu estoque de camisas do Timão com o cupom LANCEFUT 10% OFF
Na última semana, a chapa “Corinthians mais forte” protocolou junto a Alexandre Husni, presidente do Conselho Deliberativo, um requerimento convocando Duílio para explicar as vendas de Gustavo Mantuan e Pedro ao Zenit, da Rússia.
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O grupo, liderado pelo candidato à presidência Augusto Melo, criticou a falta de poder de negociação da atual diretoria e as cifras envolvendo os dois atletas formados nas categorias de base do Timão.
+ Timão se afasta do Z4? Veja tabela e simule os jogos do Brasileirão
Sobre a plataforma FIEL, que irá substituir o Fiel Torcedor, o Corinthians enviou uma notificação extrajudicial à OneFan, empresa responsável pela integração dos dados dos sócios-torcedores no aplicativo Universo SCCP, para resolver os problemas enfrentados na transição.
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Desde que a repaginação do Fiel Torcedor foi lançada, muitos torcedores não conseguiram fazer a migração dos dados e enfrentaram dificuldades na compra de ingressos. Assim, as vendas de ingressos ainda estão sendo feitas, através dos sites https://www.fieltorcedor.com.br/ e https://ingressoscorinthians.com.br.
أكد أحمد حسن مدير منتخب مصر الثاني المقرر مشاركته في بطولة كأس العرب المقبلة في قطر، أن اللاعبين تعاهدوا على المنافسة على اللقب.
ويستعد منتخب مصر الثاني للمشاركة في بطولة كأس العرب خلال الفترة من 1 إلى 18 ديسمبر المقبل، تحت مظلة الاتحاد الدولي لكرة القدم، فيفا، للمرة الثانية على التوالي.
وقال أحمد حسن خلال تصريحات عبر قناة “دي إم سي”: “جميع لاعبي منتخب مصر المشارك في كأس العرب والجهاز الفني الذي أنا جزء منه كمدير للمنتخب، تعاهدوا على المنافسة على اللقب”.
طالع.. خاص | حجازي ولاعب الزمالك يرفضان معسكرات منتخب مصر الثاني قبل كأس العرب
وتابع: “اللاعبون كلهم ملتزمون ومنضبطون، ولديهم نفس الطموح بهذا الشكل للمنافسة وتحقيق اللقب”.
وأتم: “العوائد المادية لبطولة كأس العرب كبيرة جدًا، وقد تصل إلى 9 ملايين دولار للبطل و5 ملايين دولار للوصيف.
وينافس منتخب مصر في المجموعة الثالثة ببطولة كأس العرب، رفقة الأردن والإمارات والفائز من مواجهة التصفيات بين الكويت وموريتانيا.
SRH captain Cummins said a collapse like the one against DC “happens” with the high-risk approach his side takes
ESPNcricinfo staff30-Mar-20255:41
Do SRH’s batters lack a plan B?
Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) are known to go hard with the bat. That’s why they are expected to be the first team to score 300 in the IPL. Their method of attacking from the get-go got them a win in their opening match of IPL 2025. But they have lost two in a row since, the latest being a seven-wicket loss against Delhi Capitals (DC) in Vishakhapatnam. But SRH captain Pat Cummins believes that with the approach they have, “it happens”.SRH lost four wickets inside the powerplay and yet did not stop attacking. They were 58 for 4 after six overs, 105 for 4 after ten, and were bowled out for 163. That they reached there was thanks in large part to Aniket Verma, who hit a 41-ball 74.”We just never really got going,” Cummins said after the match. “Aniket gave us a score, but we lost a few early wickets. I think not all of them are bad shots. It happens. Obviously, a run-out and a couple [of batters] were caught on the fence, so yes, it happens.Related
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“I don’t think it’s big margins. On another day, you get going, you play one or two shots, and suddenly you’re into your innings. Not everything has gone our way in the last two games. Everything just about went our way in that first game. You review it, maybe there’s one or two options you could have done differently and the result looks a lot different.”One of the key battles ahead of the match was between Travis Head and Mitchell Starc, and DC captain Axar Patel’s move to give Starc a third over in the powerplay paid off.Mitchell Starc picked up his maiden T20 five-for•BCCI
“The plan [generally] is that I will bowl two overs [of Starc] at the start and two at the death,” Axar said. “But the situation was such that he was in rhythm, he had already given us two wickets, they [SRH] had lost three wickets. So I was thinking that in this over, I know what the opponent is going to do – they were going to attack. If we get a wicket, we could close the game. That was the plan and it was successful.”Coming into this game, Starc had dismissed Head five times in 42 balls for 24 runs across formats. Head began in the right manner today, hitting Starc for back-to-back fours in the opening over. But in Starc’s third over, Head gloved a ramp shot to a back-of-good-length offcutter to wicketkeeper KL Rahul.”I’ve played for long enough that I think guys obviously know what I’m trying to do,” Starc, the Player of the Match for his 5 for 35, said. “You’ve got to try and think of different ways or outside-the-box ways to be effective in T20 cricket these days. Even as an older player, you’ve still got to try and find new balls or find different ways to try and get batters out. It was nice to play a little bit of a different role.”I’m not sure there’s too many egos in the bowlers these days in T20 cricket,” he said. “It’s just you hang on for dear life sometimes. As a bowler, you have to think outside the box a lot more now with how the scores are trending and try and do things that you wouldn’t normally do and try and find a little bit of a leeway against these batters. It was nice to contribute in that way today.”
Celtic now look to be closing in on their eighth signing of the summer transfer window, in another boost for manager Brendan Rodgers.
Rodgers "very pleased" with his Celtic side
The Scottish Premiership champions maintained their 100% winning start in the league this season on Saturday, sealing a routine 3-0 victory at home to Livingston. Speaking after the game, Celtic manager Rodgers was in positive spirits, with his side already six points clear of rivals Rangers after just three matches.
“I was very pleased. I thought the performance was really good. We started well and with the tempo that we wanted. There were a lot of changes but the fluidity in the team was very good and we got in to some good areas in the first half. In the second half, we had a good flow in the game and scored three very good goals.
Brendan Rodgers
“Defensively we’re strong, we’ve conceded only one goal in four domestic games. And today, against a team that are very compact and tight, we showed some really good moments of football.”
Now, the positivity appears to be continuing at Celtic, with the Hoops looking to be on the verge of completing another summer signing, following a new update.
Celtic close to completing 8th summer signing
Taking to X on Monday morning, Anthony Joseph reports that Celtic are closing in on the signing of Michel-Ange Balikwisha from Royal Antwerp, with a medical scheduled in the UK this week.
This is brilliant news for anyone of a Celtic persuasion, with Balikwisha a long-time transfer target who could make them even more of an attacking force.
The Belgian has scored 30 goals in 145 appearances for Antwerp, predominantly shining from the left wing, but also being able to do a good job on the opposite flank and in more of a central role.
Michel-Ange Balikwisha’s injuries
Season
Days out
Games out
Muscle injury
2024/25
21
3
Muscle injury
2024/25
57
9
Torn thigh muscle
2024/25
127
17
Knee surgery
2023/24
49
10
Muscle injury
2022/23
44
2
Torn thigh muscle
2022/23
59
12
Hip injury
2021/22
33
7
Hamstring injury
2021/22
18
3
That said, the one slight concern for Rodgers will be Balikwisha’s injury history, with the 24-year-old suffering plenty of absences during his career.
Talks open: Celtic in "negotiations" to sign full-back similar to Johnston
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1
By
Charlie Smith
Aug 24, 2025
But hopefully, he has rid himself of those fitness woes, coming in and being an immediate key man for Celtic, giving the Scottish champions the additional firepower that they have craved throughout the summer window.
Manchester United have an exciting squad to choose from as they look to drum up a run of form this season, but many supporters will also be wondering when Lisandro Martinez is expected to return from injury.
Lisandro Martinez and his Man Utd absence
Argentina international Martinez has become a fan favourite since joining from Ajax back in 2022, registering three goals and three assists in 91 appearances.
However, injury problems have limited his scope for an even greater impact at Old Trafford, none more so than his ACL tear in a 2-0 defeat to Crystal Palace back in February.
In what was a season-ending blow for Martinez, Ruben Amorim has since been forced back to the drawing board for defensive solutions and the former Sporting boss has maintained a heavy reliance on Harry Maguire, Mathijs De Ligt and Leny Yoro to fill the void.
Nevertheless, Martinez’s capabilities in possession are difficult to replicate. The World Cup winner averaged a 90% pass accuracy in the Premier League last term, while he also made 32 interceptions, per Fotmob, sparing nobody on his way to stopping dangerous attacking moves.
Ayden Heaven has emerged as a naturally left-sided alternative and has impressed supporters. Still, the former Arsenal youth may be one for the longer term, given he is only 18 years of age. Luke Shaw has also featured centrally.
Man Utd want to beat Liverpool to one of the best talents in Europe when he turns 18
The Red Devils are looking to make a statement by securing his signature.
BySean Markus Clifford Sep 14, 2025
Updates on Martinez’s status have been few and far between, even if Fabrizio Romano recently claimed on his YouTube channel that the World Cup winner may be offered a new contract once he returns from injury.
When will that be? It may be sooner than alot of Manchester United fans believe if recent developments are anything to go by.
Lisandro Martinez's Manchester United return timeframe
Per BBC Sport chief reporter Simon Stone, Martinez could be back in contention after the October international break for Manchester United, providing his rehab has gone to schedule, albeit Amorim is likely to take a cautious approach in light of the recovery process he will have to adhere to.
He later went on to suggest that it would be a surprise to see Martinez back before the conclusion of the October break, pointing out that it may take longer for him to actually get back into a flow of starting matches.
Ultimately, the delicate nature of cruciate-related injuries require specialist care and management, so it may be a little while yet before he starts to get up to speed at Old Trafford.
It would be fair to say that Chelsea have not had the best of starts to the season.
Enzo Maresca’s side picked up seven of nine points in the Premier League prior to the international break, but dropped two against Brentford on Saturday.
Now, it was a heavily rotated side, but there was enough talent in the starting lineup to collect three.
One of the worst performers was summer signing Jamie Gittens, and while it might sound harsh, he should be dropped ahead of tomorrow’s Champions League clash with Bayern Munich.
Gittens' disappointing display
Now, to be clear, there were several Chelsea players who really let themselves down on Saturday, but when it comes to the most disappointing display, it’s hard to look past Gittens.
Chalkboard
Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.
The club paid Borussia Dortmund around £48m for him in the summer in the hope he’d be able to come into the team and make the left-hand side more direct and more dangerous.
Unfortunately, he flattered to deceive in his appearances before the international break and, against Brentford, he looked somewhat out of his depth.
It might sound overly harsh, but we aren’t the only ones who were left unimpressed, as the Express’ Charlie Malam awarded him just 4/10 on the day, writing that he ‘faded out’ after the first 20 minutes.
Unsurprisingly, while it may sound harsh, such an appraisal of the 20-year-old is more than justified by his statistics.
In 56 minutes of underwhelming action, the Reading-born ace amassed a combined expected goals plus assists figure of just 0.04, took just 17 touches, played a single key pass, had one shot, didn’t attempt a single dribble and was offside twice.
In all, it was a terrible showing from Gittens, and considering how much of a step-up in quality Bayern will be, Maresca has to drop him for another of Chelsea’s young wingers tomorrow night.
The Chelsea ace who should start in place of Gittens
While some might view it as being too soon, Maresca should look to start £40m man Alejandro Garnacho against Bayern.
Now it’s undoubtedly the case that the young Argentine should have tracked Fabio Carvalho for the equaliser on Saturday, but when it came to the offensive side of the game, he offered so much more than Gittens in such a short amount of time.
For example, while he didn’t get the assist, it was his driving run and ball into the penalty area that directly led to Moises Caicedo’s thunderous strike in the second half.
Moreover, while there are certainly questions over this temperament that may well be answered this season, the 21-year-old’s footballing ability is undeniable.
For example, despite being just 20 years old at the start of last season and playing for a historically terrible Manchester United side, the Madrid-born gem was able to score 11 goals and provide ten assists in 58 appearances, totalling 3568 minutes.
Garnacho in 24/25
Appearances
58
Minutes
3568′
Goals
11
Assists
10
Goal Involvements per Match
0.36
Minutes per Goal Involvements
169.90′
All Stats via Transfermarkt
That means the “superstar” in the making, as dubbed by journalist Liam Canning, maintained an average of a goal involvement every 2.76 games, or 169.90 minutes.
Moreover, with a goal in the 2024 FA Cup final, against Manchester City, the dynamic attacker has proven he can handle the biggest of stages.
Ultimately, Gittens may well come good for Chelsea, but he has flattered to deceive thus far, and with Garnacho making an impact in just 11 minutes of action, he should get the start against Bayern tomorrow night.
Offer made: Chelsea submit proposal to sign "exceptional" Tottenham player
The Blues have come forward to sign a player from one of their major rivals.
Liverpool’s summer transfer window was defined by big spending, but also by letting some of their most promising youth talent depart.
While the Anfield hierarchy pursued marquee signings such as Florian Wirtz, Alexander Isak, and Hugo Ekitike, a quieter narrative was simultaneously unfolding.
Several academy graduates, once thought of as future first-team players, left the club in search of regular gametime and development opportunities that Liverpool could not immediately guarantee.
Harvey Elliot went on loan to Aston Villa with a £35m obligation next summer, Jarell Quansah moved to Bayer Leverkusen for £35m, and Ben Doak joined Bournemouth for £25m.
These departures, while financially reasonable, highlight the ongoing challenge Liverpool face in balancing youth development with immediate competitiveness.
Sometimes, trusting homegrown talent pays dividends, as 17-year-old Rio Ngumoha demonstrated with his 100th-minute winner on Premier League debut against Newcastle, reminding the club of the potential locked away in its academy.
For one player, however, leaving Liverpool has opened the door to a role that is allowing him to flourish at one of the European elite in a role that had long been earmarked for Real Sociedad’s Martin Zubimendi, who ultimately moved to Arsenal for £60m.
The lesson for Liverpool's youth talent
Liverpool’s history of allowing talented youngsters to leave and succeed elsewhere is not new.
Raheem Sterling’s departure is one of the most notable examples.
Former Liverpool winger Raheem Sterling.
Sterling left Anfield in 2015 for Manchester City at just 20 years old in a £44m deal, making him the most expensive English player at the time.
His career trajectory underlines the risks of selling promising youth too early, even at a premium.
Sterling went on to score 131 goals and register 86 assists in 339 appearances for City, winning four Premier League titles and earning inclusion in the 2018/19 PFA Team of the Year.
Sterling’s success serves as a benchmark for evaluating the club’s current youth departures which include the likes of Dominic Solanke, Neco Williams and most recently Jarell Quansah.
Quansah, however, was not the only Kirkby graduate to flee Merseyside for Europe in the summer of 2025.
Where Are They Now
Your star player or biggest flop has left the club but what are they doing in the present day? This article is part of Football FanCast’s Where Are They Now series.
From Liverpool to Lyon
Tyler Morton, a 22-year-old local talent, joined Liverpool’s academy at just seven years old.
After progressing through the ranks, he experienced loan spells at Blackburn Rovers and Hull City before making his Premier League debut against Arsenal and his Champions League bow against Porto.
During his time at Liverpool, Morton made 14 appearances in all competitions, gaining valuable experience in a squad filled with international stars, while also contributing to the U21 European Championship victory over the summer.
This summer, Morton left Liverpool for Lyon in a £15m deal, a move that has allowed him to start playing consistently in Ligue 1 as a deep-lying playmaker.
This role mirrors the one Martin Zubimendi excelled at in La Liga before his £60m transfer to Arsenal, making Morton’s progression particularly noteworthy.
Liverpool had a bid for the Spain international rejected last summer, even though they may have already have their equivalent in the squad. Ultimately, Zubimendi went elsewhere, and Liverpool lost one of their most promising academy graduates too.
Regardless, Lyon and Morton have started the season strongly, winning three games from three, with the ex-Liverpool midfielder earning praise for his performances.
Against Metz, he played the full 90 minutes, recorded 84 touches, completed 63 of 69 passes (91%), delivered four key passes, three accurate crosses, four long balls – all successfully executed – and won four ground duels.
Bence Bocsák described Morton as a “quality midfielder,” highlighting the attributes Liverpool’s coaching staff have long admired, while Jurgen Klopp labelled him as an “outstanding” player.
His ability to control tempo, execute progressive passes, and contribute defensively makes him a versatile asset, one that Liverpool could have nurtured as in-house but instead allowed to blossom elsewhere.
Statistically, Morton’s style closely mirrors the deep-lying playmaking role that Zubimendi has excelled in.
Matches Played
36
Goals
2
Assists
1
Progressive Carries
38
Progressive Passes
195
Both operate in the transitional midfield zone, blending defensive awareness with progressive passing and the vision to influence play across the pitch.
While Zubimendi’s high-profile switch made headlines, Morton’s development in Lyon represents a potentially missed opportunity for Liverpool to cultivate a similar talent internally.
The youngser’s exit also underscores a recurring theme at Anfield and within the wider Premier League.
Clubs are increasingly letting promising youngsters leave only to see them thrive elsewhere.
Sterling set the precedent; Morton is now another example of Liverpool’s academy producing talent that, for reasons ranging from tactical fit to financial prudence, finds success beyond Merseyside.
While investing in high-profile signings is essential for immediate results, the club continues to face the delicate task of integrating its academy graduates into a star-studded first team.
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Liverpool have work to do if they are to rediscover the balance that saw them lay waste to the Premier League in Arne Slot’s first season at the Anfield helm.
Despite the many changes to the Reds first team over the past few months, it’s perhaps difficult to suggest that Liverpool have made dramatic improvements on last year’s title-winning team, with Mohamed Salah even suggesting that this is so when quizzed on FSG’s summer spending.
Mohamed Salah for Liverpool
That’s not to say sporting director Richard Hughes has overseen a poor transfer window; far from it. It’s simply that Liverpool were coherent and instinctive last season, a fully-gelled team, but have now parted with several important first-teamers and have replaced them with up-and-coming talents.
It’s only natural that a bedding-in period would take place, with the absence of balance and defensive solidity across the first two fixtures of Liverpool’s campaign evidence of that.
But for all the upheaval, Liverpool remain attentive to the market as it draws toward the stretch, with Hughes and Slot in concert over the Reds’ need for depth across the frontline and at the rear.
The latest Liverpool transfer news
Will Liverpool pull it off? Alexander Isak’s inflammatory statement on his future made it clear he wishes to leave Newcastle United and sign for the Premier League champions this summer, but the Magpies have struggled to sign strikers this summer and are publicly stressing he’s going nowhere.
Whatever happens, it’s been an unsavoury saga, but the door remains ajar, with Newcastle desperately scrambling for a new number nine.
But Liverpool need a defender too. While Giovanni Leoni was welcomed to Slot’s squad this month, the 18-year-old centre-half should be eased into the swing of things.
It is Marc Guehi of Crystal Palace who would provide the jewel for Liverpool’s defensive crown. The 25-year-old has been heavily linked with a move to Merseyside, with less than a year remaining on his contract.
The outcome of that saga remains unknown, and the same goes for Isak. However, Liverpool do need such a player, and if Newcastle maintain their obstinacy over their talisman’s future, it’s crucial that there’s an alternative option.
Liverpool holding talks for Isak alternative
According to Football Insider, Real Madrid star Rodrygo remains on Liverpool’s radar as they mull over a late-window bid.
The 24-year-old is anticipated to leave the Santiago Bernabeu this month, and his representatives have jetted over to England to hold talks with Liverpool officials over a potential transfer. And the same goes for Manchester City.
Xabi Alonso has made it clear that the Brazil international is not at the fulcrum of his vision in the Spanish capital, but Real Madrid won’t cash in for a cut-price figure, having listed him at a lofty €90m (£76m).
The sale of Diaz to Bayern Munich has left Liverpool light up top, and Rodrygo would be the perfect versatile forward to complete Slot’s frontline.
Why Liverpool want Rodrygo
While there is no question that Liverpool’s priority heading into the closing stages of the summer transfer window is to get Isak garbed in red attire, Rodrygo wouldn’t be a half-bad fallback.
Real Madrid's Rodrygo
Rodrygo has long starred as a first-team star with Los Blancos, having left his Brazilian homeland for the peerless superpower after he turned 18.
And though the 2024/25 campaign left plenty to be desired for him, Rodrygo has been hailed by his teammate Jude Bellingham as “probably the most talented and most gifted player in the squad.”
His sharpness with both feet and his propensity for equal shares of goals and assists lend themselves to different positional roles, but Slot would typically deploy him on the attacking left flank.
However, for all its control, Slot’s system is anything but rigid. Interchangeability and tenacity are key tenets, and it’s for this reason that Dominik Szoboszlai has played such a central role in the manager’s plans. Szoboszlai, indeed, could prove the perfect partner for Rodrygo at Liverpool, playing from his industrious central role and pushing forward to combine with the South American.
1.
Mohamed Salah
54
2.
Virgil van Dijk
51
2=
Dominik Szoboszlai
51
2=
Alexis Mac Allister
51
2=
Cody Gakpo
51
You could say that new recruit Florian Wirtz would be a devastating and dynamic dance player for a prolific wide forward like Rodrygo, and perhaps that is so, but Szoboszlai has proven himself to be an energetic and effective midfield force for Liverpool.
The Hungarian might not be a clinical player, per se, but he’s been hailed by content creator Asim Mahmood as a “machine” with a “seriously elite mentality” since Slot dropped him from ten to more of a box-to-box deployment in the middle of the park.
Liverpool's DominikSzoboszlai
Data from Sofascore shows that the 24-year-old created three key passes against Crystal Palace and two against Bournemouth in Liverpool’s Premier League opener, winning ten duels across the two fixtures and making a total of ten tackles too.
How does this relate to Rodrygo? Well, the Real Madrid man is known for his commitment and perseverance, winning 56% of his ground duels in La Liga last year (Sofascore).
Form and fluency in the Spanish capital have dwindled for his world-class talent, but he could pick himself up and then some by signing for Liverpool and emulating Szoboszlai in putting 110% effort into his performances.
The £120k-per-week Liverpool star, after all, ranks among the top 15% of positional peers across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for ball recoveries made per 90 and the top 5% for pass completion, via FBref, thus underscoring his crisp and energetic style of play, ensuring Liverpool purr.
Rodrygo would dovetail right into the Anfield running with Szoboszlai pulling strings behind him. His ‘poor’ 2024/25 campaign still yielded 25 goal involvements across all competitions – the same as Diaz – and he was routinely played out of position to accommodate Vinicius Junior.
His clinical touch would be strengthened in a role of greater importance at Liverpool, especially when forming partnerships with selfless, hard-working stars like Szoboszlai.
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