تتجه أنظار عشاق كرة القدم حول العالم اليوم الأحد 15-6-2025، إلى النسخة الجديدة من بطولة كأس العالم للأندية 2025، التي تقام للمرة الأولى بمشاركة 32 فريقًا، وتستضيفها الولايات المتحدة الأمريكية في نسخة استثنائية من البطولة العالمية.

ويفتتح نادي بورتو البرتغالي مشواره في البطولة بمواجهة قوية أمام بالميراس البرازيلي، ضمن منافسات الجولة الأولى للمجموعة الأولى. وتُقام المباراة على ملعب ميتلايف، في نفس المجموعة التي تضم أيضًا الأهلي وإنتر ميامي الأمريكي، واللذان تعادلا سلبيًا في لقاء الافتتاح.

وفي قمة أوروبية مرتقبة، يلتقي باريس سان جيرمان الفرنسي مع أتلتيكو مدريد الإسباني، ضمن منافسات المجموعة الرابعة، التي تضم إلى جانبهما بوتافوجو البرازيلي وسياتل ساوندرز الأمريكي. وتقام المباراة المنتظرة على ملعب روز بول بولاية كاليفورنيا.

من ناحية أخرى، يستعد بايرن ميونخ الألماني لقص شريط مشاركته في البطولة، عندما يواجه أوكلاند سيتي النيوزيلندي، ضمن منافسات الجولة الأولى من المجموعة الثالثة. وتُقام المباراة على ملعب تي كيو إل. ويضم نفس المجموعة كل من بنفيكا البرتغالي وبوكا جونيورز الأرجنتيني، في مجموعة تعد من بين الأقوى في البطولة.

وتتواصل منافسات دور المجموعات على مدار الأيام المقبلة، وسط ترقب جماهيري وإعلامي كبير لأداء الأندية الكبرى في البطولة التي تقام لأول مرة بنظام يشبه كأس العالم للمنتخبات.

طالع أيضًا | الأهلي يعلن حجم إصابة إمام عاشور أمام إنتر ميامي وغيابه عن باقي مباريات كأس العالم للأندية مواعيد مباريات اليوم الأحد 15-6-2025 والقنوات الناقلةمواعيد مباريات كأس العالم للأندية اليوم

بايرن ميونخ ضد أوكلاند سيتي، الساعة 7 مساءً بتوقيت مصر والسعودية، وتُذاع عبر شبكة “DAZN”، و”mbc action”.

باريس سان جيرمان ضد أتلتيكو مدريد، الساعة 10 مساءً بتوقيت مصر والسعودية، وتُذاع عبر شبكة “DAZN”.

بورتو ضد بالميراس، الساعة 1 بعد منتصف الليل بتوقيت مصر والسعودية، وتُذاع عبر شبكة “DAZN”، و”mbc action”. مواعيد مباريات الدوري الليبي اليوم

الصداقة ضد النصر، الساعة 6 مساءً بتوقيت مصر والسعودية، وتُذاع عبر قناة “الرياضية الليبية”.

الأخضر ضد التحدي، الساعة 6 مساءً بتوقيت مصر والسعودية، وتُذاع عبر قناة “الرياضية الليبية”.

الهلال ضد أهلي بنغازي، الساعة 9 مساءً بتوقيت مصر والسعودية، وتُذاع عبر قناة “الرياضية الليبية”.

ويُمكنكم متابعة أحداث مباريات اليوم لحظة بلحظة من مركز المباريات من هنــــا

Dele Alli is being backed to make a sensational return to Tottenham despite suffering a "big dip" in his career by former Spurs ace Clive Allen.

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• Dele currently in Italy with Como
• Waiting to make debut
• Tipped for future return to Tottenham

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• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Dele is currently with Serie A side Como and is aiming to get his career back on track in Italy after an injury-ravaged time in the Premier League with Everton. The 28-year-old is yet to make his debut for Cesc Fabregas's side but has been on the bench for the team's last two matches and is expected to make his first appearance for the club before the end of the current campaign.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Dele has signed an 18-month contract with Como, with an option for another campaign dependent on appearances. It remains to be seen if he will remain in Italy after his contract ends or head back to England. Former Tottenham striker Allen feels that there may be a role for Dele at Tottenham in the future, even if it's not on the pitch.

• WHAT ALLEN SAID

  He told : "Maybe that [a return to Tottenham] could be possible. Every football supporter will be wishing him well at Como. He’s had a big dip, which can happen. The fact that he’s bouncing back and getting back into the game, let’s hope he can do it. Maybe one day he can get back up to the level we know. A role at Tottenham maybe. I’m not sure if he’s a coach or a possible manager, an academy coach to give knowledge to young people. He may look at educating young players around depression and avoiding certain situations.“

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  WHAT NEXT FOR DELE

  Dele will be hoping to be in the squad once again on Saturday when Como take on AC Milan in Serie A. Fabregas' team are currently 13th in the table, and a win against the Rossoneri would leave them with an outside chance of securing a top-half finish.

In Jasprit Bumrah and Manish Pandey, there might be a lesson for the selectors to back winners, and perhaps punt a little less

Sidharth Monga23-Jan-20161:23

‘Manish paced his innings well’ – Dhoni

MS Dhoni likes to take the game into the last over. He did at the SCG. Dhoni likes to hit the first ball of the said last over for a six. He did at the SCG. Much as we would like to console ourselves that Dhoni helped India finish their only win of the series, he was a pale shadow of himself. That he was there to take the match to the deep end was indeed the difference between Canberra and Sydney, but the old Dhoni would have done so with much more deliberation. Here, he did play a panicked shot, and was dropped. He did play across the line, and survived a plumb lbw decision.We don’t know when Dhoni’s next ODI will be, or if there will be one (can’t bank on a farewell tour for Dhoni), but more than thinking about whether he nearly botched up a fourth chase in the last five chances he will be extremely pleased that two youngsters helped India cross the line they have been finding so difficult to chase. Manish Pandey, in his fourth ODI, and Jasprit Bumrah, on debut, finally provided the support Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli so badly needed.When playing against a superior opponent, you need to scrap until the end. In Canberra, Ishant Sharma and Umesh Yadav conceded 29 in the last two overs, in Sydney Bumrah bowled the rare Indian yorker to help India concede just seven after the 48th over. In Canberra batsmen other than top three choked, in Sydney, Pandey remained cool. Not to mention the 10 or so runs he saved in the field.There might be a lesson in here for the selectors to back winners, and perhaps punt a little less.Talk to anyone familiar with the Indian domestic circuit about Pandey, they will tell you he might not be the best technically but he scores on big occasions. In the 2009-10 Ranji final, he scored 144 as Karnataka fell six heart-breaking runs shy of a chase of 338. He became the first Indian centurion in IPL in a must-win game for his team in 2009, and followed it up with a Man of the Match in the semi-final. He went on to add a double-century in the Duleep Trophy semi-final in the 2010-11, and a half-century in the final. He won an IPL final off his own bat, with a 94 in a chase of 200 in 2014.Bumrah, with his unorthodox action that creates an illusion of extra pace, with the ability to bowl the yorker, and with the improvement made through the addition of the ball that holds its line, was part of the Gujarat team that won the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy in 2014-15. In the next season he was the leading wicket-taker in the domestic 50-over competition, the Vijay Hazare Trophy. He bowled Dhoni with a yorker in the league stages and picked up five in the final.Pandey, though, had to sit out for no fault of his because he doesn’t bowl and because India don’t have other allrounders. Bumrah somehow didn’t make it to the original squad, and unconfirmed reports say they couldn’t get him a visa fast enough when Mohammed Shami got injured. Lucky they were playing because of more injuries, and under pressure in the dying moments, both of them delivered.

“The kind of innings Manish Pandey has played, it gives you extra 15 games to settle in and start to do what you need to do. And adapt to the demands of the game. Because a lot will also change when you play in the subcontinent. As of now he looks good at No. 5.”

An instructive moment was when Dhoni asked Ishant at the start of an over at the death what field he wanted, and you could hear: “Bumrah wali [the one that Bumrah had].” Here was a veteran trying to emulate what a debutant was doing, and he went on to find success. When it comes to finishing it off with the bat, the coolest cat with the bat could trust Pandey. The rookie might even have helped the veteran out.That Pandey knew what he was doing was evident from how he didn’t try the desperate shot, relied on his legs and his placement to get the couples, resisted the temptation of manufacturing shots to the shorter boundary, and then produced the masterful steer off a yorker in the final over to bring up his hundred and take India to within two of a win.Tangibly Dhoni’s 34 off 42 took the asking rate past 12, but intangibly he might have just imparted the invaluable wisdom you gain only by finishing games off again and again. Sample what Dhoni told Pandey: “The difference [between runs required and balls left] was 15-20 runs. Whatever happens we will get at least at least two boundaries. And also both of us are quick between the wickets, which means we will put pressure on the slower fielders or the ones that don’t have good arms. Ultimately we will get those extra runs rather than looking for the big six.”One of the biggest mistakes inexperienced batsmen make is feel they are running out of time. Dhoni might have taught him the most valuable lesson: there is more time than you think. Perhaps Pandey knew it himself?Dhoni is not one to get carried away with early success. He spoke well of the two youngsters, but remained guarded too. “Bumrah was fantastic playing in his first game,” Dhoni said. “It becomes slightly easy for you when youngsters come and perform in the first five games that they play. You see a glimpse of what they may become in the coming years if they don’t get injured. He bowled well with the semi-new ball, he bowled well in the middle overs, then he bowled well at the death. That is the kind of bowlers we are looking for. He has the variations, he has the slightly awkward action.”About Pandey he said: “Manish paced his innings really well. You have to realise it is not always about big hits. Over here the ground are big. If you mistime you can get out, but at the same time if you hit a good yorker, more often than not you get two. You rely a lot on your running. This innings will help him but what he needs to keep in is how he calculated the run chase. The kind of innings he has played, it gives you extra 15 games to settle in and start to do what you need to do. And adapt to the demands of the game. Because a lot will also change when you play in the subcontinent. As of now he looks good at No. 5.”When asked if this gave him reason to change his mind about lack of ready-made talent coming through from the system, Dhoni said it is important is to not get “high on individual performances”, and also said he can only judge by what the selectors give him, that it is their job to find the best talent and push it through to international cricket.In typical Dhoni fashion he remained noncommittal about what future held for Dhoni the ODI player, joking you might need a public-interest litigation to find out, but the wistfulness you might have felt looking at his diminished striking ability disappeared a little when you heard him talk with joy about a youngster who planned a chase as well as he wanted him to do.

Paul Pogba has, amid his search for a new club, enjoyed an “unforgettable” birthday party alongside wife Zulay and tennis superstar Carlos Alcaraz.

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Doping suspension has been completedWorld Cup winner available as a free agentRelaxing with friends in search for new clubFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱Getty ImagesWHAT HAPPENED?

The former Manchester United midfielder is currently a free agent. He has completed an 18-month doping ban, with the 32-year-old now cleared to resume his professional career. Pogba was released by Serie A giants Juventus while serving a worldwide suspension.

AdvertisementDID YOU KNOW?

He has been linked with clubs around the world, from Saudi Arabia to the Premier League, but is yet to decide where his next port of call will be. Plenty of time is being spent in the United States, which is considered by some to be a nod towards landing a deal in MLS.

THE GOSSIP

Pogba has been in Florida celebrating his latest birthday, with a star-studded bash organised by his partner Zulay. Said event was attended by Spanish tennis sensation Alcaraz, who recently took part in the Miami Open.

WHAT NEXT FOR PAUL POGBA?

Pogba has said on social media: “Surprised by love. Thank you to my amazing wife and friends for this unforgettable birthday celebration. Truly blessed!” The World Cup winner is now free to focus on kick-starting a career that stalled back in September 2023.

Leeds United centre-forward Mateo Joseph is a good example of how difficult it is to translate regular goalscoring from academy level to the first team.

The 21-year-old ace, who joined from Espanyol at the start of 2022, scored an eye-catching 19 goals in 33 games for the Whites at U21 level.

However, the Spain U21 international has only found the back of the net five times in 47 appearances for the club since his rise to the first-team, with two goals in 15 Championship games this season.

He has made the step to the senior team, though, and has time on his hands to fulfil his potential, which was not the case for one former Leeds youngster who initially arrived with plenty of hype around him.

Leeds' mini Luis Suarez

Leeds swooped to sign a teenage centre-forward from Barcelona in the summer of 2017 after he had scored 30 goals in 30 league games for the Spanish giants at academy level in the 2016/17 campaign.

If you haven’t guessed already, that player was none other than Kun Temenuzhkov.

The Guardian named him as one of the 60 best young talents in world football in 2017 and wrote that the striker had ‘the same predator’s instinct’ as former Barcelona and Liverpool sensation Luis Suarez, who was idolised by the youngster and scored 195 goals in 283 games for the LaLiga outfit.

It is not hard to understand why that comparison was made after such an incredible year of goalscoring for the Spanish side in the previous season.

After playing for the Leeds’ U18 side for 18 months, Temenuzhkov made his first-team debut for Leeds against Queens Park Rangers in the FA Cup in January 2019, with an 11-minute cameo off the bench under Marcelo Bielsa.

Given his extraordinary goal record for Barcelona’s youth teams, his comparison to Suarez, and his senior bow under Bielsa, you could forgive the Whites for thinking that they had their own version of the Uruguayan hero on their hands.

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.

Unfortunately, though, after loan spells with CF La Nucía and Real Union during the 2020/21 and 2021/22 campaigns, the Bulgarian centre-forward was released by the Whites in the summer of 2022, having failed to live up to the hype.

How Kun Temenuzhkov is performing in 2024

The young marksman made the move to join Navalcarnero in the fourth tier of Spanish football and scored eight goals in 29 league games during the 2023/24 campaign.

He then spent six months with Zamora CF, scoring just one goal in ten games, before moving to Lincoln FC in Gibraltar at the start of 2023.

Temenuzhkov produced six goals and three assists in 15 appearances for Lincoln during the second half of last season, before a free transfer to Moscardó in the summer transfer window earlier this year.

It was the fourth free transfer since the start of 2022 for the 24-year-old attacker, who has been unable to enjoy more than one season with a club since his exit from Leeds.

Moscardó currently play in the fourth tier of Spanish football and the ex-Whites and Barcelona man has had a difficult start to the campaign, with zero goals and one assist in eight league matches.

Temenuzhkov is yet to replicate his sensational goalscoring output at academy level in his first-team career and Leeds will now be hoping that Joseph, who has already played 46 more times for Leeds than the Bulgarian forward did, fares better in his development over the coming years.

Leeds can replace Firpo by signing "best full-back in the Championship"

Leeds United are reportedly interested in a deal to sign the Championship star.

By
Dan Emery

Nov 11, 2024

Real Madrid are reportedly keen to add Real Sociedad midfielder and Arsenal target Martin Zubimendi to their squad in the summer transfer window.

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• Zubimendi on Madrid's radar for the summer
• Arsenal deal was said to be 'virtually complete'
• Spaniard has €60m release clause in Sociedad contract

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• WHAT HAPPENED?

  According to a report from Diario AS, highly-coveted Spanish midfielder Martin Zubimendi is attracting interest from Real Madrid. This comes after reports from England suggested that Arsenal were on the verge of triggering the Real Sociedad star's €60 million (£51m) release clause, with the deal described as "virtually completed."

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Madrid interest in Zubimendi comes from the club's desire to sign a ball-playing midfielder who's also good in defensive situations. While Los Blancos aren't sure about splashing €60m on the midfielder, the club's board are reportedly adamant they want to see a "Spanishisation" of the team, having lost key personnel such as Marco Asensio, Joselu, and Nacho – all Spaniards – in recent years. That is also partly the reason why the reigning Champions League winners are monitoring Bournemouth centre-back Dean Huijsen.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Arsenal are sure to enter the market for new signings in the summer, with two of their midfielders, Jorginho and Thomas Partey, out of contract at the end of the current campaign. As a result, the Gunners have not given up on their hopes of signing long-term target Zubimendi and will not shy away from triggering his €60m release clause. Newcastle forward Alexander Isak is another who has been strongly linked.

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  WHAT NEXT?

  It's not just Madrid and Arsenal who have been linked with the 26-year-old midfielder from the Basque country. Premier League giants Liverpool and Manchester City have also been reported to be interested in the Spanish international.

  While it remains to be seen where Zubimendi's future lies ahead of the 2025-26 season, he will be representing Spain during the international break. La Roja face Netherlands in a Nations League quarter-final, with the first leg scheduled for March 20.

Ollie Pope’s diving catch down the leg-side to dismiss Pakistan batter Saud Shakeel cost Pakistan and shouldn’t have been given out, according to Pakistan captain Babar Azam. Speaking after Pakistan succumbed to a 26-run defeat in Multan that confirmed a series loss to England, Babar said it appeared as if the ball had touched the ground”The Shakeel dismissal cost us,” he said. “It looked to us as if the ball had touched the ground. As a professional, you have to respect the umpire’s decision, but we felt the ball had been grounded.”Related

• Mark Wood feels the ache of satisfaction after providing the speed that England need

• Mark Wood makes the difference as England seal the series in 26-run thriller

• England seek to sweep away the mystery

• Abrar: come for the mystery, stay for the legspin

• Pakistan, and the curious case of collapsing on flat tracks

Shakeel’s dismissal came at a vital juncture in the match, with lunch approaching and Pakistan reasonably positioned to pull off their second-highest fourth-innings run-chase. Pakistan required another 64 runs to win when Shakeel – six runs away from a hundred – pulled at a short ball outside leg stump, getting a tickle on it. Pope dived to his right to snare it low off the ground, although the replays suggested significant uncertainty as to whether the catch was clean.Part of the frustration of Shakeel’s dismissal was down to the manner in which the decision was reached, with Aleem Dar sending a soft signal of “out” to third umpire Joel Wilson. Wilson ended up sticking with it to confirm the dismissal.Despite discussions among the ICC Full Members around the protocols surrounding the on-field soft-signal, there has been no change to the playing conditions itself (the IPL has scrapped the soft-signal). The regulations continue to state that in the event of “inconclusive replay evidence, the on-field decision communicated at the start of the consultation process shall stand”.The TV umpire does review the footage and has complete authority to make his/her decision independent of the soft signal. Increasingly the trend among match officials has been to offer clarity to any decision and one way they have agreed to do that is to avoid using language that reflects that – so words such as ‘conclusive’ or ‘inconclusive’ referring to evidence have been removed from the radio communication between the TV and on-field umpires and instead, the former simply conveys his own decision as either out or not out.The issue is likely to be on the agenda of the ICC’s cricket committee when it next meets in March.”I think it’s for the umpires to decide [if the soft signal should be done away with],” Babar said. “Like I said, we felt the ball was grounded.”ESPNcricinfo Ltd

The Pakistan dressing-room’s reaction was one of disbelief after Shakeel’s dismissal was upheld, revealing both surprise and a sense of the importance of the moment. Control of the match switched hands once and for all, with England taking the final three wickets with Pakistan still well away from the target.England captain Ben Stokes was more equivocal in his view. Immediately after the match, he said he felt there weren’t any doubts about the ball carrying, but also pointed out those sorts of decisions could end up going either way.”I don’t think [there were any doubts about the catch], personally,” he said. “The only thing where you start worrying is when it gets looked at for a long period of time because that’s when you start having doubt in your own head. I’ve been part of games before where I’ve been on the team who’s been on the receiving end of those decisions and you’re always like, ‘that’s not carried’.”You see a lot of lot of those decisions and those type of catches in cricket. You could say the similar thing was when Rooty got caught at short leg – you could say that might have touched the floor. But you’ve just got to go with what the umpire’s decision is. It went our way but I’ve been involved in a few decisions where stuff like that has gone against us. But you can’t change that.”The man at the centre of the controversy was certain the ball had reached him on the full but admitted that, after that, it was hard to be sure.”I knew it had carried,” Pope said. “I didn’t think it had bounced before. As a keeper when you’ve got the gloves on you honestly can’t tell. I didn’t think it had touched the ground after. When you have gloves on you feel it go in but that’s it.”

ESPNcricinfo staff31-May-2015Stuart Broad finally found some form with the bat during a lusty 46, which helped England add 83 runs for the last two wickets and finish on 350, level on first innings•Getty ImagesBroad picked up where he left off with the ball and took two wickets in his opening spell•Getty ImagesRoss Taylor decided attack was the best form of defence, hitting 48 from 48 balls during a 99-run stand for the third wicket•Getty ImagesMartin Guptill was also in attacking mood and went past 50…•Getty Images…but became Mark Wood’s second wicket shortly before tea. At that stage, New Zealand’s lead was 141 with six wickets standing•Getty ImagesBrendon McCullum was a little more watchful than usual, ensuring England would not find a way back into the match•Getty ImagesBJ Watling and McCullum both recorded fifties during a stand worth 121•Getty ImagesWood picked up his third wicket when he trapped McCullum lbw, despite a review•PA PhotosEngland also removed Luke Ronchi but Watling reached his hundred in the penultimate over and remained unbeaten at the close, with New Zealand’s lead 338 – a higher target than England have ever successfully chased•Getty Images

Tim Southee to take up captaincy duties; Mark Chapman called up as replacement

ESPNcricinfo staff21-Nov-2022New Zealand captain Kane Williamson will miss the third T20I against India in Napier because of a pre-arranged medical appointment. He is expected to rejoin the team ahead of the three-ODI series that begins on Friday.Head coach Gary Stead said Tim Southee would lead New Zealand in the third T20I in Williamson’s absence, while Mark Chapman had been called into the squad as cover.Related

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Sunrisers Hyderabad release Kane Williamson ahead of IPL 2023 auction

“Kane’s been trying to get this booked in for a while now, but unfortunately it hasn’t been able to fit into our schedule.” Stead said. “The health and well-being of our players and staff is paramount, and we look forward to seeing him in Auckland.”Stead said Williamson’s medical appointment had nothing to do with his elbow, a pre-existing injury the New Zealand captain has been coping with over the last year. He had missed games for New Zealand and in the IPL because of it.Williamson’s form in the T20 format has come under some scrutiny in recent times. While New Zealand made the semi-finals of the 2022 T20 World Cup in Australia, Williamson scored only 178 runs at a strike rate of 116.33. Last week, he was released by his IPL franchise Sunrisers Hyderabad after he scored only 216 runs at a strike rate of 93.51 in their eighth-place finish in the 2022 season.After the first T20I in Wellington was washed out, India won the second match in Mount Maunganui by 65 runs, on the back of Suryakumar Yadav century. Though Williamson top-scored for New Zealand in the chase with 61 off 52 balls, he was unable to challenge the target of 192The third and final T20I will take place on Tuesday in Napier, before the teams head to Auckland for the first ODI on November 25. The second and third ODIs are in Hamilton and Christchurch on November 27 and 30.

At the start of the season, Arne Slot faced a few questions regarding his true tactical integrity and how much of Liverpool’s rip-roaring start was a product of Jurgen Klopp’s legacy.

For sure, some claimed the Dutchman was riding on his predecessor’s coattails, but such arguments have been reduced to flaking, brittle deadwood as Liverpool enter the new year confidently atop the Premier League and Champions League tables.

Klopp’s residual ferocity, his counter-pressing snap, can be found in this current Liverpool team. It’s like one of those lenticular paintings that shift when moving to different perspectives.

Optical illusions on the pitch can give the appearance of Klopp’s system, but make no mistake, Slot is very much his own man. He has willed and shaped the Anfield side into his own design despite the weight of the task and the bereftness of activity during the summer transfer window.

Goals scored

2.11

2.50

Goals conceded

1.08

0.94

Possession

61.3

56.9

Progressive passes

55.5

47.7

Progressive carries

24.3

21.4

Ball recoveries

53.5

44.3

Tackles won

11.0

11.7

Duels won

48.9%

51.2%

Sidenote: See the table above; Liverpool are more relaxed in their build-up, less frenetic and energetic. However, they are scoring more and conceding less. This is the marker of Slot’s genius, calming things down through phases while ensuring that his side retain the ability to ramp it up to the nth degree when the situation demands.

Federico Chiesa was snapped up for an eye-catching £12.5m but has only featured four times as he battles injuries. With Darwin Nunez’s future somewhat unclear too, FSG could authorise a statement signing this year – and perhaps even this month.

Liverpool eyeing new forward

As per Sky Sports, Liverpool have shortlisted Brentford forward Bryan Mbeumo and may move to sign him this year. While the door is not closed on January spending, resolving Anfield’s contractual concerns is the pressing issue.

Mbeumo’s a prized signature after his prolific performances in the Premier League this term, with reliable reports suggesting that Newcastle United are also in the race and willing to pay £50m this month, though they are wary of PSR restrictions.

Liverpool boast the world’s best right winger in Mohamed Salah but with Chiesa homesick, peripheral and looking for a way out, this could be the perfect move to bolster Slot’s thriving frontline.

Bryan Mbeumo's season in numbers

Mbeumo has been a part of Brentford’s remarkable journey under Thomas Frank’s management, notching 105 goal contributions over 222 appearances.

Joining from Troyes in French Ligue 2 in 2019, Mbeumo has achieved modern-legend status in west London and, still only 24 years old, will feel that his best days lie ahead.

And rightly so. Regarded as one of the Premier League’s most exciting forwards, his goal against Arsenal on New Year’s Day was his 45th since the start of the 2022/23 campaign, placing him seventh in the division since that timeframe, directly behind Alexander Isak.

1.

Mohamed Salah

18

17

2.

Erling Haaland

19

14

3.

Alexander Isak

17

12

3.

Cole Palmer

19

12

5.

Bryan Mbeumo

19

11

5.

Chris Wood

19

11

He’s always there, hunting down goals, but he’s not just a marksman. As per FBref, Mbeumo actually ranks among the top 9% of positional peers in the Premier League this season for shot-creating actions and progressive passes, the top 12% for progressive carries and successful take-ons and the top 14% for tackles per 90. He’s the complete package.

In fact, such metrics have seen him compared to players such as Isak and Nunez, among forwards in his position across Europe’s top five leagues. The Liverpool striker has his faults, to be sure, but he’s still imbued with a kind of electricity and chaoticness that convinced Liverpool to pay for his services.

And Isak. Well. Wouldn’t Liverpool like to sign the kind of forward who could replicate some of the Newcastle man’s quality?

A Darwin Nunez & Alexander Isak hybrid

Imagine a player carrying properties distinctive to both Nunez and Isak. Imagine the kind of player you’d get. Mbeumo could be that type of striker for Liverpool, one who can shift between number nine and the flank.

It could be an irresistible recipe for success. After all, Slot has demonstrated through Diogo Jota and Luis Diaz that he is willing to field wide players in central striking roles to great effect.

For example, Mbeumo has scored 20 Premier League goals since the summer of 2023, missing only 14 big chances in that timeframe, as per Sofascore.

Isak, one of the deadliest finishers on the continent, has missed 30 big chances since 2023/24, albeit scoring 33 goals since. Nunez represents the converse, having scored just 13 Premier League goals in the discussed timeframe, missing, however, 30 big chances, embarrassingly matching Isak.

It’s grim reading for Nunez acolytes, albeit they can take solace in the fact that Liverpool’s agent of chaos is a thorny customer, using his athletic style and dynamism to help his team toward their goal.

He ranks among the top 14% of forwards across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for progressive carries and the top 3% for tackles per 90, which is impressive, but we can see that Mbeumo would implement a tactical strategy that could negate Nunez’s role, his expertise while bringing a whole new cutting edge to complement the likes of Salah and Cody Gakpo.

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While Mbeumo wouldn’t provide Liverpool with the ball-striking ability of Isak, they could mimic it in their own form. This is enough. More than enough. Liverpool perhaps boast the finest frontline in the country under Slot, and Mbeumo, described as an “output machine” by producer Michael Johnston, would make it even better. It’s as simple as that.

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ByAngus Sinclair Jan 2, 2025