All posts by z3u9t.icu

A “special” manager is being eyed to replace Sean Dyche at Everton when Dan Friedkin’s takeover of the Merseyside club is completed, according to reports.

Dyche job in the balance at Everton

Everton are currently having a season to forget. After 12 games, the Toffees are 15th in the Premier League, just two points above the drop zone, having won just two games. Back in September, they were also booted out of the EFL Cup at the hands of the top flight’s bottom club Southampton.

As a result of their poor start, Dyche is now under serious pressure and, according to GiveMeSport, a managerial change under the club’s prospective new ownership is inevitable. Reports elsewhere have claimed that Friedkin wants to move away from Dyche’s current style of football at Everton.

BBC reporter provides update on Sean Dyche sack latest after West Ham draw

The latest update comes after a tough start to the season at Goodison Park.

ByBen Browning Nov 12, 2024

The Friedkin Group reached an agreement to buy a majority stake in Everton back in September. According to TEAMtalk, the deal is expected to be finalised before the end of the year.

Everton and Friedkin eyeing Moyes

According to reliable journalist Alan Nixon, former Everton and West Ham United boss David Moyes will be a target for the Toffees once Dan Friedkin’s takeover is completed.

Nixon claims that the Scotsman is said to be favoured by some members of the Friedkin group because of his prior experience at Goodison Park, as well as his track record of keeping clubs in the Premier League. The 61-year-old, who is currently without a club, is open to returning to Everton, says GMS.

Moyes spent 11 years at Everton between 2002 and 2013, guiding the club to four top-six finishes. After leaving Merseyside, he had spells at Manchester United, Real Sociedad, and, most recently, West Ham United, where he oversaw the club’s most successful period in Premier League history and won the Europa Conference League in 2023.

Having taken charge of 697 top-flight games, Moyes is the third-most experienced manager in Premier League history, behind only Sir Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger. 17 of those 697 games have been against Everton, of which Moyes has won six, drawn one, and lost the other 10.

Described as “special” by Jamie Carragher, Moyes left the Hammers at the end of the 2023 season after four-and-a-half years in charge at London Stadium.

Upon his departure, West Ham’s joint-Chairman David Sullivan said: “David has been responsible for a period of great progress and success in our history, and we are extremely grateful for all of his hard work, commitment and dedication to the role.”

“David has been an absolute professional to work with and he will leave with our greatest respect and good wishes – he deserves to be held in the highest esteem for the service he has given to West Ham United, and we wish him every success in the future.

Speaking shortly after his departure was announced, Moyes revealed that he doesn’t plan on calling it time on his managerial career just yet.

“Do I want to stay in management? ‘Yes’ would be the answer to that.”

Julen Lopetegui could be coming to the end of his time at West Ham, having only joined the club in July, as the Hammers find themselves languishing in 14th place in the Premier League after 14 games played.

West Ham take on Wolves on Monday night for their 15th Premier League game of the season, in a fixture being nicknamed “El Sackico” due to both teams’ managers’ struggles this campaign.

Should Lopetegui’s side lose on Monday, West Ham seem ready to pull the trigger, already reportedly having a shortlist of potential replacements, and one of these options would see a shock return to the Premier League.

Maurizio Sarri links

According to reports from FootMercato, Maurizio Sarri is one name that has been offered to West Ham, should they sack Lopetegui. The 65-year-old has managed in the Premier League before, spending one season at Chelsea in 2018/19, where he also won the Europa League, beating Arsenal 4-1 in Baku.

Much like Gianfranco Zola who managed the Hammers, it would be another Italian who has previously worked at Chelsea. The Italian is currently without a club, having quit Lazio back in March 2024. Sarri was in charge of Lazio from 2021-2024, averaging 1.64 points per match, taking charge of 137 games in his time at the club.

Sangiovannese

74

1.61

Pescara

43

1.26

Arezzo

22

1.18

Avellino

1

0.00

Hellas Verona

5

0.20

Perugia

18

1.28

Grosseto

10

1.20

Alessandria

36

1.58

Sorrento

17

1.76

FC Empoli

132

1.52

Napoli

148

2.16

Chelsea

63

2.08

Juventus

52

2.12

Lazio

137

1.64

The 65-year-old coach had his best stints in Italy, with his most well-known team being his Napoli side, which Pep Guardiola even named “one of the best teams I have ever faced”.

Sarri has never lost to the Irons in his career, playing them twice in his time at Chelsea, winning once and drawing once. Now the Italian could find himself in the opposite dugout, and that could make for a very interesting tactical evolution for the Hammers.

Manager Focus

Who are the greatest coaches in the land? Football FanCast's Manager Focus series aims to reveal all.

Maurizio Sarri's tactics

Sarri tends to prefer a 4-3-3 starting formation, with a clear philosophy based upon keeping possession in their own third, looking to break the lines with progressive passes, and interchanging attacking movements, with short, sharp combination play in the final third.

In his one season of Premier League football, Sarri implemented this style at relative speed, averaging 62.9% possession, which was the second highest in the league behind Manchester City, who averaged 67.9% possession.

This high possession, control-based style is something West Ham desperately want to implement, since deciding to move on from David Moyes in the summer. Sarri is the exact type of coach who would come in, and try to do exactly that, sticking to his key principles, and looking to transform the Hammers.

A key position in doing this would be the number six, often playing the “regista” role for Sarri’s side, orchestrating play and controlling the tempo of the game. Whilst West Ham have plenty of players who play defensive midfield, their passing qualities and football IQ are extremely important in this role, which could see someone like Carlos Soler preferred to Edson Alvarez or Tomas Soucek.

One thing is for certain, if West Ham go down the route of hiring Sarri, it would solidify the route they want to go down, implementing a new style of play, and sticking to it even if results aren’t going their way.

Not Potter: West Ham can get Fullkrug firing by hiring "incredible" coach

West Ham head coach Julen Lopetegui is on the brink of being fired after wretched results this season.

ByAngus Sinclair Dec 8, 2024

As the January transfer window approaches, Brendan Rodgers now personally wants Celtic to sign an attacking reinforcement worth as much as £5m next month, according to reports.

Celtic transfer news

Almost everything has gone to plan for the Bhoys so far this season. Rodgers’ side sit top of the Scottish Premiership – 11 points clear of Rangers and nine clear of closest challengers Aberdeen with a game in hand – and just defeated their Old Firm rivals in dramatic fashion to win the Scottish League Cup. Following Danilo’s late equaliser, Celtic were forced into extra time and then penalties, which they won 5-4 to secure the silverware.

Having also impressed in the Champions League at times this season, things could be about to get even better for the Scottish champions when the January transfer window arrives. If the gap between the Bhoys and Old Firm rivals Rangers is too much for the Gers to handle now, then the winter window could blow them out of the water.

According to The Daily Mail, Rodgers now personally wants Celtic to sign Michel-Ange Balikwisha from Royal Antwerp in the January transfer window in a deal that may be worth £5m, which could see the Bhoys re-open talks with the winger’s representatives after discussions took place in the summer.

Celtic thought they had the next Tierney, now he's not played in 10 months

The Celtic youngster has not kicked on in the same way that Kieran Tierney did.

ByDan Emery Dec 17, 2024

It looked as though the Bhoys were in for Balikwisha in the summer before an ill-timed injury struck to bring an abrupt end to any potential move. Now back from a lengthy absence, however, the 23-year-old could finally get his move.

Given recent rumours that Premier League sides are keeping an eye on Nicolas Kuhn too, adding an attacking reinforcement wouldn’t exactly be unwise from Celtic.

"Amazing" Balikwisha could replace Kuhn

With Celtic yet to get their answer as to whether Kuhn will be able to resist the chance to swap Scotland for the Premier League, signing Balikwisha as the potential heir to the winger’s current attacking throne would instantly ease any fears around struggling to replace his star power.

Still just 23 years old, the Belgian has been at the centre of praise over the last year, with Ben Mattinson going as far as saying that he’d have been an “amazing” replacement for Crysensio Summerville at Leeds United last season. Now, six months later, it’s Celtic who could benefit from his highly-rated talent.

After scoring 10 goals and assisting a further eight in all competitions for Royal Antwerp last season, Balikwisha must pick up where he left off now back fit and firing on all cylinders, before possibly getting his potential move next month.

Looking to sharpen their attack in 2025, Manchester United are now reportedly plotting a move to sign an impressive forward who their scouts just watched shock Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga.

Man Utd transfer news

The Red Devils have plenty of work to do when 2025 arrives, as exposed by their recent inconsistency under new manager Ruben Amorim. What certainly hasn’t helped the former Sporting boss, however, is the comments of Marcus Rashford. Attempting to rebuild and finally turn things around at Old Trafford, the last thing that Amorim needed was one of his star players setting his sights on a fresh challenge.

Sending clubs around Europe on red alert, Rashford now seems destined to leave Old Trafford as a case of what might have been given the impact that he made when he first broke through into the Manchester United side. As one star departs, however, another could swiftly arrive.

According to Graeme Bailey for The Boot Room, Manchester United are now plotting a move to sign Benjamin Sesko after sending scouts to watch the RB Leipzig striker score within just two minutes against Bayern Munich, only to eventually find himself on the wrong end of a 5-1 mauling in the Bundesliga.

Aston Villa now eyeing "relentless" £25m ace who's scored 15 goals in 24/25

He’s enjoying an excellent season.

ByTom Cunningham Dec 21, 2024

Reportedly valued at €70-75m (£58-62m), Sesko certainly won’t come cheap but if Manchester United are looking to sharpen what has been a blunt attack at times this season, then splashing out on a striker of his calibre may well be the way forward.

"Weapon" Sesko is ready for big move

Having decided to stay put last summer instead of completing a move to Arsenal, Sesko has since solidified his place as one of the most exciting rising stars in European football. And now, one year on from rejecting the Gunners, he’s more ready than ever to depart Leipzig and complete a move to the biggest stage, which is where Manchester United could come in.

Just 21 years old, Sesko has been the star of the show ever since joining RB Leipzig and that has only remained the case in the current campaign with 11 goals and three assists from 23 games in all competitions. Earning deserved praise as a result, Football Talent Scout Jacek Kulig dubbed the Manchester United target “the Slovenian weapon” back in October.

Signing Sesko would certainly be one way to steal the headlines away from Rashford’s potential exit and there’s no doubting the impact that he would also make on the pitch.

They might still be in the relegation zone, but there is a lot to be optimistic about for Ipswich Town at the moment.

Kieran McKenna’s side have won two and drawn one of their last five Premier League games and look like a side ready to climb the table over the coming weeks and months.

There have been brilliant performances across the pitch in recent games, but there can be no doubt about whom the Tractor Boys’ most important player is this season: Liam Delap.

The former Manchester City prospect has been sublime for the Suffolk side and already has eight league goals to his name this year, so recent reports linking the club to someone who could be his ideal rival this month should excite the fans.

Ipswich chase free-scoring forward

According to a recent report from journalist Graeme Bailey, Ipswich are one of several teams interested in Botafogo star Igor Jesus.

Alongside the Tractor Boys, the report claims that fellow Premier League sides Fulham, Arsenal, Chelsea and West Ham United are all keen on the Brazilian striker.

On top of dealing with the competition, the Suffolk side will also have to make a significant investment if they want the talented forward, as according to the story, he is valued at around £30m.

It could be a costly and complicated transfer to get over the line, but given Jesus’ incredible form, it’s one worth pursuing, especially as he’d be ideal competition for Delap.

Why Jesus would be a great Delap rival

So, when it comes to adding extra competition for your starting striker to the squad, only one metric truly matters: output.

In this regard, Jesus looks to be an excellent option for Ipswich, as he has been in utterly sensational goalscoring form over the last year or so.

For example, in his most recent campaign, the 23-year-old machine scored a whopping 25 goals and provided nine assists in 56 appearances, meaning he maintained an average of a goal involvement every 1.64 games – talk about dangerous.

Appearances

56

Goals

25

Assists

9

Goal Involvements per Match

0.60

However, what makes that even more impressive is that he played for two sides, spending the first half of the campaign with Shabab Al-Ahli in the UAE and then moving to Botafogo in July.

On top of “blowing teams away” in two leagues across one season, as one Brazilian football expert put it, the Cuiabá-born star also played a pivotal role in securing Botafogo’s first-ever Copa Libertadores and their third domestic title in a brilliant double this year.

Now, with all of that said, if the Tractor Boys do end up signing the “great” number nine, as dubbed by analyst Ben Mattinson, he’d still likely play second fiddle to Delap, and given the Englishman’s own impressive haul of ten goal involvements in 19 Premier League games, that would be entirely expected.

However, with the intensity of the league and the chance of progressing in the FA Cup, there should be plenty of opportunities for the Brazilian to play and, in turn, allow the Winchester-born prospect to rest.

Ultimately, Jesus may not be a household name in English football, but if his form over the last year or so is anything to go by, he’s more than good enough to become one.

Therefore, Ipswich should do what they can to secure his services this month before one of their rivals beats them to him.

After Godfrey: Ipswich target £16m monster who outperformed Delap last year

The experienced forward would add more goals to Ipswich’s attack.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Jan 6, 2025

Ipswich Town have submitted a £16 million offer to sign an “explosive” player alongside Ben Godfrey, according to a recent report.

Kieran McKenna’s side had a very busy summer, as they brought in a lot of new players to help them in their fight to remain in the Premier League, and it looks as though January could be another busy transfer window for the club.

Ipswich Town close in on Ben Godfrey transfer

The Tractor Boys are closing in on their first signing of the January transfer window after it was revealed by transfer expert Fabrizio Romano that the Premier League side were in talks to sign Godfrey from Atalanta.

Ipswich Town want to sign new £29k-p/w ace ahead of Southampton in January

He would bring plenty of experience to Portman Road in their bid for survival.

2 ByBen Browning Dec 29, 2024

The defender joined the Serie A side last summer, but it has been a struggle for Godfrey in Italy, as he’s only played five games in all competitions, none of which have come as a starter. Despite joining the club only six months ago and being under contract until 2029, Godfrey is now set to seal a move to Portman Road.

According to Romano, who stated earlier this week that Ipswich were in talks over a loan deal, an agreement has now been reached in which Ipswich will sign Godfrey on a loan deal until the end of the season. The 26-year-old completed the first part of his medical on Saturday, and documents between the clubs are now being exchanged. McKenna will hope the arrival of Godfrey, who has plenty of experience playing in the Premier League, will aid his side’s defence as they try to become a little tighter at the back.

Ipswich Town make £16m offer to sign "explosive" player

As they close in on the signing of Godfrey, according to The Athletic, Ipswich have also made a £16 million offer to sign Ben Doak from Liverpool this month, but it is a bid that has been turned down.

Doak, who has been described as being “explosive” by Aston Villa’s John McGinn, is currently on loan at Championship side Middlesbrough. The winger joined Boro at the end of the summer transfer window, and so far, it has been an impressive spell, as he’s contributed goals and assists to help Michael Carrick’s side into play-off contention.

The Athletic reports that Ipswich made a £16 million bid to sign Doak, who has been capped six times by Scotland, but it has been rejected by Liverpool. This offer comes after Crystal Palace made a £15 million bid to sign the Scottish winger on Friday.

Apps

21

Goals

2

Assists

6

Liverpool are said to be pleased with the progress that Doak has made while on loan at the Riverside Stadium, and their preference is for him to remain at Middlesbrough until the end of the campaign. Doak has featured 10 times for Liverpool so far, and while he has yet to score or register an assist, he is held in high regard by the Merseysiders. However, Ipswich may be tempted to make a new and improved offer for Doak to test the resolve of Liverpool, as McKenna looks to improve his side further.

Manchester City are now set to submit a £34m offer for a defender, according to journalist Andre Hernan.

Man City keen on multiple January signings

Pep Guardiola is tasked with rebuilding the Man City defence, with it recently being revealed that captain Kyle Walker wants to leave the club, having been left out of the squad for the 8-0 demolition of Salford City.

The Sky Blues are particularly keen on a new centre-back, having a £33.5m bid accepted for Lens’ Abdukodir Khusanov, and the deal is now nearing completion.

Guardiola is keen to make multiple additions this month, with progress being made for Frankfurt forward Omar Marmoush, whereas Palmeiras’ defensive gem Vitor Reis is another key target.

After Marmoush: Man City chase £70m ace who's "very similar to Bellingham"

After Omar Marmoush, Manchester City are looking to further raid Eintracht Frankfurt for a highly-rated midfielder compared to Jude Bellingham.

Jan 10, 2025

City’s opening bid for Reis was knocked back by the Brazilian club, but they remain undeterred, with journalist Ben Jacobs revealing they are optimistic about being able to get a deal over the line.

As such, Man City have taken immediate action to try and get a deal done, with journalist Andre Hernan taking to X to provide an update on the transfer pursuit, saying: “I heard from a negotiation source who says this was just a first offer and that it will increase in the coming days.”

The journalist states the Sky Blues’ initial offer for the defender was considered too low, but they are willing to make an offer of €40m (£34m) to get a deal over the line. Palmeiras are said to be in “no rush” to finalise the move, indicating that a deal may not be possible until later in the January transfer window.

Reis could be a long-term success at Man City

The 19-year-old is already making a name for himself in his home country, having made 18 appearances in the Brazilian Serie A this season, and his defensive talents have been on show for all to see.

Over the past year, the Brazilian has averaged 1.87 tackles per 90, placing him in the 81st percentile compared to his positional peers, while an average of 3.08 aerials won per 90 ranks him in the 82nd percentile.

Of course, given that he is still a teenager, it may take time for Reis to get to a level where he’s capable of being a consistent starter for Guardiola’s side, but there are signs that he could soon be ready to make the step-up.

Members of the Brazilian media have lauded the starlet as a “monster”, while journalist Bence Bocsak has hailed him for his passing ability, which could make him a perfect fit in a Guardiola system.

£34m is a lot to spend on a teenager, but Reis is showing signs he could be capable of going right to the very top.

With Manchester United looking to welcome players who would suit Ruben Amorim’s system, INEOS are now reportedly preparing a move to sign a former Champions League winner at the manager’s request.

Man Utd transfer news

Whilst Amorim has shown glimpses of what his 3-4-2-1 system is capable of in victory over Manchester City and an impressive Anfield draw against Liverpool, it’s arguably causing more problems than creating solutions so far. The current Manchester United squad, simply put, is just not equipped to play such a system.

It’s a squad which lacks wing-backs in a system which utilises that very role and a squad which arguably features just one centre-back capable of thriving in a back three in Lisandro Martinez. Meanwhile, there’s also a fairly blunt frontline which desperately needs sharpening. So, to say that there’s work to be done would be quite the understatement.

Amorim must sell Man Utd man who earns more than Dorgu & Gittens combined

Manchester United desperately need to offload players before making new additions this month.

ByEthan Lamb Jan 25, 2025

Whether Manchester United have the means to complete such a transformation remains in question too. The last thing that the Red Devils need is to bump into any profit and sustainability issues when they’ve already flirted with a shock relegation battle once this season, which could yet see the likes of Alejandro Garnacho and Marcus Rashford depart.

Those sales should put those at Old Trafford in a far healthier position to pursue some much needed fresh faces of their own and that could hand Amorim a solution to his wing-back problem.

According to reports in Spain, INEOS are now preparing a move to sign Achraf Hakimi for Manchester United at Amorim’s request this summer. The Paris Saint-Germain right-back played successfully as a wing-back during his time at Inter Milan, where he won the Serie A, and could now become one of the first signings of the Amorim era.

Given that his contract expires in just over a year too, there could yet be some welcomed room for negotiation in any deal to sign the experienced full-back this summer.

"Elite" Hakimi would solve Man Utd problem

A rising gem at Borussia Dortmund, Champions League winner back at Real Madrid, Serie A winner at Inter Milan and an established star at PSG, Hakimi could now tick off the final big league on the list by joining Manchester United. And given that he wins almost everywhere he goes, the Red Devils could be in for quite a ride if he does put pen to paper in the summer.

PSG boss Luis Enrique has been among those to praise the 26-year-old Moroccon this season, telling reporters as relayed by Morocco World News: “He’s becoming more well-rounded, especially on the defensive side.

“Hakimi is an elite player with vast experience and serves as a reference for his teammates. I think he’s more mature compared to last season, and that reflects his development.”

The Spaniard’s praise suggests that Hakimi is at the peak of his powers, making now the best time for Manchester United to move in on their reported target. If Amorim is looking to solve his wing-back problem, then signing a player who’s operated among the elite in that very role would certainly be an intelligent move.

While deadline day was certainly underwhelming, the mood around Arsenal’s form on the pitch is in a far better place than it was a few weeks ago.

Mikel Arteta’s side played host to Premier League champions Manchester City on the weekend, and while Pep Guardiola’s side are a shadow of their former selves at the moment, they showed against Chelsea that they can still turn it on.

However, by the time the full-time whistle was blown on Sunday, the almighty Cityzens had been utterly blown away by the Gunners in a 5-1 demolition with more than its fair share of needle thanks to the growing, old-school rivalry between the two sides.

It was the perfect result for the North Londoners as they now look to overturn a 2-0 deficit away to Newcastle United tonight in the second leg of their League Cup semi-final, and while it seems incredibly harsh, Arteta should look to start Gabriel Martinelli on the bench against the Toon.

Why Martinelli should start on the bench

So, the first thing to say is that dropping anyone from the team who started against City on Sunday would be harsh, and not a single starter put in a poor showing.

However, with plenty of games to come and a thinner squad than Arteta would like, making changes is a necessity, and if someone has to come out of the side to make room for someone else, it should be Martinelli off the right.

As he always does, the Brazilian put in a tremendous shift against the champions and did well to pick up an assist for the Kai Havertz goal, but unlike Leandro Trossard on the other side, it didn’t feel like he quite tied down his opposing full-back well enough.

Moreover, the former Ituano gem has generally struggled to get past players with the ball at his feet in the last season and a bit, and is far happier utilising his speed to get in behind them and then receiving the ball, which against a Newcastle team who are defending a 2-0 lead at home, just isn’t going to happen very much, at least early on anyway.

Moreover, if the game does become more stretched due to the Magpies tiring or the Gunners pulling themselves back into the tie and forcing the hosts to come out and play, then the 23-year-old could just be the perfect option to come off the bench and exploit that situation, compared to Trossard who just can’t play that way.

In all, it’s not a slight on Martinelli’s performance against City, but for Arteta to give Arsenal the best chance of getting a result tonight, he should look to start the Brazilian on the bench and, in his place, start a youngster who’s proven beyond any doubt that he’s got the ability to turn games on their head.

The Arsenal star who should start vs Newcastle

So, with Martinelli vacating the right wing, Arteta should look to hand Ethan Nwaneri another start in the League Cup.

The 17-year-old dynamo may still lack the experience of his older teammates, but throughout this season, he has more than proven that he can be a serious game-changer for the Gunners.

For example, he made his first Champions League start away to Girona last week, a team who only lost to Liverpool 1-0, and totally ran the show.

Minutes

87′

Expected Goals

0.16

Goals

1

Expected Assists

0.49

Shots on Target

1

Shots Blocked

1

Dribbles (Successful)

2 (2)

Touches

38

Clearances

1

In 87 minutes of action, he scored a sensational goal from outside the area, racked up an expected assist figure of 0.49, completed 100% of his dribbles, and was named Man of the Match.

Then, just a few days later on Sunday, the “unplayable” talent, as dubbed by Jack Wilshere, came off the bench against City and scored another sublime curler to make it 5-1, and his reaction gave it all away, as instead of running around celebrating like most 17-year-olds would in that situation, he simply turned around and shrugged as if it was just another game to him.

On top of that, we have seen enough of him to now know that he can and wants to take on defenders with the ball at his feet, which, as we mentioned above, is going to be key if the team are to get anything out of what will likely be a defensive Toon side tonight.

Ultimately, Martinelli was great over the weekend, but the game tonight requires a different approach, one that can be carried out with aplomb by Nwaneri.

Arsenal must rue selling incredible star who's outscoring Havertz & Watkins

The free-scoring forward would be perfect for Arsenal at the moment.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Feb 4, 2025

Liverpool have now shortlisted a “fantastic” right-back who plays for a fellow top English club as a potential replacement for Trent Alexander-Arnold, according to a report.

Alexander Arnold's uncertain future

There has been some positive news on the contract front in the past few days, with various rumours suggesting Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk have now signed new deals to extend their stay on Merseyside beyond the end of the season.

It remains to be seen whether those reports are true, but there is a feeling the Reds may find it easier to keep hold of Van Dijk and Salah, rather than Alexander-Arnold, despite the right-back’s long-standing affiliation with the club.

Former scout Mick Brown has recently suggested a move to Real Madrid is still the most likely outcome this summer, saying: “I think, at the moment, the odds are in favour of him going to Real Madrid. They’ve been talking about a potential move for a while now and it’s definitely an option.

“From what I hear, he’s leaning towards that move because players find it notoriously difficult to turn down Real Madrid when they come calling.”

As such, it is important Arne Slot identifies potential replacements for the defender, and he is now eyeing a player who is currently at a rival Premier League club.

According to a report from TEAMtalk, Liverpool have now shortlisted Chelsea’s Malo Gusto as a replacement for Trent, although they are still trying to convince the England international to sign a new deal. Gusto has recently changed agents, which often suggests a move could be in the offing, and the timing is intriguing given the situation surrounding Alexander-Arnold.

Liverpool eye "phenomenal" £29m star who Slot admires to replace Robertson

The Reds are looking at signing a new left-back.

ByDominic Lund Feb 5, 2025

The Chelsea ace is said to tick a lot of boxes for Slot, but it may take a big offer to tempt Chelsea, as he is contracted until 2030 with no release clause, which places the Blues in a strong negotiating position.

Gusto could be the ideal Trent heir

The hope will be that Trent commits to a new deal over the next few months, but at the moment it looks like the 26-year-old is heading for the exit. As such, it is good news that Liverpool are being proactive by looking for replacements, and Gusto could be an ideal heir, given his skill-set.

The Reds’ current right-back is well-known for his attacking contributions, and the Frenchman is also impressive going forward, ranking in the 83rd percentile for assists per 90 over the past year. Enzo Maresca has also praised the £45k-per-week youngster for his ability to play further forward this season.

Gusto could be a superb signing for Liverpool, but Chelsea may be unwilling to sell to a rival club, which could be a major stumbling block.