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It might not have led to a Premier League title, but Arsène Wenger still had some sensational players in his later years at Arsenal.

The likes of Alexis Sanchez and Aaron Ramsey, for example, became some of the most entertaining players in the league.

However, arguably the best of the lot was Mesut Özil, who sent the fan base into delirium when he joined the club on transfer deadline day in 2013.

The World Cup winner was an artist with the ball at his feet, capable of things most would only dream of, and now, based on reports, it looks like Arsenal could be going after someone who could become Mikel Arteta’s version of Ozil.

Arsenal target their new Ozil

Arsenal went big in the summer window, signing more players than perhaps even the most optimistic of fans would’ve expected.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

However, with a title on the line, the club appear to be in the market for more reinforcements ahead of the winter window, and have been linked to a host of players.

For example, Nottingham Forest’s Murillo has been touted for a £79m move to the Emirates, as has Paris Saint-Germain’s Bradley Barcola.

However, while both players would be excellent additions to Arteta’s squad, neither could really be described as the next Ozil, unlike Arda Güler.

Yes, according to a recent report from Caught Offside, Arsenal are one of several sides interested in signing the Turkish international.

In fact, the report has revealed that the Gunners are now stepping up their pursuit of the 20-year-old, although the likes of Liverpool, Manchester City and Manchester United appear to be doing the same.

In addition to the competition, a potential roadblock for this deal is that, per reports last month, it could cost as much as £88m to get the playmaker out of Real Madrid.

However, while it could be a costly and complicated transfer to get over the line, it’s one Arsenal should fight for, as Güler is an extraordinary talent and could be Arteta’s own Ozil.

Why Güler could be Arsenals new Ozil

Now, while it’s still early in Güler’s career, and it will take some time before he reaches the heights Ozil did, there are still apparent similarities between the pair.

Firstly, were this transfer to happen, then, like the World Cup winner over a decade ago, the young talent would be swapping the white of Real Madrid or the red and white of Arsenal.

Secondly, the 20-year-old is a sensational talent who still has so much room to grow and, like the Gunners’ former star, is someone whose future appears to be more central than out wide.

For example, while he has played on the right and several other positions, attacking midfield is where he has played most of his football and where he has been thriving this season.

Speaking of this season, the Ankara-born wonderkid is proving he is both a goalscoring threat and a creative force for his teammates.

In his 21 appearances, totalling 1365 minutes, the “generational talent”, as described by journalist Dean Jones, has scored three goals and provided seven assists, averaging a goal involvement every 2.1 games, or every 136.5 minutes.

Unsurprisingly, the young dynamo’s underlying numbers also help to justify such labels.

xAG: Exp. Assisted Goals

0.38

Top 1%

Progressive Passes

7.98

Top 1%

Key Passes

3.27

Top 1%

Passes into Final Third

6.49

Top 1%

Live-ball Passes

59.32

Top 1%

Touches

77.43

Top 1%

Pass Completion %

85.3%

Top 2%

Through Balls

0.95

Top 2%

Shot-Creating Actions

6.08

Top 2%

Carries

47.71

Top 3%

Assists

0.41

Top 5%

Tackles Won

1.16

Top 7%

Switches

0.54

Top 8%

Crosses

5.42

Top 9%

Goal-Creating Actions

0.70

Top 10%

According to FBref, he ranks in the top 1% of attacking midfielders and wingers in Europe’s top five leagues for expected assisted goals, progressive passes, key passes, touches and more, all per 90.

Finally, if you still aren’t convinced, just listen to İlkay Gündoğan, who in 2023 made a clear link between the two midfielders.

“If there is a Turkish football player who is similar to Mesut Özil, the first name is Arda Güler. I see his future bright.”

Ultimately, while there is still a long way to go for Güler to reach the level Ozil did at his peak, he is clearly on his way. He was ranked second in the 2025 Golden Boy awards, living up to writer Neal Gardner’s billing that he is “the single best midfield prospect in world football.”

Therefore, Arsenal should do all they can to sign him

Three players could end Odegaard's Arsenal career & none of them are Eze

Arsenal have a trio of incredible talents coming through, but it could be bad news for Martin Odegaard.

ByJack Salveson Holmes 6 days ago

The home side were without a host of frontline quicks but were still able to beat England 3-0

Andrew McGlashan02-Nov-2025Matt Henry, Kyle Jamieson, Will O’Rourke, Ben Sears, Lockie Ferguson, Adam Milne. It’s an impressive list of fast bowlers. And New Zealand finished their ODI series against England without any of them.Henry featured in the first game in Mount Maunganui, where he started the home side’s hold over England’s brittle top order alongside Zak Foulkes, before exiting through injury. The rest were sidelined before it started. New Zealand still won 3-0. It continued a formidable home record: since losing 4-1 to India in 2019, they have won 25 out of 29 ODIs.Captain Mitchell Santner admitted the toss was a huge factor in Wellington (Harry Brook was equally quick to bemoan the fact he hadn’t won any in the series) but that shouldn’t detract from what was an impressive show of depth from New Zealand.Related

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'Boult-ish' Foulkes is adding breadth to New Zealand's pace depth

Tickner shelves the turmoil to embrace surprise recall

Tickner and Foulkes seal tense win to complete 3-0 sweep

Stats – A series of woe for England's top order in New Zealand

Blair Tickner, in a comeback story full of emotion and resilience, finished as the leading wicket-taker in the series, Foulkes had what could prove a breakout week and Jacob Duffy added further rewards to his impressive white-ball record.Only Nathan Smith, with two wickets and an economy rate of 6.82, perhaps ended the series with a question mark but he could make his T20I debut against West Indies, having been included in that squad alongside the fit-again Jamieson.”[The depth] certainly has been tested,” head coach Rob Walter said. “I think at one stage we were six or seven of our seamers down, which is a great testament to the depth, to be honest. More importantly to the individuals that have stepped in, I think often we don’t see the work that the guys not playing are doing, trying to get ready and wait for the opportunity.”In this instance, Zak has been one of those guys. Ticks has been one of those guys, being in and being out for over two years and working away at his craft to hopefully get another opportunity, which he gets and then he just sort of rises to it and does it with a smile on his face.Kyle Jamieson has recovered to be part of the squad for the T20Is against West Indies•Getty Images”So we pride ourselves on our domestic competitions to be fair and the strength of them and the way that players can come from there and into the international circuit, whilst we understand it is obviously of a higher level that they can come in and the group pulls them in and allows them to just be themselves.”The depth is there. We’re certainly not resting on it because with international cricket, as we’ve seen, we’re getting tested with a lot of players in and out, injuries sneaking in here and there. So it’s certainly something we’re paying attention to.”Henry (calf/workload management), Ferguson (hamstring), Milne (ankle) and Sears (hamstring) remain sidelined for the T20Is against West Indies alongside Finn Allen (foot) and Glenn Phillips (groin).”Kyle’s been back bowling this week and is tracking nicely for this series,” Walter said. “Nathan’s made an impressive start to his international career in the Test and ODI formats and we back him to do the job if he gets his T20 chance in this series.”Matt has played every game [for New Zealand] since the tour to Zimbabwe in July – so it’s the right moment for him to have a short break and the fact he will also get some time to rehab his calf is another upside.”Daryl Mitchell was named Player of the Series for the ODIs against England•Getty ImagesWith the bat, New Zealand had wobbles in each of their three chases against England, significantly so in the final game where Foulkes and Tickner carried them across the line. When the series was live, Daryl Mitchell led the way with two unbeaten half-centuries while Santner had a significant impact with a strike rate 123.94, which included putting a six onto the roof of Sky Stadium in Wellington.”It means a hell of a lot to play for New Zealand, so for me, any time I get to be in those moments and help us win those little moments, which create big ones, it’s good fun,” Mitchell, who was named Player of the Series, said. “It’s really pleasing to win a series and to win it in the way we have, and hopefully it creates momentum heading into the rest of the summer.”Will Young, who only made six runs in three innings, will be looking over his shoulder and Tom Latham had a lean series with 36 runs too.New Zealand play a further three-match ODI series against West Indies later this month following the five T20Is, which begin in Auckland on November 5.New Zealand T20I squad vs West IndiesMitchell Santner (capt), Michael Bracewell, Mark Chapman, Devon Conway, Jacob Duffy, Zak Foulkes, Kyle Jamieson, Daryl Mitchell, Jimmy Neesham, Rachin Ravindra, Tim Robinson, Tim Seifert (wk), Nathan Smith, Ish Sodhi

MatériaMais Notícias

Ciente de que está atrasado na busca por reforços para iniciar a temporada de 2024, a diretoria do Corinthians tem intensificado a investida por alguns jogadores nos últimos dias atravessando as negociações de adversários que estão em contatos por esses atletas. Desses nomes mais recentes estão: o volante Caio Alexandre e os atacantes Luiz Henrique e Rafael Borré.

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasCorinthiansAtlético-GO se aproxima de acerto com o Corinthians por RoniCorinthians09/01/2024Fora de CampoEx-Corinthians descobre filho fora do casamento, entenda o casoFora de Campo09/01/2024CorinthiansBruno Mazziotti, coordenador do departamento de saúde e performance, deixa o CorinthiansCorinthians09/01/2024

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Caio está no Fortaleza e foi um dos grandes alvos do Palmeiras no início da janela de transferências, mas após recuo do clube alviverde agora é o grande sonho do Bahia, que tem recebido forte aporte do Grupo City, proprietário da SAF do Tricolor de Aço. Já Luiz Henrique é pivô de uma disputa entre Flamengo e Fluminense, mas tem o Timão cada vez mais forte para dar o “chapéu” na dupla carioca. E Borré, que já foi desejo de Atlético-MG e Palmeiras, atualmente está próximo do Internacional, mas os corintianos tentam impedir que isso aconteça e que o destino do colombiano seja o Parque São Jorge. 

LUIZ HENRIQUE

Do trio, é o mais próximo do Corinthians, que fez uma oferta para adquirir o jogador por empréstimo até o fim deste ano. O Timão pagaria 2 milhões de euros (R$ 10,7 milhões) e o contrato teria o valor de 12 milhões de euros (R$ 64,5 milhões) fixados caso haja interesse de compra. A quantia, no entanto, ainda é menor do que os 18 milhões de euros (R$ 96,7 milhões) que o Real Bétis, da Espanha, pede para vender o atacante. 

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A proposta do Flamengo é parecida, mas as condições de pagamento apresentadas pela direção corintiana agradam mais os espanhóis. De toda forma, a ideia é não emprestar o atleta neste primeiro momento. Corintianos e flamenguistas tentam convencer os europeus de aceitarem o formato com o empréstimo com pagamento de taxa inicialmente.

A negociação com o Fluminense, clube que revelou Luiz Henrique, é dada como encerrada, já que o clube das Laranjeiras teve a sua oferta recusada pelo Bétis e não deve dar continuidade. O Tricolor propôs pagar 1 milhão de euros (R$ 5,3 milhões) pelo empréstimo com preço fixado para compra em 7,5 milhões de euros (R$ 40,3 milhões). 

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RAFAEL SANTOS BORRÉ

O Corinthians fez contato com o estafe do jogador através de um intermediário diferente do que tem costurado o negócio com o Inter pela contratação do atacante, que atua no futebol alemão – pertence ao Eintracht Frankfurt, mas atuou pelo Werder Bremen na última temporada.

Após informações colhidas, o Timão acenou que pretende oferecer um valor superior aos 5 milhões de euros (R$ 26,8 milhões) propostos pelo Colorado para a aquisição do colombiano. A proposta formal, no entanto, ainda não foi enviada aos corintianos, que estão bastante atrasados nas tratativas em relação aos gaúchos. 

+ Veja como ficou a tabela do Brasileirão após a última rodada

CAIO ALEXANDRE

É o negócio considerado mais difícil no momento, já que o Timão não deve chegar ao valor apresentado pelo Bahia, por meio do Grupo City, proprietário da SAF do clube baiano. A equipe nordestina oferece 4,5 milhões de euros (R$ 24,1 milhões) para o Fortaleza, que não tem interesse em vender o jogador, mas não está fechado para escutar interessados e, caso seja considerado vantajoso, firmar um acordo.

A ideia corintiana é convencer o jogador, através do seu estafe. A proposta financeira preparada para Caio é considerada melhor do que a do Bahia e também do Palmeiras, que buscou a contratação do jogador no início da janela de transferências. Outro trunfo do Corinthians é o projeto esportivo, já que a ideia é ter o volante como peça-chave na reconstrução corintiana no primeiro ano do clube gerido pelo presidente Augusto Melo.

O intuito do clube alvinegro é anunciar entre 10 e 12 reforços neste início de ano. Até o momento, somente três foram anunciados: o lateral Diego Palácios, o volante Raniele e o meia Rodrigo Garro. O lateral-esquerdo Hugo já treina nas dependências da equipe, mas ainda não foi oficializado. O zagueiro Gustavo Henrique deve assinar contrato nos próximos dias.

O Timão também tem acordo firmado com o zagueiro Felix Torres, do Santos Laguna, mas vê a negociação se transformar em novela por conta da ausência de liberação do clube mexicano, que faz jogo duro e tenta melar as tratativas.

Glasgow Rangers head coach Danny Rohl is looking to do something tonight that Russell Martin did not achieve in his time at the club: back-to-back wins in the Scottish Premiership.

The former Gers boss only won five of his 17 games in charge of the Ibrox giants, and he only won one match in the league before his dismissal earlier this month.

Rohl arrived to replace him in the dugout at Ibrox and won his first Premiership game in charge of the club at the weekend, beating Kilmarnock 3-1 in front of the home support.

The Gers face Hibernian away from home in the Premiership this evening, and the German boss must ruthlessly ditch Thelo Aasgaard from the starting line-up.

Why Thelo Aasgaard should be dropped

The Norway international should be dropped from the XI against Hibs tonight because his performance against Kilmarnock last time out left a lot to be desired.

Aasgaard, per Sofascore, came off the pitch in the 81st minute after failing to register a single shot on goal or create any chances for the team at the top end of the pitch, which shows that he was ineffective as an attacking force.

Thelo Aasgaard’s Premiership season
Opponent	Manager	Goals + key passes
Kilmarnock	Danny Rohl	0 + 0
Dundee United	Stevie Smith	1 + 4
Falkirk	Russell Martin	0 + 0
Livingston	Russell Martin	0 + 0
Hearts	Russell Martin	0 + 1
Celtic	Russell Martin	0 + 0
St Mirren	Russell Martin	0 + 0
Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, the former Luton man’s only impressive attacking outing in the Premiership came during Stevie Smith’s match as interim manager.

Chalkboard

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

The English-born playmaker has not proven that he can be relied upon, as evidenced by his dismal league form, which is why he should be dropped for a tricky away game against Hibernian, who are third in the league.

The Rangers star Rohl should replace Aasgaard with

Rohl should ruthlessly ditch Aasgaard from the team in order to bring hard-working central midfielder Connor Barron into the middle of the park alongside Mohamed Diomande and Nicolas Raskin.

The box-to-box star could help to make Rangers solid and difficult to beat, rather than having a natural attacking player like Aasgaard in there, which could help them to record back-to-back wins in the league.

Prior to Martin’s arrival in the summer, pundit Andy Haliday claimed that Barron “was Rangers’ best player for the first few months of the season” in the 2024/25 campaign, which shows that he is capable of outstanding performances for the Light Blues.

Connor Barron (Premiership)	24/25	25/26
Appearances	28	7
Pass accuracy	90%	86%
Passes made per game	40.8	23.4
Key passes per game	0.8	0.1
Tackles per game	2.2	1.7
Interceptions per game	0.6	0.3
Ball recoveries per game	3.8	3.0
Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, the Scotland international’s performance levels in and out of possession were much higher before Martin arrived at Ibrox earlier this year.

Barron was a defensive force, averaging 6.8 tackles, interceptions, and recoveries per game, for Rangers in the Premiership last season after his move from Aberdeen, buzzing around the pitch to disrupt the opposition and win possession back for his side.

Rohl should be looking to unlock his talent, which was seemingly hidden by Martin’s tactics, by unleashing him in midfield against Hibernian ahead of Aasgaard this evening, as he could provide the bite and drive that they may need to come away with all three points in a difficult away match.

Rohl could now turn "exciting" Rangers star into his own Shankland at Ibrox

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By
Ben Gray

Oct 28, 2025

Rohl has made it clear that he is not wedded to one style of play or system, which is why taking a creative midfielder like Aasgaard out for a pitbull like Barron could make sense for a tougher match away from home, as it is a pragmatic move.

Chris Sale is enjoying a bounce back season in 2024, having joined the Atlanta Braves to pitch in the National League for the first time in his career.

After struggling with injuries throughout much of the last few seasons and making a total of 31 starts from 2020 to 2023, Sale has been arguably MLB's most dominant pitcher this year. Not only will Sale be a NL Cy Young candidate, but he managed to set Braves' franchise history during his outing on Tuesday.

In the third inning of Atlanta's clash against the Colorado Rockies, Sale sat down Drew Romo for his third strikeout of the evening. In doing so, he reached 200 strikeouts on the year and became the first left-handed pitcher in Braves' history to strike out as many batters in a single season.

It's far from the first time that Sale has struck out 200 batters in a season, but he hasn't achieved the statistical milestone since 2019. Prior to his laundry list of injuries, Sale had racked up 200+ strikeouts in each season from 2013-19, including 308 punch-outs in 2017.

He's returned to his previous form in 2024 with the Braves, and looks better than ever during his age 35 season.

Crystal Palace have a wealth of assets of interest to some of the world’s best clubs and they could now be lining up a replacement for one star who is attracting attention.

Crystal Palace look to keep hold of Adam Wharton

When thinking of promising Premier League midfielders, Adam Wharton wouldn’t be too far down the public’s list due to his ability to dictate matches in the Eagles’ engine room.

Recently, the England international has attracted interest from Liverpool, and they are unlikely to be the only club keen on his services as he continues to thrive under Oliver Glasner in South London.

Eventually, the time may come for Wharton to move on. However, Pete O’Rourke has told Football Insider that he doesn’t believe that will be in the imminent future as he is settled at the club.

He stated: “It doesn’t seem he’s in any real massive rush to leave Palace right now, he’s enjoying his football and playing week in, week out in the Premier League. He has become a key man in Glasner’s side with Palace doing so well at the moment, having won the FA Cup last year and playing in Europe.

“It seems Wharton is happy with life at Selhurst Park, but his form and performances will attract interest from other clubs.”

Talks on: Crystal Palace lead Wolves to sign "finisher" who shocked Chelsea

Negotiations have been opened.

ByCharlie Smith Oct 1, 2025

Either way, Glasner isn’t hanging around as he looks to strengthen the engine room and Atlético Madrid’s Conor Gallagher could return to Crystal Palace in January, even if he isn’t short on options from elsewhere.

Wheels are already in motion as the Eagles look to take their recruitment to new heights, and they could now be sizing up a move for another midfielder as part of a potential contingency plan.

Crystal Palace want to sign Nicolas Raskin

According to reports in Spain, Crystal Palace are eyeing a move for Rangers midfielder Nicolas Raskin, and they feel his attributes could be suited to their deep-lying midfield role if Wharton were to depart Selhurst Park.

The Belgium international has registered a goal and four assists in 14 appearances this term across all competitions, though he was also frozen out while Russell Martin was in charge and hasn’t been able to help the Scottish Premiership outfit arrest their wretched run of form.

Five similar players to Nicolas Raskin (FBRef)

Manuel Ugarte

Manchester United

Rocco Reitz

Borussia Monchengladbach

Anton Stach

Leeds United

Jan Schoppner

Heidenheim

Christian Norgaard

Arsenal

With his contract due to expire in 2027, there is potential for Crystal Palace to land the 24-year-old on a cut-price deal if he opts not to renew his terms at Ibrox.

Ultimately, it remains to be seen how that will play out, but Besiktas are also said to be keen on luring him to Turkey, providing competition for the Premier League high-flyers if they wish to strengthen their midfield.

Labelled “aggressive” by Belgium coach Rudi Garcia, Rangers will push for him to stay, though the Eagles will hope the lure of top-flight exposure will be enough for their target to leave Glasgow.

Celtic get a break from Scottish Premiership and European football this weekend as they prepare to take on Partick Thistle in the quarter-finals of the League Cup.

The Hoops will be looking to seal their place in the last four of the competition in their efforts to retain the trophy that they won on penalties against their Glasgow rivals last season.

Brendan Rodgers’ side beat Falkirk 4-1 in the last round of the League Cup, thanks to goals from Dane Murray, Alistair Johnston, and Daizen Maeda, along with an own goal from Liam Henderson.

The Celtic boss did make a host of changes to his starting line-up for that clash, as the likes of Viljami Sinisalo, Johnny Kenny, Arne Engels, Murray, and Auston Trusty were given chances to impress.

This clash with Partick Thistle on Sunday provides the head coach with another opportunity to rotate his team and see what the players on the fringes of the squad have to offer, despite it being a quarter-final.

One player who feels like an almost guaranteed starter is summer signing Kelechi Iheanacho, who arrived on a free transfer from Sevilla the day after the deadline for the window passed.

Why Kelechi Iheanacho should start for Celtic

The Nigeria international made his competitive bow for the Scottish Premiership champions against Kilmarnock last time out, coming off the bench for the final 20 minutes.

Iheanacho came on to replace Maeda, who had scored the opening goal in the game, in the 70th minute and the hosts went on to equalise through David Watson, who powered home a header from a corner.

However, as shown in the highlights above, the left-footed ace kept his composure to score from the penalty spot in the 96th minute to win the match for the Hoops on his debut for the club.

Minutes

20

Touches

9

Shots

3

Goals

1

Passes completed

3/5

Duels won

0/2

As you can see in the table above, Iheanacho was keen to make an impact after coming on for his debut for the Scottish giants, as evidenced by three of his nine touches being shots.

He wanted to get on the scoresheet on his debut, clearly, and the penalty provided him with the perfect chance to get off the mark instead of it dragging on for any more matches.

The 28-year-old marksman should now be thrown into the starting line-up for this League Cup clash with Partick Thistle because it is the ideal chance for him to start and get 60 or 70 minutes under his belt to build his fitness back up.

His last competitive start at club level came for Middlesbrough against Norwich City in the English Championship in April, so it may take time for him to get back to his best from a physical perspective.

The former Manchester City and Leicester City marksman will be looking to get on the scoresheet again this weekend to force himself into contention to start against Red Star Belgrade in the Europa League on Wednesday night.

Iheanacho is not the only star who should be brought into the starting line-up against Partick Thistle on Sunday, though, as there is another rarely-seen talent who should be given a chance to shine.

Chalkboard

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

Paulo Bernardo has only started one game in all competitions, against Livingston in the Premiership, and should finally be unleashed from the start for this League Cup clash.

Why Paulo Bernardo should start for Celtic

The Portugal U21 international only played 23 minutes off the bench against Falkirk in the last round of the competition, and he has been an unused substitute in the last three games in all competitions for the Hoops.

Bernardo, who has also only played once in the Premiership this season, has rarely been used by Rodgers this season, as the likes of Callum McGregor, Reo Hatate, Benjamin Nygren, Luke McCowan, and Engels have been preferred ahead of him.

The Portuguese star, who was described as “tenacious” and a “baller” by U23 scout Antonio Mango, did play 1,272 minutes of action in the Premiership last term, per Sofascore, as he started 13 of his 28 outings in the division.

Bernardo, who scored a brilliant goal against Rangers in his first season at the club on loan from Benfica, produced two goals and three assists in those 13 starts, which shows that he can make an impact in possession.

xG

0.22

Top 7%

Goals

0.14

Top 20%

xG on target

0.23

Top 8%

xA

0.21

Top 11%

Chances created

2.20

Top 9%

Assists

0.21

Top 13%

As you can see in the table above, the central midfielder ranked highly among his positional peers as a scorer and a creator of goals per 90, which shows that he was an efficient player who made the most of the limited opportunities afforded to him by Rodgers.

On top of offering a threat in the final third from a central midfield position, the ‘tenacious’ talent also held his own in physical duels in the Premiership for the Hoops last season.

Bernardo averaged 2.76 tackles and interceptions per 90 for Celtic, winning 63.8% of his tackles and 53.8% of his overall duels, per FotMob, which shows that he was strong in the tackle and not easily bullied by opposition players.

Hatate, for comparison, only won 53.1% of his tackles and 43.8% of his duels, per FotMob, in the Premiership last season, which suggests that the Portuguese ace offered even more to the team out of possession.

These statistics suggest that Bernardo has the qualities on and off the ball to put in well-rounded performances in the middle of the park, but he has not had many chances to showcase his ability in the current campaign, with one start under his belt.

Therefore, Rodgers should drop Hatate to the bench to unleash the former Benfica man against Partick Thistle, to provide him with an opportunity to prove that he deserves more minutes, either as a starter or off the bench, in the weeks and months to come.

Rodgers must finally bin Celtic flop who earns more than Iheanacho

Celtic must finally part ways with this flop who earns more than Sebastian Tounekti and Kelechi Iheanacho.

ByDan Emery Sep 17, 2025

From 146 for 2, built on Tom Lammonby’s fifty, visitors fall to 187 for 7 as Jordan Clark bags five at The Oval

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay25-Apr-2025

Jordan Clark bagged a five-for•Surrey CCC/Getty Images

Somerset fought back to edge an absorbing first day against Surrey’s high-class seam attack on day one at the Kia Oval.Tom Lammonby made 76 but from 146 for 2, Somerset fell to 187 for 7 before skipper Lewis Gregory led a fightback by their tail with 62 as 96 were added for the last three wickets. Gregory was caught in the deep in the final over with Somerset dismissed for 283. The excellent Jordan Clark picked up 5 for 68.Such was the consistency of the bowling, before a partnership of 62 for the eighth wicket between Gregory and Josh Davey, only 12 boundaries had been scored, 11 of them in a stand of 98 between Lammonby and Archie Vaughan, who shaped up well for his 36.Related

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As ever at The Oval, the wicket had a good covering of grass and it was no surprise that for the 18th consecutive first-class or Test match there, the team winning the toss elected to bowl.Somerset’s top order have struggled in the first innings recently. Against Sussex a fortnight ago they were 79 for 7 and they slumped to 96 for 7 against Hampshire last week.They could have been in similar strife had it not been for Lammonby and Vaughan, who did well at times just to survive never mind construct an important alliance after Sean Dickson had to retire when he was hit on the right hand in Gus Atkinson’s first over.The ball beat the bat regularly as Atkinson and Dan Worrall produced Test-quality new ball spells. Vaughan had a let-off on 17 when he pushed at Worrall’s outswinger, but Dan Lawrence shelled the catch at third slip.There was brief relief when Atkinson was replaced by Clark whose first three overs went for 22 but no one epitomised the durability of Surrey’s attack than the 34-year-old, whose figures across his next four spells were an excellent 5 for 46 from 21.1 overs.Surrey finally broke through in the third over after lunch. Atkinson produced a fine delivery which nipped away at decent pace and Vaughan was held at second slip.Tom Lammonby and Archie Vaughan laid the platform for Somerset•Surrey CCC/Getty Images

Worrall got a deserved success with a ball which shaped away that Tom Abell edged low to second slip, but Lammonby and Tom Banton got stuck in for the next 20 overs although aggressive shots were rare in their third-wicket stand of 48.Clark returned to remove Banton who was turned around by a straightish delivery and Lammonby played his first poor shot when he moved across his stumps to Worrall and had his leg stump pegged back. He’d faced 173 balls with seven fours.Atkinson’s pace proved too much for James Rew, who played on, before Clark struck with successive deliveries after tea. Kasey Aldridge was bowled around his legs aiming towards fine leg and Migael Pretorious bowled groping forward.It didn’t look as if Somerset would make 200 but Gregory and Davey prospered as the bowlers finally tired. It was the redoubtable Clark who came back to break the stand when he nipped one back into Davey’s pads.Jack Leach was expertly taken down the leg side by Ben Foakes – the 500th dismissal of his first-class career – but the day ended with Dickson returning to help Gregory, who hit three sixes and five fours, add a further 33.

Arne Slot has been a revelation at Liverpool, bucking the trend of managers falling by the wayside in the Premier League after replacing coaches with long legacies.

Indeed, most thought Feyenoord’s coach would struggle to impress when replacing Jurgen Klopp at Anfield, but he took the reins and led Liverpool to the Premier League title in his first season, so confidently beating off competition.

Swiftly turning doubters into believers, just like the head coach before him, Slot has the minerals to lead this ambitious Liverpool project for many years to come.

Liverpool have now restructured themselves into a global force to be reckoned with, smashing the British spending record this summer, but Klopp built the foundations that Slot’s squad walk on, paving the Dutchman’s trophy-winning success.

Klopp's Liverpool legacy

Klopp didn’t just lead Liverpool to many trophies across his time at the helm, but he took an Anfield outfit in disrepair and shaped it back into a superpower, forming one of English football’s great rivalries with Pep Guardiola and Manchester City.

Klopp’s Silverware at Liverpool

Competition

Times won

Season(s)

Premier League

1x

19/20

Champions League

1x

18/19

FA Cup

1x

21/22

Carabao Cup

2x

21/22, 23/24

Club World Cup

1x

19/20

UEFA Super Cup

1x

19/20

Community Shield

1x

22/23

Data via Transfermarkt

He just got it, did Klopp. The bond he formed with Liverpool was a priceless thing, adding substance to his illustrious career, lifting Premier League and Champions League trophies as Liverpool manager.

The 58-year-old also gave rise to a new level of youth quality, guiding superstars like Trent Alexander-Arnold to the fore and raising the standard of the academy as a whole.

‘Klopp’s Kids’ as they came to be known, played an instrumental role in winning the Carabao Cup during the German’s swansong, and indeed keeping the ship steady amid a wave of injury problems, helping Liverpool back into the Champions League.

Couple that with Klopp’s remarkable midfield rebuild, signing Alexis Mac Allister, Dominik Szoboszlai, Wataru Endo and Ryan Gravenberch, and you can see why Slot has enjoyed such success over his year on Merseyside.

Many of Liverpool’s academy talents have since moved on, but a few remain. One of whom would be Conor Bradley, who, despite his recent injury concerns, has what it takes to become a leading first-teamer over the coming years.

Slot has hit gold on Conor Bradley

Bradley, 22, burst onto the scene in the 2023/24 season, mesmerising as he soared in the injured Alexander-Arnold’s stead, hitting one goal and six assists across his half-season in the first team.

In just his second Premier League match of the season, the young right-back obliterated Chelsea, scoring a fantastic goal and setting up two more.

Hailed by Alexander-Arnold for his “absolutely phenomenal” start to life under Klopp’s wing, this academy talent looked right at home from the off, leaving no doubts in the fanbase’s collective mind that this was a player capable of dazzling in red for years to come.

While Bradley doesn’t have his right-back predecessor’s same incredible range of passing, he is an athletic freak, capable of zipping up and down the wing and contributing with assists and tackles. 58 matches into his Liverpool career, Bradley has chalked up 11 assists.

Injuries limited him to just seven starts in the Premier League last season, but Bradley remains one of the most exciting up-and-comers in Slot’s squad, ranking among the top 3% of positional peers across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for assists, the top 5% for progressive carries, the top 13% for ball recoveries and the top 6% for goal-creating actions per 90, data courtesy of FBref.

Described as a “really special talent” by Northern Ireland boss Michael O’Neill, Bradley has already become a staple for his nation, proving his dynamism by often playing in a more advanced role.

With Jeremie Frimpong having ostensibly replaced Trent in the transfer market this summer and Szoboszlai playing like a man possessed as a makeshift right-back at the moment, Bradley has his work cut out in nailing down a regular starting berth, but he certainly has the potential to do so.

In fact, given the trajectory his career has taken already, Bradley might even be assured of his chances of becoming an even bigger fish in the Liverpool pond, having seen his market value skyrocket since Klopp left.

According to Transfermarkt, the defender’s estimated price tag has actually doubled over the past year, going from £13m to £26m.

Comparatively, this 100% rise is still a rather meagre amount, especially when comparing the player’s value against the most prominent members of Slot’s squad.

But he’s already pieced together too impressive a showreel to be considered anything other than one of the biggest talents in Liverpool’s ranks right now, with his goal against Chelsea the statement.

And, of course, how could we forget that tackle on Real Madrid’s Kylian Mbappe in the Champions League last year? Technical ability? Check. But passion? Well, he has that in droves.

If Bradley can work his way toward full fitness over the coming weeks and months, Liverpool will unlock another dimension to their backline, reinforcing the defensive structure (and covering the likes of Ibrahima Konate, who has had an up-and-down start to the term).

Then the talent’s value would only grow and grow some more, which is exciting to think about for those of a Reds persuasion. We have only had a taste of this academy gem’s potential.

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Posts ByAngus Sinclair Sep 5, 2025

Florian Wirtz made a surprise pick when asked to name a Liverpool team-mate who has impressed him most since his £117 million move from Bayer Leverkusen. The German playmaker, who lit up the Bundesliga with 57 goals and 62 assists in 197 outings, was the heartbeat of Xabi Alonso’s Leverkusen side that stormed to a historic unbeaten title in 2023-24.

Wirtz yet to find his feet at Anfield

Since swapping the BayArena for Merseyside, Wirtz has found it harder to impose himself. Beyond an assist on his Community Shield debut against Crystal Palace, the attacking midfielder has yet to register another goal contribution in Liverpool colours. Additionally, the massive price tag, a star-studded squad, and fierce competition for places in midfield have only complicated matters. 

AdvertisementGetty Images SportWirtz throws in a surprise

Wirtz shares a dressing room with the Egyptian king, Mohamed Salah, the Dutch colossus Virgil van Dijk and record £125 million arrival Alexander Isak. Yet, when pressed on who had caught his eye the most, Wirtz delivered a name few expected: Ryan Gravenberch.

In an interview with he said: "The one who's playing very, very well at the moment is Gravenberch. He's standing out at the moment."

Gravenberch firing on all cylinders

Gravenberch was the difference-maker in the Merseyside derby last week. Not only did he score the opener in the 2-1 win against Everton, but he also threaded the perfect pass for Hugo Ekitike’s decisive strike. To underline his all-action display, Gravenberch topped the match stats with five successful tackles; more than anyone else on the pitch.

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Getty Images SportBench blow fuels Wirtz's hunger

Wirtz himself had to endure the frustration of being dropped to the bench for that same derby clash. Liverpool edged out Everton, but watching from the sidelines only sharpened the German’s determination to reclaim his place. With a crucial Premier League trip to Crystal Palace looming this Saturday, the 22-year-old will be desperate to show Slot why he deserves to be restored to the XI.