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Bukayo Saka has been told he needs to decide whether to remain a one-club man or go and win silverware elsewhere.

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Saka's ambition questionedMay have to move to win trophiesContract is up in 2027Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Saka returned from a three-month hamstring injury with a goal against Fulham on Tuesday evening, but his side's title bid has stalled in his absence and the Champions League is their last chance to avoid another trophyless season. Former Manchester City winger and Premier League title-winner Shaun Wright-Phillips has questioned Saka's motivations, claiming he may have to leave to become a serial title-winner.

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Saka has won just one trophy since breaking into the Arsenal first team, an unused substitute for the 2020 FA Cup final. Kylian Mbappe signed for Real Madrid on a free transfer last summer with England team-mate Trent Alexander-Arnold set to follow in the coming months – and Wright-Phillips suggests a move to Spain could pay off for Saka. Arsenal have been stung in previous circumstances before, when they were forced to sell star striker Robin van Persie to Manchester United with one year remaining on his deal in 2012.

WHAT WRIGHT-PHILLIPS SAID

Wright-Phillips told : "In Saka's position, does he want to be a one club man, or does he actually want to go and win silverware? I’m not saying Arsenal won’t win anything, but players know that if they sign for Real Madrid, they’re going to get a medal every season. That could be in their thought processes. From what I see, Saka and [William] Saliba love the club. So for them not to sign new contracts, that would catch me off guard."

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Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR SAKA?

Saka is fully fit for the Champions League quarter-final against Real Madrid beginning next week, but is first back in action for the Gunners' trip to Everton on Saturday.

Lancashire struggle in bowler-friendly conditions on rain-affected first day

ECB Reporters Network25-Jul-2022Lancashire 112 for 4 (Saini 3-45) vs KentLancashire endured a difficult start to their innings at Emirates Old Trafford as Kent took two wickets in each session played during a rain-affected first day of this LV=Insurance County Championship Division One clash.After last week’s heatwave, Manchester reclaimed its reputation for inclement weather with rain and a strong wind battering the ground for most of the morning ensuring no play was possible until 3pm before which the visitors had won the toss and elected to bowl.It seemed an obvious decision in the conditions and Lancashire’s in-form openers Keaton Jennings and Luke Wells faced a tough examination early on from Matt Henry and Navdeep Saini who repeatedly passed the outside edge of both batters.Just as the first wicket pair looked to have weathered the storm, Saini produced a fine delivery to Jennings which was edged to Zak Crawley at second slip with the opener departing for 14 and the score 24 for 1.Related

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Runs were at a premium but Wells was determined and the incoming Josh Bohannon full of energy as the second wicket pair scampered between the wickets and looked to have gone someway to rebuilding the innings as Henry and Saini were replaced by Nathan Gilchrist and Grant Stewart.Bohannon had just produced the shot of the day and reached 27 with an exquisite cover drive to the boundary when Gilchrist’s next delivery rose on the Bolton-born batter who edged to gully where Jack Leaning took a brilliant diving catch.It was a major blow for Lancashire who could not break free from Kent’s tight and accurate bowling after tea with Wells the next to fall for 35 from 80 balls to the returning Saini who induced another edge to the grateful Leaning.A moment later and Saini was on a hat-trick with Rob Jones pinned in front first ball by an inswinger to leave Lancashire 97 for 4 and right up against it.Steven Croft, who is leading Lancashire in this game with Dane Vilas suffering from a fractured finger, steadied the ship and he and Washington Sundar took the home side to 112 for 4 before the rain returned. Play was abandoned for the day at around 6.15pm.Lancashire made a surprising call to omit Matt Parkinson, the England legspinner, from their squad and instead pick Jack Morley, the 21-year-old slow left-armer, to complement Washington’s offbreaks.

Liverpool have accepted a loan offer for an “exceptional” young player signed by former manager Jurgen Klopp, according to a new report.

Liverpool prepare for unlikely title clash at Forest

Fresh off the back of thumping Accrington Stanley 4-0 in the FA Cup fourth round over the weekend, Liverpool will travel to the City Ground to face Nottingham Forest on Tuesday night as they try and continue their charge towards the Premier League title.

Last season, the game would likely have been a routine three points for the Reds, with Forest having only escaped relegation on the final day of the season.

This term, however, Nuno Espirito Santo’s side are a different beast altogether. Not only are they currently third in the Premier League table, level on points with second-placed Arsenal, they are also the only team to have bested Liverpool in the top flight this season, having beaten Arne Slot’s team 1-0 at Anfield back in September.

Ahead of the return fixture on Tuesday, Slot told the press that he expects another difficult game, and insisted that Forest must be considered genuine title contenders.

“If Forest is up there with us, they are definitely a team that are in competition for us,” he said. “They deserve to be treated like this. Look at how they play and their results. It will be a very difficult challenge to get the result. They have already shown how good a team they are.”

Liverpool accept loan bid for Klopp signing

One man who certainly won’t be involved against Forest is young full-back Calvin Ramsay. The Scottish defender spent the first half of the 2024/25 season on loan with Wigan Athletic, but returned to Anfield just after the New Year having made only three league starts for the Tics.

According to The Daily Record, Ramsay is now set to go back out on loan, this time to Scottish Premiership side Kilmarnock. The Record report that Liverpool have accepted Kilmarnock’s proposal to sign the 21-year-old for the remainder of the campaign, and that the move is expected to be made official later this week.

Ramsay also had interest from clubs in League One and League Two in England, but Killies boss Derek McInnes, who managed Ramsay as a youngster at Aberdeen, has convinced him to move to Rugby Park.

Liverpool paid Aberdeen an initial £4.2 million to sign Ramsay in 2022. Since, the youngster has made just two appearances for the Reds – one in the EFL Cup and one in the Champions League. Shortly after the moved to Anfield, former Reds boss Jurgen Klopp heaped praise on Ramsay.

“Everything we heard about him was that he is a fantastic boy. And what a player he is – what he did for Aberdeen last year, absolutely exceptional,” Klopp said.

“In his age group and you know the things we need from a full-back, he is as close as it gets to the things we want and is still a kid. So we really expect a lot from him in the long term.”

Fernando Morientes has suggested Sergio Ramos join Wrexham as the former Real Madrid centre back is looking for a way back into European football.

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39-year-old joined Monterrey in FebruaryAlready looking for move back to EuropeMorientes suggests WrexhamFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

The former Real Madrid striker was speaking to , and was asked about the possibility of Ramos finding a move back to the continent. Morientes intimated that North Wales could make a great fit for the 39-year-old, as it would allow him to explore different experiences in his last years in the game while working under Hollywood co-owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney.

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The speculation around the former Los Blancos captain's future may come as a surprise to some. Ramos made the move to Monterrey in February, but its believed he's open to a move when the summer transfer window opens. The Spaniard has scored three goals in six appearances for the Liga MX side.

WHAT FERNANDO MORIENTES SAID

Morientes said: "Could we see Sergio Ramos at Wrexham? Well, once you leave Real Madrid and that top media spotlight, you have a lot of choice.

"He chose, for example, to go to Sevilla because he's from Seville and he really wanted to go back.

"Then he left Seville and now he has decided to go to Mexico. I imagine it was a friendship with some of the directors. There's no special connection there before but it's another step in his career, steps with less responsibility, less pressure, more on a personal level.

"He wanted to live a different experience, and if the experience gives him the chance to be happy on a personal level, more than a sporting one, go for it. If that's the case with Wrexham, too, it'll probably be a good thing."

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Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR SERGIO RAMOS?

For all of the astute and big name signings the Red Dragons have made on their rise up the leagues, Ramos would be the first name of international repute to join Reynolds and McElhenny at the Racecourse Ground. With Wrexham pushing for Championship football, it may be the first of many such transfer sagas over the summer months.

“For much of my career I’ve been an anomaly, a brown face in a vanilla line-up,” says the former batter in his new autobiography

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Aug-2022Ross Taylor has opened up about how he and other players have faced racism in New Zealand cricket.In his new autobiography following his retirement from international cricket earlier this year Taylor, who has Samoan heritage on his mother’s side, wrote the game in New Zealand was “a pretty white sport” and that he had experienced racism inside dressing rooms that was likely considered “banter” by those involved.”Cricket in New Zealand is a pretty white sport. For much of my career I’ve been an anomaly, a brown face in a vanilla line-up,” Taylor wrote in an extract published by the . “That has its challenges, many of which aren’t readily apparent to your team-mates or the cricketing public. Given that the Polynesian community is dramatically under-represented in the game, it’s probably no surprise that people sometimes assume I’m Maori or Indian.”In many ways, dressing-room banter is the barometer. A team-mate used to tell me, ‘You’re half a good guy, Ross, but which half is good? You don’t know what I’m referring to.’ I was pretty sure I did. Other players also had to put up with comments that dwelt on their ethnicity.”In all probability, a Pakeha [white New Zealander] listening to those sorts of comments would think, ‘Oh, that’s okay, it’s just a bit of banter.’ But he’s hearing it as white person and it’s not directed at people like him. So, there’s no pushback; no one corrects them. Then the onus falls on the targets.”You wonder if you should pull them up but worry that you’ll create a bigger problem or be accused of playing the race card by inflating harmless banter into racism. It’s easier to develop a thick skin and let it slide, but is that the right thing to do?”Elsewhere, Taylor also wrote about experiences from within the New Zealand team environment that had been racially “insensitive”.An NZC spokesperson told the New Zealand Herald: “NZC deplores racism, is a staunch supporter of the NZ Human Rights Commission’s ‘Give Nothing to Racism’ campaign, and is deeply disappointed Ross has been exposed to this type of behaviour. We’ll definitely reach out to Ross to discuss the matter.”

Wolverhampton Wanderers are targeting some January transfers to strengthen their squad and aid their fight against relegation. The Old Gold lost again in their most recent game, although it was a tough assignment, to say the least. They suffered a 3-1 loss at the hands of top-four challengers Chelsea away from home.

Indeed, that only hammered home the need for more fresh blood in the squad during the second half of the January transfer window.

They are currently one place outside of the relegation zone but are level on points with 18th-place Ipswich Town. Each side has 16 points.

There has already been some transfer activity at Molineux this winter, although not all of it has been positive.

Wolves’ winter transfer business

The only real piece of business conducted so far from Vitor Pereira’s side has been the signing of 27-year-old Ivorian centre-back Emmanuel Agbadou. He cost Wolves a reported fee of £16.6m from French side Reims.

So far, the Ivorian has played three games for the Old Gold, starting twice in the Premier League and once in the FA Cup. He has not been able to stop Wolves from leaking goals, and whilst not necessarily at fault, has been part of a defence that shipped three goals against Newcastle United and Chelsea.

Transfer Focus

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

There was meant to be another incoming at Molineux in the coming days. Wolves thought they had a £10m deal to sign Portuguese midfielder Manu Silva sealed, but the move for the Vitoria Guimaraes star was hijacked.

Instead, he has signed for another Portuguese side, Benfica, who ‘swooped in at the last minute’ according to talkSPORT. As Aguias, managed by former Wolves boss Bruno Lage, are a Champions League side, they are naturally a big pull for any player.

The Old Gold will now surely reassess midfield options given it is clearly an area they want to strengthen. They were recently linked with one Premier League star who they could go in for.

Wolves's Manu Silva alternative this month

The player in question here is Liverpool star Wataru Endo. According to a report last week from CaughtOffside, Wolves are one of several sides ‘monitoring the 31-year-old’s situation’, given he seems to be out of favour at Anfield.

The midfielder is also a target for a couple of other Premier League sides, such as West Londoners Fulham and fellow relegation-strugglers Ipswich. Celtic are also interested, as are Italian giants AC Milan. The Japan star could cost upwards of £12.6m for a deal to get done.

It has been a tough season for the experienced Japan international. He has played just 15 games across all competitions, with eight of those appearances coming in the Premier League. In total, the Liverpool man has featured for 433 minutes, a total of 4.8 full 90-minute games.

However, do not be misled by the fact Endo has not featured much this term. He was a key player for Jurgen Klopp in his final season, playing 43 times and getting himself on the scoresheet twice from the base of midfield.

Endo was a player Klopp clearly loved, which was not only shown in the amount he played the Japanese midfielder but also how highly he spoke about him. Towards the start of his time at Anfield, the legendary German boss said the midfielder has “tackling as a hobby”. According to Klopp, he is also a “machine” in the middle of the park.

This is vital because Wolves seem to be searching for a ball-winner, and Endo could be the perfect alternative to Silva. Their defensive stats via FBref from top-flight football last season are similar, showing the kind of profile Wolves are after.

Per 90 minutes in the Premier League last term, Endo averaged 3.56 tackles and interceptions and 5.65 ball recoveries. In comparison in the Portuguese top flight, Silva averaged 3.65 tackles and interceptions and 6.45 ball recoveries each game.

Tackles and interceptions

3.56

3.65

Ball recoveries

5.65

6.45

Clearances

1.62

3.96

Blocks

1.26

1.17

Aerial duels won

1.62

2.99

It seems like the Old Gold are after a ball-winner to sit at the base of their midfield and break up play. Even though they missed out on Silva, there is a great alternative for a cheap price available, who could bring quality off the ball and more experience to the Wolves side.

Wolves' most expensive sales of all time

A a look at Wolves’ 20 most expensive departures.

ByCharlie Smith Oct 10, 2025

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has used the January transfer window to sign a few players who will play key roles in the club’s direction going forward.

It’s fair to say that this season represents the end of an era at the Etihad. Trailing in the Premier League, out of the League Cup and struggling in the Champions League, it appears as though the FA Cup is the most realistic chance of silverware this season.

Having secured the signings of Vitor Ries (19), Abdukodir Khusanov (20) and Omar Marmoush (25), it is clear that signing talented youngsters is Guardiola’s new mantra.

Could he perhaps bring another youngster to the club this month before the window closes?

Man City looking at another January addition

Fabrizio Romano has provided an update on a player who Man City are reportedly after, saying on X:

“Arsenal, City Group (Girona with a future move to Manchester City) and Aston Villa have all presented their project to Sverre Nypan. Decision is up to the player who’s taking his time to visit club and pick the best option.”

Transfer Focus

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

Nypan is certainly a player in high demand, that’s for sure. A reported fee of just £10m may be enough to secure the signature of the 18-year-old talent, who has an extraordinarily bright future in the game.

If he does join City, could the Norwegian youngster be the next David Silva? He has all the required attributes to become a success in England without a shadow of a doubt.

How Sverre Nypan compares to David Silva

Silva was arguably the finest signing City made in their quest to dominate English football. Arriving for a relatively modest fee of £24m, Roberto Mancini ultimately labelled him as “one of the best midfielders in Europe” and he proved that in England.

Ten years, four Premier League titles and 436 appearances later, it is clear that Silva was a huge success for City. It wasn’t just the numbers which made him one of the finest to ever do it in England, but his spellbinding performances that saw him terrorise opposition defences.

2019/20

40

6

11

2018/19

50

10

13

2017/18

40

10

14

2016/17

45

8

11

2015/16

36

4

12

2014/15

42

12

11

2013/14

40

8

13

2012/13

41

5

11

2011/12

49

8

19

2010/11

53

6

14

Nypan has similar sort of qualities. In 60 matches for Rosenborg, the teenager has scored 13 goals while grabbing 11 assists for the club. Like Silva, his job is primarily to create chances but he also finds the net on a regular basis himself.

Indeed, in the Norwegian top flight during 2024, Nypan created seven big chances, and averaged 1.4 key passes while succeeding with 1.4 dribbles per game. It’s clear to see why data analyst Ben Mattinson explained that he has a “devastating final ball”.

These attacking numbers show just how effective he is in the final third, creating countless opportunities for his teammates, along with not being shy in utilising his dribbling skills either.

Hailed as a “wonderkid” by one prominent content creator, Nypan could very well be the next best thing to emerge from Scandinavia and blessed with the ability to play as a no.10 or as a no.8, he certainly fits the Silva mould.

If they manage to secure his signing, Nypan may be the heir to the Spanish sensation that Guardiola has been looking for. That’s a certainty.

Better signing than Kimmich: Man City could land £70m Luiz alternative

Man City are interested in a move for a Serie A midfielder

2 ByRoss Kilvington Jan 26, 2025

Alessia Russo and Chloe Kelly have both won races against time to be fit for Arsenal's Champions League semi-final against Lyon – but only one starts.

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Russo & Kelly were both doubts after knocksPair had to withdraw from Lionesses duty this monthBut recover for Arsenal's Champions League semi-finalFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Russo and Kelly were both doubts for Saturday's Champions League semi-final first leg at home to Lyon, eight-time winners of this competition. Kelly pulled out of the England squad before the Lionesses' first game of the April international break due to a foot problem, while Russo had to withdraw between matches after picking up an issue in the 5-0 victory over Belgium.

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However, though both players couldn't be involved in Arsenal's league win over Leicester on Tuesday night, they have recovered in time for Saturday's huge game. Russo is fit enough to start, which is crucial given how important she is to the Gunners' play. Kelly, meanwhile, is able to make the bench.

DID YOU KNOW?

It's not all good news for Arsenal, though. The Gunners are without Daphne van Domselaar, their No.1 goalkeeper, due to an ankle problem that could well have ended her season. Manuela Zinsberger, who has largely been first-choice since joining the club in 2019, will deputise in her absence.

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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR RUSSO, KELLY & ARSENAL?

After Saturday's home leg against Lyon, Arsenal will travel to France to take on the eight-time European champions in the return game on April 27. The winner of this semi-final will face either Chelsea or Barcelona, the reigning champions, in May's Champions League final.

Nathan Ellis has been called into the squad while David Warner has been released for the last game

ESPNcricinfo staff10-Sep-2022Marcus Stoinis has been ruled out of the last ODI against New Zealand, and there will be no final outing for the prolific David-Warner-Aaron Finch opening combination after Warner was released from Australia’s squad to manage his workload.Stoinis will miss the final game in the Chappell-Hadlee series with a low-level side strain. He will return to Perth to try and recover in time for the brief T20I tour of India, with the contingent leaving late next week. But side strains can be problematic to overcome in a short time frame.Pace bowler Nathan Ellis, who has played three ODIs, has been called into the squad for the last game in Cairns on Sunday.Related

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Warner’s release from the squad means that Finch will have a different opening partner for his final ODI. The pair will finish as Australia’s fourth-most prolific, with 3788 runs including 12 century stands.Marnus Labuschagne could be an option to go in alongside Finch. Josh Inglis, who replaced Marsh, is the spare batter in the squad, while Cameron Green may be available again after missing the second match following the cramps he suffered in the first game.Stoinis is the second injury Australia have suffered to one of their allrounders over the last couple of weeks, with Mitchell Marsh heading home after the first match against Zimbabwe to nurse a minor ankle injury, although there were indications that he would be available for the India tour.In the second ODI on Thursday, Stoinis removed James Neesham but was then off the field when the victory was secured.While much of the focus has been on Finch’s form struggles, Stoinis’ returns have also been underwhelming. Since the start of the 2019 World Cup, he has made 308 runs in 19 ODI innings at 17.11.Both Stoinis and Marsh were key parts of Australia’s T20 World Cup success last year. Marsh cemented himself as the team’s No. 3 – despite missing the defeat against England – and Stoinis became a middle-order finisher alongside Matthew Wade. The pair also provides handy pace-bowling options. However, heading into this year’s tournament, there is the question of how Australia can fit Tim David into their side.

Celtic are set to offer one of their most promising young stars a new contract in order to fend off interest from Europe, according to a new report.

Celtic latest news

Despite a 4-2 loss to Aston Villa in the Champions League on Wednesday, the Hoops secured a spot in the knockout phase play-offs, advancing by just one point.

Wins over Slovan Bratislava, RB Leipzig and Young Boys in previous weeks were enough to see Brendan Rodgers’ side through, setting up a clash with German giants Bayern Munich for a place in the last 16.

Worse than Trusty: Celtic star just missed his big chance to shine

The Celtic forward endured a frustrating evening against Aston Villa on Wednesday.

5 ByDan Emery Jan 30, 2025

Speaking after the defeat to Villa, Rodgers said that he is “very proud” of his team.

“We’ve built a really good foundation this season and shown that we can compete and play the game to the level that we want, and shown that we can also defend,” the Celtic manager said. “Clearly, at this level if you make mistakes you’ll get punished and you’ve also got players with big quality.

“But, overall, we were very competitive over the course of the eight games which gives us the 12 points, and now gives us a really exciting tie for the players and the supporters.”

Rodgers said Celtic’s qualification for the knockout phase play-offs “gives pride to the club and to the nation”.

Celtic to offer Cummings new contract

Beyond their Champions League success, Celtic fans received more good news this week regarding young striker Daniel Cummings, who made his senior debut against Aston Villa on Wednesday as a late substitute.

Regarded as one of Celtic’s brightest prospects, the 18-year-old has been in outstanding form for the club’s B side this season, scoring 25 goals in 26 games across all competitions.

His performances have drawn interest from Bologna, Club Brugge, and RB Salzburg, with all three clubs recently sending scouts to watch him in action.

To fend off suitors, The Celtic Way reports that Celtic will offer Cummings a long-term contract to secure his future at the club.

With his current deal set to expire at the end of the season, he is free to negotiate with other clubs, but the Scottish champions are expected to move swiftly to tie him down with a new contract.

Earlier this year, The Young Team, who scout Scotland’s next top stars, described Cummings as “too good for the Lowland League” and praised him for his “great runs” and “spectacular strikes”.

Scotland Under-19 boss Neil MacFarlane, meanwhile, said of Cummings back in November: “Daniel’s done really, really well. He’s scored a lot of goals in the Lowland League and scored in the UEFA Youth League as well.

“He’s been doing really well for them, just as a number of the lads at Celtic have been doing. It just adds to the attacking options at the top end of the pitch.”