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Florian Wirtz signed for Liverpool for a fee which could rise to £116m, but his social media sensation girlfriend is stealing the spotlight after the Germany star’s move to England.

Wirtz, 22, penned a five-year deal on Merseyside which will keep him at Liverpool until at least 2030. The former Bayer Leverkusen playmaker makes £200,000-a-week at Liverpool, placing him among Liverpool’s top earners behind Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah.

Wirtz revealed he chose Liverpool because he believes they are one of the top three clubs in the world, and said his family took little convincing.

He is joined on Merseyside by his partner Aaliyah Cloßen, who is a model and social media influencer with over 100,000 followers on TikTok.

Who is Florian Wirtz's girlfriend?

Aaliyah Cloßen, known by her TikTok username simply as Aaliyah (@aaliyahcl), has reportedly been dating Wirtz since 2022. The pair have kept their private lives relatively quiet, but have been photographed together several times, most notably celebrating Leverkusen’s Bundesliga title in 2024.

Born in the early 2000s, she is a similar age to Wirtz, and is thought to be from the Cologne region of Germany.

Although not much is known about her professional activities, she rose to fame on TikTok, where she now has over 115,000 followers and 2.5 million likes thanks to her ‘get ready with me’ content, displaying her fashion, lifestyle and make-up.

She is also involved in modeling, and has worked with Cologne-based photographer Jonas Herrlein.

Aaliyah is regularly spotted in the stands watching Wirtz in action, and is thought to have a great relationship with his parents, father Hans-Joachim and mother Karin, as the trio were often seated alongside each other at Leverkusen and Germany matches.

She posted a video during Wirtz’s transfer saga with the song I Follow Rivers by Lykke Li, in which the lyrics repeat “I follow you”. One hopeful Bayern Munich fan commented on the post: “Munich is better than Liverpool is all I’m saying.”

Wirtz and Liverpool have had a poor start to the season, as the midfielder had to wait until mid October for his first goal contributions in a red shirt, assisting twice in a 5-1 win against Eintracht Frankfurt in the Champions League.

Celtic are now considering a January bid to sign Kilmarnock midfielder David Watson, who is also being targeted by bitter rivals Rangers.

Following Brendan Rodgers’ resignation, Martin O’Neill has been keeping things steady at Parkhead, with the veteran manager winning his first three matches in charge, most recently defeating Rangers in the Scottish League Cup semi-final at Hampden.

Extra-time goals from Callum McGregor and Callum Osmand secured a 3-1 victory for the Hoops, setting up a clash with St. Mirren on December 14th, although O’Neill was none the wiser, given his response when asked if he would take charge of the final.

The interim boss said: “I was 73 on Monday, I’m 94 now! I don’t even know when the final is. I would imagine the club are making inroads to a permanent manager.”

Reaching a final is always cause for optimism, but the 55-time Scottish champions’ league form suggests they need to make improvements in the winter window, currently sitting nine points behind league-leaders Hearts.

Celtic considering January bid to sign David Watson

According to a report from The Herald, Celtic are now considering a January bid to sign Kilmarnock midfielder Watson, with the 20-year-old’s current contract due to expire at the end of the campaign, meaning he is free to negotiate pre-contract terms with other clubs.

The Hoops may have to hijack Rangers, however, with it last month being revealed their rivals have also identified the youngster, who could be Danny Rohl’s first signing, as a transfer target.

Foreign clubs have also expressed an interest in the midfielder, which means Kilmarnock could cash-in this January, although they may also choose to retain him until the end of the season to boost their chances of finishing higher in the Scottish Premiership.

Kilmarnock vice-captain Robbie Deas has waxed lyrical about the starlet’s work ethic in the past, saying: “Davey’s fantastic, honestly. He’s one of the hardest workers you’ll ever meet. He’s absolutely fantastic. You see that today, and he’s putting those tackles in later on.”

Not only that, but the Scotland U21 international is already very experienced at senior level, despite his age, making 117 appearances for the Kilmarnock first team, and he has already scored three league goals in 11 outings this term.

As such, there are clear signs Watson could be capable of making the step-up to a club the size of Celtic, but their main priority should be to bring in a permanent replacement for Rodgers.

O’Neill’s solid start has bought Dermot Desmond & co some time, but bringing in a top manager could really help put the pressure on Hearts, with Bodo/Glimt boss Kjetil Knutsen, who has won four league titles in the last five seasons, recently emerging as an option.

Charlie Mulgrew urges Celtic to appoint Jurgen Klopp Charlie Mulgrew shares "big" contract Celtic should now offer Jurgen Klopp

The ex-Celtic star has had his say…

ByTom Cunningham Nov 4, 2025

Arsenal’s battle with injuries has taken a further turn for the worse after Declan Rice was ruled out of Wednesday night’s Champions League meeting with Club Brugge. The midfielder is a central figure in Mikel Arteta’s plans but was deemed too ill to travel to Belgium, which has deepened the sense of strain within a squad already stretched thin.

• Injuries a major concern for Arteta

  Rice had fallen unwell shortly after the weekend defeat at Aston Villa, and despite attempts to aid his recovery, the 26-year-old was unable to join the travelling party. He is not the only major absentee. William Saliba, who has been managing an ongoing issue for several weeks, remains unavailable and will miss yet another marquee European assignment. Leandro Trossard, who had only just returned from injury to score against Villa, has suffered a fresh knock and had to be withdrawn before the final whistle at Villa Park. Arteta admitted he does not expect the Belgian’s recovery to be long-term but said there was no chance of him featuring in Bruges. The Gunners are also without Kai Havertz, defenders Gabriel Magalhaes and Cristhian Mosquera, and have only just welcomed back striker Viktor Gyokeres after his own spell on the sidelines.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  Arteta shares injury updates

  Speaking to reporters, Arteta said: "Declan was ill. He was quite sick after the game, and he hasn’t travelled with us. William is still not available, and Leo again picked another knock in an area where he had the issue, and I don't expect that it's going to be long, but unfortunately, he cannot be here."

  In an illustration of the mounting physical toll, Arsenal have altered their Champions League squad to accommodate the returning Gabriel Jesus. The Brazilian forward had been sidelined since January following surgery on his cruciate ligament, but has forced his way back ahead of schedule. His reintroduction comes at the expense of 15-year-old midfielder Max Dowman, who suffered an injury while playing for Arsenal’s Under-21 side against Manchester United over the weekend.

  Arteta added: "Yes, so first of all, unfortunately, Max [Dowman] picked up an injury last weekend and had to come off. So he did some scans and he is going to be out for weeks and then we have the situation of Gabi [Jesus], who we were expecting to be training with us by the end of December. Gabi has been pushing every single day and he kept telling everybody 'I am going to be earlier, earlier, earlier' and he has done it. 

  "So thanks to his work and all the work that the medical staff have done in all these months, and we had the possibility to make a swap there and we have done it. Yes, on one side, you see Max and the situation and on the other, you see the joy and how happy Gabi is to be back in the Champions League."

• Overtraining claims addressed

  With so many key figures unavailable, Arteta was asked whether the club’s escalating injury list is a symptom of excessive training demands. The manager dismissed the notion outright, arguing that the relentless match calendar leaves little room to train meaningfully.

  "Not training, no, because we don't have time to train," he said. "So, training is not there. But obviously, the fact that you are missing players, you are loading other players more. That's a consequence of that and it's a really dangerous. The fact that we have some others who have long-term contracts that haven't been with us since the beginning of the season. But, yeah, it's a test for the team, and so far, we have reacted very, very well to that."

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Fixture congestion continues to spark debate

  Arsenal, alongside Crystal Palace, have seen their league matches later this month brought forward by 24 hours to ease the load during a packed festive period. Arsenal’s trip to Everton and Palace’s visit to Leeds, initially set for Sunday, 21 December, will now take place on the evening of 20 December. The shift was introduced because the teams face each other in the Carabao Cup quarter-finals on 23 December, creating an unusually tight turnaround. Arsenal have already contested 22 matches across the Premier League, Champions League and Carabao Cup, with the FA Cup campaign due to begin in early January against Portsmouth. As the squad travels to Belgium without several of their key performers, Arsenal face not only Club Brugge but also the growing challenge of keeping a threadbare group intact through one of the most gruelling phases of the campaign.

Former England great looks forward to return Down Under, with a vital role to play in Ashes challenge

Vithushan Ehantharajah30-Oct-2025Andrew Flintoff played for England in just one Ashes tour, standing in as captain for the injured Michael Vaughan in 2006-07, as Australia regained the urn with a 5-0 drubbing. This winter, 19 years on, he returns in a different role, as head coach of the Lions, and with far more optimism.Arriving in Perth on Monday, Flintoff’s charges will be sparring partners with England as they look to regain the urn for the first time since 2015. They will provide vital opposition in the sole warm-up match at Lilac Hill, a three-day match ahead of the series opener at Optus Stadium on November 21, before embarking on their own tour which runs parallel to the first two Tests.The onus on supplementing the Test squad means the travelling party will feature six players – Rehan Ahmed, Jordan Cox, Matt Fisher, Josh Hull, Tom Hartley and Sonny Baker – with England caps. The Lions will have ringside seats to one of the most high-profile Ashes bouts in recent history – some could even find themselves tagged in for a few rounds.”I think it’s exciting all round,” Flintoff tells ESPNcricinfo at Loughborough, where the Lions have been training in an outdoor tent on pitches tailored to replicate those in Australia. “A couple of injuries and there might be opportunities.”Even for everyone, going to Australia for an Ashes year? Alright, you’re not at the same venues, but you’re going to be in and around Perth for the first Test. In Brisbane for the second. You’re going to experience the atmosphere being in Australia, all the hype around it.”I must admit, when I went and it didn’t go well, it was a bit of a shock. It was completely different to anything. But these lads are going to experience all these things, and they’re going to have the opportunity to practice with the England lads. Me included – I’m going to have a good day at the Ashes and watch England play. It’s all good.”The Lions’ fixtures, by design, will also offer those who miss out on Test selection time in the middle, should it be required. Four-day matches against a CA XI and Australia A begin a day after the start of the Perth and Brisbane Tests, with a fixture against a Prime Minister’s XI sandwiched in between.This is not the first time the Lions have shadowed England at the start of a major series. Next year, a red-ball series has been organised in South Africa ahead of next winter’s tour which features Tests, ODIs and T20Is. It is a continuation of more joined-up thinking throughout the national pathway, with the Lions now more of a bridge than ever before. It is something Rob Key was quick to reinforce when he took on men’s managing director duties at the start of the 2022 summer.Ed Barney has been the ECB’s performance director since 2023•England & GB Hockey”There’s a deep connection from top to bottom,” says Ed Barney, who followed Mo Bobat as men’s performance director in December 2023, a year before Flintoff became Lions head coach. “All credit to Keysy; he’s not a big process man, and I dont think he’d mind us talking to that too much. But one of the things he does believe in is alignment in terms of philosophy … playing philosophy.”There’s a natural level of alignment between Brendon McCullum, Fred and Michael Yardy (Under-19 coach), fundamentally. Some of the skills and attributes that we value and go after, and the understanding of international cricket. That’s unique in international elite sport.””We’re all in this together, aren’t we?” adds Flintoff. “We want the best for English cricket.”I look at the way England operate and I feel so fortunate to be involved in it, with Keysy, Baz, Ben [Stokes] and now Harry [Brook]. It’s a culture which I think is the right way to go about it. It’s all about expression, fun, backing each other, creating an environment, but underpinned from hard work.”Let’s be honest, I tried it every which way as a player. But it was no secret that the way it worked best was hard work, from a physical point of view, from a practice point of view, and also enjoying it. That should never be underestimated. I want these lads to enjoy playing cricket.”Flintoff and Barney have complementary experiences. The former was one of England’s most talismanic cricketers, the latter worked as performance director for England and Great Britain hockey, and was previously at the ECB from 2010 and 2013 as a talent indentification scientist.”Ed’s not from a cricket background, but he’s got an understanding of cricket,” says Flintoff. Barney interjects: “I’ve got a PhD in cricket, mate.””Have you?” comes the reply. “I’ve got an MBE”.Their combination has seen a re-imagining of what the Lions should – and could – be. While previously seen nominally as “England A” – the next-best set of players in the country – it is now a hybrid entity, dexterous enough to facilitate the differing needs of a variety of cricketers.Eddie Jack is one of the ‘high potential’ fast bowlers within the Lions set-up•Getty ImagesAt the start of the year, Shoaib Bashir toured Australia with the Lions to get a head start on what bowling off-spin over there requires. Stokes used an Abu Dhabi training camp in pre-season for some warm-weather rehabilitation as he returned from a second hamstring tear. In the summer, Chris Woakes and Josh Tongue played for the Lions to tune up for the India Test series, while Jofra Archer and Mark Wood were in regular attendance at various training sessions doubling as mentors. Bashir, having been overlooked by Somerset at the end of the season, attended a spin camp held at Loughborough overseen by legendary Sri Lankan batter Kumar Sangakkara.While the majority of the Ashes squad have been training in New Zealand alongside the ongoing white-ball series, Bashir, Ollie Pope and Matthew Potts have been in the UK with the Lions. Woakes, having retired from international cricket earlier this month, was on hand this week to do some coaching.At the other end of the spectrum, there are “high potential” picks and those fresh to the set-up. Six-foot-four quick Eddie Jack features, having come close to joining the full squad in the build-up to the Headingley Test against India before an injury crisis at Hampshire scuppered those plans. Somerset’s precocious 17-year-old batter Thomas Rew is an early graduate of the U19s. Glamorgan’s Asa Tribe, with five ODIs and 26 T20Is for Jersey, is getting his first exposure to the pathway.

It’s a culture which is all about expression, fun, backing each other, creating an environment, but underpinned from hard workFlintoff on the ethos that fuels England’s set-up across squads

Crossover with established talent and up-and-comers is encouraged, even on the fly. During one session in the Loughborough tent earlier this month, Kent and England U19 batter Ben Dawkins, who attends the university, was given a surprise hour-and-a-half-long net against Stokes and Wood as part of their Ashes preparations.The malleability of the set-up is held up as a strength, and Flintoff takes pride in the way it has boosted the careers of up-and-coming fast bowlers. Baker and Jack, for instance, were handed first-class debuts by the Lions before they had represented Hampshire in the format. Similarly, Mitchell Stanley’s bowling workload increased from 32 overs in 2024 to 331 in 2025 (all formats and miscellaneous matches). Stanley finished the season by taking 11 wickets for Lancashire against Kent, made up of his first two first-class five-wicket hauls. All three are part of the ECB’s pace project, established last year to mould the next tranche of quicks.”One of the nice things about this job is you give someone their first-class debut in Australia, he takes wickets and then there’s the pride when he makes his England debut,” says Flintoff of Baker.Matthew Fisher is one of the quicks who will be on stand-by for the Ashes•SLC”Eddie Jack, we gave him his debut (against India A) and he gets Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Dhruv Jurel and Nithish Kumar Reddy. This is a lad that had never played red-ball.”Mitch Stanley, I saw him bowl in the nets at Old Trafford when they signed him a few years ago. He was off a few paces and I thought, ‘wow, look at this’. Then he goes back to Lancashire and takes 11-for. It makes you think, ‘maybe we are doing something right here’.”Barney goes deeper on Stanley as a testament to the program: “That’s an exceptional win in terms of what Lancashire have been able to do and our ability to work collaboratively with them off the back of Australia (at the start of the year). Sitting down and mapping out a plan and seeing that play through.”As ever, collaboration with the counties is a must. A meeting with the respective directors of cricket in London three weeks ago was used as a debrief of how the summer panned out, sharing notes and future plans. After Australia, the Lions head to India for a spin camp that will also feature fast bowlers, before a white-ball series against Pakistan Shaheens in Abu Dhabi that coincides with several counties also being in the UAE for their pre-seasons.It is no secret that there has been a degree of conflict between the county game and the ECB’s high-performance aims, the current example being the mooted binning-off of the Kookaburra ball, originally introduced in the County Championship to promote fast bowling. Barney believes the Lions can facilitate a healthier relationship between the two.”County cricket is where it’s played,” says Flintoff. “But to play international cricket is different. We’re trying to fill that gap, whether it’s using the Kookaburra ball more. Playing on different surfaces. Spin camps where Kumar Sangakkara comes down. Going to Australia where the ball bounces a lot more, and giving them games for what they might face playing for England.”Barney adds: “The reality is, the domestic game has a choice to make, as to whether it wants to align itself with producing future international players, or whether it wants to be more orientated towards a product that is recognised and valued by the game or the membership.Related

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“Lions cricket can adapt and, to a certain extent, respond to that. I don’t think it’s a problem at all. What we want to have is some consistency of contact time, so we’ll talk to these guys about how this is not just an Australia tour, this is a six-month period where we want to work with you consistently.”At the turn of the year, the focus turns to limited-overs cricket with a view to 2027’s ODI World Cup, as England look to reinvigorate their ailing white-ball fortunes.Amid the cultivation of new talent, there will be an eye on three crucial player types – spinners, finishers and seam-bowling allrounders for all formats. The ECB have depth charts on all of them, with Yorkshire allrounder Matthew Revis put forward as an example of the kind of player they are looking to challenge and grow.”There are a multitude of skills and areas we are wanting to succession plan well for,” says Barney. “Whether that is power-hitting and finishing with the white ball and players who are able to thrive in that role for 2027. Who is Adil Rashid’s successor? Or Liam Dawson from a left-arm point of view?”There is a real orientation to who are our pace-bowling allrounders in the future, both in red-ball and white-ball cricket. Revis has got some real strength to his batting, where can we get his bowling to?””It’s not a new thing, is it, searching for an allrounder?” Flintoff says, knowingly. “Geez, we’ve had a few good ‘uns.”

Rest of India lost a wicket off the first ball of the third day of the Irani Cup

ESPNcricinfo staff03-Oct-2025
Vidarbha strengthened their grip on the Irani Cup fixture by taking a sizeable first-innings lead against Rest of India and then extending it to 224 on the third day in Nagpur.The day began with Rest of India on 142 for 5 in response to Vidarbha’s 342, with their captain Rajat Patidar and Manav Suthar at the crease. Vidarbha fast bowler Aditya Thakare struck with the first ball of the day, dismissing Suthar lbw after successfully reviewing the umpire’s not-out decision.Yash Thakur took the next two wickets, bowling Saransh Jain with a yorker and having Akash Deep caught at cover. Patidar had resumed his innings on 42 and got to 66 with ten boundaries before he was the penultimate wicket to fall – caught off fast bowler Harsh Dubey while trying to clear the long-off boundary.Thakur picked up the final wicket to dismiss Rest of India for 214, finishing with figures of 4 for 66 and giving Vidarbha a first-innings lead of 128.Vidarbha’s openers Atharva Taide and Aman Mokhade put on 42 for the first wicket in the second innings before Taide holed out to deep midwicket off Suthar. Mokhade fell for 37 in the 24th over, caught behind while trying to hook Gurnoor Brar. From 64 for 2, Dhruv Shorey and Danish Malewar steered Vidarbha to 96 at stumps, ahead by 224 runs with eight wickets in hand.

Crushing loss in Hamilton cannot dent celebration of series win, ahead of blockbuster 2025

Vithushan Ehantharajah18-Dec-2024Two blokes walk into a pub in Hamilton.One is wearing Ben Stokes’ batting gloves, having donned them for the 10-minute scooter ride from Seddon Park, where he had obtained them from England’s Test captain. The other is wearing Brydon Carse’s Test jumper – a surprisingly good fit considering he was giving up about a foot in height to the Durham seamer.Punters revelling in freshly-acquired souvenirs felt like an sound allegory for the journey this England team has embarked upon in 2024. Their joint-busiest year of Test cricket has provided room for a regeneration. Of the 24 players have been used, seven had the honour of wearing that kit for the very first time.Each has seized their chance in different ways across a variety of roles. Gus Atkinson, Jamie Smith and Carse have made themselves immediate first-teamers. Jacob Bethell’s assuredness over the last month has brought on a pleasing headache. Shoaib Bashir, for all his pluck, remains a work in progress.The new year offers more bucketlist moments for a new-look team, with India at home and Australia away. For those at the opposite end of the spectrum, 2025 promises to be a legacy year. Defining for the project Stokes and Brendon McCullum have embarked upon together. Legend-lifting for Joe Root. Status-deciding for Harry Brook. “Get a ticket early,” urged McCullum, as much to supporters as the cricketers desperate to be in the mix for those blockbuster events.Shoaib Bashir benefitted from Stokes’ empathetic captaincy in India, but that trait was misplaced in Pakistan•Joe Allison/Getty ImagesGetting excited about all that can wait. On Tuesday, much like those two punters, England were celebrating. It did not take them long to shed the frustration of a 423-run defeat in the third Test. Coolers of drinks made their way onto the field not long after the broadcast cameras were switched off. A first series win in New Zealand since 2008 was toasted, before morphing into a celebration of Tim Southee’s retirement. Both teams mingled late into the day, before everyone piled into the home dressing room. Games were played – namely “Zimmy Zimmy”, a staple of university students, essentially ‘pass the parcel’ based on rhythm and numbers – before goodbyes were said.Such geniality between these two teams is nothing new, of course. Nor is an England team’s affinity with the gorgeous vistas and range of outdoor activities (not just golf) this country provides. But while the extra-curricular parts of 2023’s New Zealand tour felt like a bit of a lads holiday – camaraderie high on the agenda ahead of that summer’s Ashes – this was more of a spa retreat.A Queenstown base to start, the odd course along the way, and encouraging players to take the scenic route from Wellington to Hamilton to enjoy the best of what the North Island has to offer after establishing an unassailable 2-0 lead in Wellington. England achieved the primary objective of this trip, but they also ticked off a secondary: de-stressing from a wearying 12 months.The 4-1 loss in India at the start of the year crushed a few older souls, the 2-1 loss to Pakistan on the other side of the home summer tested newer spirits. It was during the former that Stokes realised the team needed more dynamism. And as much as that would come from a refresh, his return as a functional allrounder would be integral to that.Fast forward to Pakistan and Stokes’ obsession to get back to the “old him” had reached untenable levels. By his own admission, he had “ruined” himself by ramping up his own training levels after a left hamstring tear in August had wiped out the hard work of the previous six months.Brydon Carse has inked himself into England’s first XI after some thrilling displays as the third seamer•Getty ImagesHe was tetchy, off the pace as captain and, worst of all, had lost the empathetic perspective that had been a vital crutch for his leadership. A trait all the more important given the number of players new to the environment.Stokes has been able to rediscover his emotional equilibrium on this trip. He came out to Christchurch ahead of time to surprise his family, many of whom, including his mother Deb, were in attendance at Hagley Oval for pretty much every ball of the first Test. Time with loved ones has perhaps brought a reminder for perspective. Reflections of his captaincy came in the weeks following the Pakistan series, and subtle changes have been made. Even with the recurrence of his hamstring injury, the 33-year-old seems to be in a much healthier place.Perhaps the most interesting strand of 2024 to tug at is the other side of the personnel transition. Punting on young “unproven” talents is the easy bit. The hard part has been moving on the established ones.James Anderson was the highest profile example of this. A necessary parting of ways, conducted via an uneasy hotel meeting, meant that Stokes, McCullum and managing director Rob Key came with a good deal of heat from all corners (including the man himself, of course). The silver lining for Anderson is, much like Southee this week, he got closure. The others have not been quite so lucky.Related

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• Stokes urges England to stay in the now as Ashes year looms once more

Jonny Bairstow was parked after notching 100 caps at Dharamsala in February. The 2022 Bazball poster boy will enter the new year as a dead weight on the central contract list until October, without any clarity on whether his international future is actually over. Similarly, Ben Foakes sat out the last six months of his deal as Smith came in to offer the best parts of both keeper-batters.Ollie Robinson, once regarded as a vital cog in the Anderson-Broad succession plan, has also not been seen since that tour, He is unlikely to feature again under the current regime, as much through losing the trust of McCullum and Stokes as the emergence of Atkinson.Even serial reserve batter Dan Lawrence seems to have run his race after underperforming as a fill-in opener in the Sri Lanka series when Zak Crawley broke his finger. It was a thankless task in an unfamiliar role – both of which Bethell has excelled in the last month.Ollie Pope finishes 2024 with his place in jeopardy despite launching it with a hall-of-fame innings in Hyderabad•Getty ImagesIndeed Bethell has now brought a further awkward conversation around Ollie Pope. A man who started the year with a star-turn in the heist of Hyderabad now finds himself at a peculiar juncture in his international career.England’s vice-captain is a team man in a team of team men. His initial play for the No.3 spot was a way of getting into the XI, but as his stint has gone on, there has been a growing sense his presence in the role has been for the benefit of others. It allows Root to remain at four, and Brook at five. Just as importantly, Pope’s average remains above 40 in that position.But Pope’s selflessness is also why he now finds himself in a conundrum. There was no surprise when he took the hit of moving down the order to No.6 for this series, so that he could keep following the injury to Jordan Cox. Stokes in particular lauded him for doing what was best for the team. But the vacancy allowed Bethell to state an all-too-attractive case.It is a case that does not have to be answered for a good few months, given England’s next Test is not until May. But it is remarkable to think a player who began 2024 with a hall-of-fame innings and went on to captain four Tests in the middle is now ending it with such uncertainty.Alas, that is international sport. And the growing pains of a revamp are these necessary evils – tough decisions that, in the case of Pope, might seem contrary to the team’s promoted values of backing players unequivocally, ridding them of fear and rewarding their loyalty.Therein lies the main takeaway from this year. The results read nine wins and eight defeats, but majority of the year post-India has been about revitalization and amending the broad brushstrokes of the first two years.Stokes and the England team might not like the word “ruthless”, but there is no better word to describe the mentality they will need to adopt as 2024 comes to a close. With India and Australia on the horizon, 2025 will be about winning at all costs.

Manchester United are interested in completing the signing of Atletico Madrid midfielder Conor Gallagher in the January transfer window.

The Red Devils may have found some real form for the first time under Ruben Amorim, but it is also clear that midfield reinforcements are needed, whether that be in January or next summer.

Casemiro feels almost certain to leave United at the end of the season despite finding his goalscoring boots recently, departing when his contract expires, so bringing in a younger alternative to marshal the troops in front of the defence is key.

There is also a general lack of midfield depth for Amorim to call upon, with the club’s 20th most expensive signing Manuel Ugarte struggling to be a convincing signing since arriving, and Mason Mount continuing to be an injury-prone figure.

Gallagher has been linked with a move to United in the past, with the England international considering a potential addition, and now a new update has emerged on a move to Old Trafford.

Man Utd want to seal Conor Gallagher signing

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Fabrizio Romano claimed that Manchester United remain interested in signing Gallagher on loan from Atletico, with a January move possible.

“I told you several times that Man United want to add a midfielder, but in this moment to go for a very expensive midfielder in the January transfer window might be difficult. Players like (Carlos) Baleba maybe are not even available.

“Same for Angelo Stiller and then there could be opportunities – a name that Manchester United considered in the summer transfer window final days was Connor Gallagher from Atletico Madrid. Conor Gallagher remains an option in case Atletico Madrid decide to open doors to a loan move. At the moment Gallagher is only focused on Atletico Madrid.

“Manchester United’s interest is genuine since August. But Gallagher is one of the options they have in case it could be an opportunity on loan, in case it can be a typical general deal. So we will be following the situation. But Gallagher is a name we have to keep there.”

There is plenty to admire about Gallagher for United, not least the fact that he already has so much Premier League experience from his Chelsea and Crystal Palace days, during which Frank Lampard called his work rate “amazing”.

The 25-year-old has made 136 appearances in the competition, while Atletico’s legendary manager Diego Simeone has lauded his intense style of play.

‘It’s never easy for players coming from England to adapt to the Spanish championship, to the language. He has competed very well in different places and in positions where he doesn’t feel more comfortable. He will evolve, he has room for growth. He is very intense in offensive and defensive play, he brings a lot to us.”

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Manchester United may already have their own version of Adam Wharton at the club.

Posts ByDan Emery Oct 31, 2025

Gallagher would bring much-needed legs to United’s midfield, potentially proving to be an upgrade on Ugarte, and he has the team ethic to be a popular figure at Old Trafford from the off. The fact that he has only managed two La Liga starts this season also means he could be open for a new challenge.

Man Utd's future "£100m+ footballer" is another Casemiro in the making

After the success of Harry Amass on loan, Sheffield Wednesday have now reportedly set their sights on signing Gabriele Biancheri and Victor Musa from Manchester United in January.

The Owls are slowly but surely solving the problems left behind by Dejphon Chansiri and now have plenty of reason to be optimistic after clearing debts owed on deals for Yan Valery and Ike Ugbo.

According to The Star’s Alex Miller, with those debts cleared, Sheffield Wednesday’s FIFA transfer restriction has been lifted and they’ll be in a position to sign players at long last in January. What’s more, those at Hillsborough are still waiting for a verdict from the EFL on lifting their ban on signing free agents in what would be a major boost.

Whilst Championship safety remains a mere fantasy after their 12-point deduction, Sheffield Wednesday at least have the chance to drag their rivals down with them after the international break, given that Sheffield United sit as low as 22nd as things stand.

Victory over their rivals in the Steel City derby would take the Owls within two points of reaching the positives again and manager Henrik Pedersen, who is already looking forward to the game – telling reporters: “Oh I am looking forward.

“You can see from the players, from the fans, the energy is good. We are together with a lot of hope for the future and when we see the boys at Southampton, they don’t work hard enough for the three goals, but away at Southampton there were so many good things.”

Off the pitch, meanwhile, the manager will have the chance to welcome some much-needed reinforcements in January, which could start with two more Man United gems.

Sheffield Wednesday targeting Musa and Biancheri

According to transfer reporter Graeme Bailey, Sheffield Wednesday are now targeting Victor Musa and Gabriele Biancheri at Man United following the success of Amass’ loan deal this season. The left-back has started all 11 of Sheffield Wednesday’s Championship games and even scored his first goal for the club against Southampton last time out.

Now turning back to Old Trafford, the Owls could land two more impressive talents. Both 19-year-old strikers, Biancheri has scored four goals in seven Premier League 2 games so far this season and has enjoyed a better season than Musa, who is yet to score.

As a result of his recent rise, it’s Biancheri who has earned the most praise with Canada boss Jesse Marsch telling reporters after inviting the forward to join the country’s training camp in June: “He’s a dynamic player. He’s very good around the goal. You can see he’s an intelligent player.

“He’s a version of Jonathan David. He’s not exactly the same player but he’s a striker that can play up on the backline and is also good at coming underneath and connecting plays and being part of the build-up phase.”

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